RL entry...a weekend with my parents, a show, etc.

[valis2]

Just got home a few hours ago, long hot miserable drive, blah blah blah.

The show was great, a teeny little show, but very worthwhile! I was thrilled with the result. It was right down the street from my parents' house in this little town in MI, so it was great to visit with them. The show was Sat & Sun.

Saturday night I went to their house after the day was done (they were still busy selling T-shirts for the town), and skipped around on their digital cable until I came upon the very beginning of Dogville, which is a Lars Von Trier movie starring Nicole Kidman that I had heard about and thought I might want to see. They weren't coming home until 10 pm, which is when their favorite show McLeod's Daughters was on. I have no idea if I've spelled that right. Anyway, what follows is the conversation that occurred when they came home at 9:35 instead (Dogville started at 8pm, I thought it was over at 10pm).

iibnf had an entry like this at some point...honestly, though, it reminds me of a similar sketch in How to Irritate Anyone with John Cleese.

Me: *watching Dogville intently*
Dad: *comes in* What are you watching? (loudly)
Mom: *runs to the back of the house*
Me: Dogville.
Dad: What?
Me: Dogville.
Dad: Dogville? What's that?
Me: It's this movie by Lars Von Trier.
Dad: Who?
Me: Lars Von Trier.
Dad: Who's that?
Me: Er...he did the whole Dogma 95 thing---
Dad: Is that Nicole Kidman?
Me: Yes.
Dad: Oh! Now I know what it is. This is a horrible movie.
Me: Okay.
Dad: I tried to watch it but it's awful.
Me: Well, I've watched most of it but I'd like to watch it through to the end.
Dad: We're going to be watching McLeod's Daughters at 10.
Me: Yes, I know. It just has twenty minutes to go, I'm going to watch it.
Dad: Okay. *goes to the back of the house*
Mom: *comes up front and sits down in front of the TV immediately after Dad leaves*
Mom: What's this?
Me: Dogville.
Mom: What?
Me: Dogville.
Mom: Dogville? Who did it?
Me: Lars von Trier.
Mom: Who?
Me: Lars von Trier!!
Mom: Is this the one with Nicole Kidman?
Me: Yes!
Mom: Oh, this is an awful movie.
Me: Well, it's near the end.
Mom: It's horrible!
Me: If you would like me to turn it off I can.
Mom: It's such an awful movie.
Me: I can turn it off if you don't want to see it.
Mom: Noooo...it's just such a miserable movie.
Me: Yes, well, just a little while longer.
Mom: *tries sewing something to a hat* Damn it! *curses a bit more*
Me: *sigh* *starts to realize that there is no possible way this movie can end in five minutes*
Dad: *comes back in and sits down* This movie goes until 11, did you know?
Me: I was starting to guess that. You can change it if you want.
Dad: Well, it's not 10 yet. There are still 5 minutes left.
Me: *realizes something awful is about to happen onscreen* *hands Dad the controller* Change it if you want.
Dad: There are still 5 minutes left.
Me: *cringes as nasty scene suddenly happens*
Dad: Oh, this is awful.
Me: Just change it!
Dad: *changes channel*

And as I was getting into bed, I thought, how wonderful it is that I can have this conversation with them. No, I'm not being sarcastic. I'm so happy they're still with me, in good health, and that they're so happy where they are. It was a little annoying to miss so much of the movie, but that's what DVDs are for, after all.

It's kind of odd...their house has suddenly, inexplicably, begun to smell exactly like my grandparents' house (my father's parents). I think that was why I was so affected when I was getting into bed. It was just the thought that my grandparents have been gone almost twenty years, and I miss them, and I wish that I had understood them more and appreciated them more while they were alive. The common sadness of all of us who lose those who are close to us, and it just crept up on me and swamped me in its bittersweet tea.

I'm a little loopy and disoriented, and I'm not certain if this entry came out as I imagined it. Anyway, *hugs* to the flist. I'm glad to be home.

Comments

[gillieweed.livejournal.com]

LOL! Thanks for posting that, I really enjoyed it. Even though you missed the end of your movie. For what it's worth, it sounds like an awful movie.

