Have a theme song, have lots

needs: Have theme song, have lots of theme songs.

I was storming from the minute I woke up to get my crew out of the house and into a theatre that guaranteed some positive feeling. The reviews and my astute cinephile brother had promised a feel-good feeling and after the cluster fuck that life had thrown at us in March, I was determined to declare the 1^st of April (no fools here) a good vibe only zone for my beloved, my dudes and me!

When family life is a shit storm, I’m not going to bother with the roulette of meaningful art house cinema that potentially casts us into the quandary of our existence. Distraction not introspection was on the menu. I had reverted to 100% reactive living, considering meals at meal times, not making any diary notes or plans or getting the “stuff” done. So, after 4 weeks of terror and sadness and pain, I woke up determined to see “The Greatest Showman”. My thoughts hadn’t moved to planning so getting out the door was not the usual well-oiled machine but we had a session, a park and got tickets just before.

It was a lot to ask of our Hugh and our Michelle (by Matilda default). It was a lot to ask of the schwepervesent Mr Efron, but I didn’t just ask. I took my literally broken crew to “The Greatest Showman” and sat down thinking – ok I got them here, now sprinkle some of that magic on us. As my aching carers body settled into the dark room, I thought, at the very least I might sleep a little.

You know what happened next? “The Greatest Showman” delivered. It was bombastic fantastic, collywobble bliss-bomb shaker maker starry starry wonderment of fantastic. It was a film filled with musical anthems of hope and promise and dreams and acceptance and everything we needed. The film sparkled and nurtured us gently back into smiling. When Hugh and his friends suffered hard times, they visited with us in ours. When they sang of dreams, we could barely breathe until they climbed back to life. In the dark suburban multiplex, I sighed and thought we could climb our way out as well.

By the time the beared lady sang “This is Me”, I was already sold but not ready for the power of it. I watched as my dudes sat a little taller, a little higher, and a little stronger as their anthem was presented. Here it was a song, about making no apologies for being as extraordinary as you can be, even when it feels likes the world is built to hurt and harm you. Someone had gone and written a theme song for my dudes when they needed it most.

When was the last time you left a film wanting to listen to the soundtrack straight away?

When was the last time you saw a film that instantly became part of your family?

When was the last time you saw a film that touched each of you and connected you to each other?

I’m sure in this post post modern meta world there will be ways to dissect this film, but for now, naked to those claims, I am happy. I am generally happier for seeing that film and 5 days on I am playing that soundtrack to extinguish the harshest of medication realities and it works like magic.