Dad was finally home from a long fishing trip and he couldn't stop talking about it. Predictably the mood and atmosphere would always change when Dad came home; not better or worse, just different. Different routines, different conversations, major pancake consumption the first Saturday after his return. "How many eggs you want?" instead of "It's time to get up" for example. But after this trip he came home different; he couldn't stop talking about the movie he had seen.
On a layover in Prince Rupert he and some of his commercial fishing colleagues went to the movie theatre to see James Bond Agent 007 in the movie From Russia With Love. It was exciting to hear of the car chases and the gunfights, partly because of the inherent excitement, partly because it was way out of character for anyone in our family to view a movie like that. I back checked the last few editions of the BC Catholic and Western Catholic Reporter, newspapers that we had in the house to see if the movie was on their approved list. I was concerned about the moral equilibrium of my beloved father. How would he explain his behaviour to the Father Brazeau? to Bishop De Roo? to Grandma? to Mom? I had a pretty good idea it might not be an easy task when I saw the ad for the movie in the Alberni Valley times.
Mom didn't react the way I thought she might. I thought I detected a tiny bit of jealousy, of envy. They were partners in life but her man had enjoyed a spectacular evening without her.
"When are you going to take me to a movie?" she asked with a half-smile.
Dad hardly missed a beat. "Oh, I don't think that's your kind of movie," he assured her.
"Not that movie. A movie we could both enjoy."
You could see Dad's wheels turning inside his head.
click click Going out for a movie was not a common event.
click click What about the kids?
click click There's always a need for something to get done.
click click There just wasn't the opportunity to get away for a night.
click click It was an unnecessary expense.
click click This wonderful woman deserves a night out.
"Well sure," leaning forward to hug her, " you pick us a movie." "I will," she smiled. It usually made me feel awkward when they kissed, Dad always seemed to make such a big deal about it. This time I didn't feel awkward, more relieved and a bit excited. I really hoped Mom would check the BC Catholic before she settled on a movie. I was prepared to help if she asked.
It was announced that Mom and Dad would be going out for a movie and somebody would be coming in to watch us while they were out. Alberni had one movie theatre with one screen. I obsessed about what movie they would pick and quickly ruled out a number of the popular ones at the time:
Cleopatra - possible, but not in town
How the West was Won - Dad yes, Mom probably no.
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World - No - too stupid for their tastes
Tom Jones, Move Over Darling, Love with the Proper Stranger - Definitely not on the Approved List at BC Catholic newspaper for any of them
Son of Flubber - Now showing at the Alberni Theatre but only if you take the kids
The Birds - No (But we did watch it as a family many years later. Still one of the scariest movies ever but not Date Night stuff)
Hud - not in town, probably not on the List
Lillies of the Field - Mom loved Sidney Poitier, but not showing in town.
Dad really came through - they were going out of town to see a movie. The big night came. Dad entered the kitchen dressed in a suit. Mom looked like she had changed her hair somehow. They were not going to be home for dinner. Off they went. I imagined them having fish and chips in the restaurant we went to in Parksville. They seemed to be gone forever, but were home the next morning when I got up. I didn't ask if they had fish and chips for dinner. I also didn't ask if the movie was on the BC Catholic Approved List - at least, I don't think I did. I know I wanted to. She told us that the movie they had gone to see was from 1962 . Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick.
As advertised :
and also as advertised:
Once I knew what movie they had gone to see I spent a lot of time and energy over an extended period of time trying to sort out in my mind what prompted them to go see this movie. I never
bothered to ask. It seemed enough to know that Mom and Dad had gone on a movie date, probably had fish and chips, and, to listen to Mom tell it, they had a wonderful evening. For the next long while, Mom talked about the evening and the movie with visitors and company a lot. She declared it to be an exceptional acting performance by Lee Remick, and, although the story subject matter was gritty and tough, she enjoyed her evening immensely. She may have said once or twice that it was her favourite movie. I sensed that going out with Dad was the real reason she enjoyed the movie.
Imagine, Mom and Dad on a date.
No comments:
Post a Comment