I've had kind of a crap day today--not the whole thing, but just goings on in the background--I really needed something like this!

I'm glad you had the time with your parents. My dad died suddenly in 2000 (on September 11 so I'll never be allowed to forget that day) and I still miss him.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I was torn between laughing out loud and being annoyed during the entire exchange. It was funny.

Poor thing...sorry you had an icky day.

I was very upset when they moved so far away (about a four hour drive), but I'm happy they're enjoying themselves. I just wish that I was closer. After my dad retired and before they moved away I would just call him randomly and we'd go out to lunch. It was lovely.

I try to get up there when I can, but it's hard to find a free weekend, you know? I'm glad they have this show, and that I can participate. They sat in my booth for part of the day yesterday and today, which was wonderful.

I'm so sorry about your father.

[tbranch.livejournal.com]

Dogville huh?

The important thing is.....did you like it?

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Good question!

I was really interested in seeing where it was going. And I do want to see the ending. I hear it's a shocking movie overall, and I'd like to know what happens.

[tbranch.livejournal.com]

Some of my customers didn't like the fact it was a play that was filmed. They were wanted something to happen "off stage" or something.

I dunno.

My hatred of Nicole Kidman knows no bounds so I Haven't see it myself.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I'm not much of a fan of Nicole the actress, so I wasn't really excited to see her, just wanted to know what the buzz was about, and I was intrigued by Ebert's review. And I don't mind filmed plays because I never get to the theatre, so it's nice to see something I would have missed otherwise, despite the "flatness" of a filmed play.

[pen-and-umbra.livejournal.com]

Me: Lars von Trier!!

Ahaha! XD That exchange was simply priceless -- and it was one that sounds like the sort I have with my parents (who, I hadn't noticed until recently, age, too). It's also reaffirmed my need not to see Dogville, Nicole Kidman or no.

Glad you had a fun show, too. :)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I was almost laughing, and I was annoyed, at the same time. It was just so funny. And if you've seen the pre-Monty Python John Cleese TV special on How to Irritate Anyone then you'll know exactly what it was like. Honestly, I wish I had taped it.

[scatteredlogic.livejournal.com]

I laughed out loud over your exchange with your parents. It sounds very, very familiar. ~sigh~ But you're right - we're lucky to have them still with us. So many don't.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I just am so happy they're still here and happy.

[absurdwords.livejournal.com]

That conversation sounds familiar.

I still haven't seen Dogville. Was it a good movie?

[valis2.livejournal.com]

It was an interesting movie. I really want to see the end of it. Not a cheerful or positive movie, but it drew me in, and I'd like to see what happens.

[privatemaladict.livejournal.com]

OMG, my parents are exactly the same... I've gotten into a habit of not watching anything when they're at home, unless it's something I know they like. Too often, I end up with them sitting by and saying things like "Why are you watching cartoons? You claim to be an adult! This just proves it, you're still a little girl." Or: "I know this movie! You're too young to watch it!" (The latter usually happens whenever I watch any movie that deals with sex in anything more than a ten-second scene. My mum finally seems to be realising how ridiculous the comment is, though. Lately it's been modified to "I know this movie! You won't understand it, you're too young."

My dad also has a habit of walking in in the middle of movies and asking questions such as "Who's this? What's this movie about? Is that Julia Roberts?" (The latter gets asked even if the actress bears absolutely no resemblance to Julia Roberts. This is my dad's idea of being funny.)

I need to keep your words in mind whenever I get to feeling like I can't stand another day of living in the same country, much less the same house as my parents. I keep reminding myself that I'm pretty damn lucky, really, and that other people are away from their families and miss them terribly. It's just really, really hard to keep things in perspective when your parents are around all the time, and you have to depend on them to support you!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I remember once, when I was 26, my mom and I were watching some sort of movie on TV, and there was a pretty steamy sex scene. My mom just sat there embarrassed for a moment, until she turned to me and said, "You know all about this stuff, right?"

"Er, um, well, yeah."

And then we went right back to watching. It was the only time we ever talked about sex. Ever. It was pretty funny.

While you're living with them it's hard to get out of the kid/parent thing, really. There's this dynamic that fills the relationship. I don't know...I just know that it's different now.