There are many things in my life that I haven't done, which were long ago accomplished by my peers. One of those things on the old "to do" list was supposed to be crossed off last night. I was signed up to attend a free screening of a movie. Obviously, this is nothing on the scale of a ride on the space shuttle or helping out on a cattle drive. It doesn't have the nobility and self-sacrifice of spending a year in the Peace Corps or committing to helping the homeless. That I have deigned place it within the same paragraph as these things is perhaps a wrong.
We need more perspective. I was fifteen before I had ever tried a jelly doughnut. I never felt that I had a sheltered life, but certain ordinary benchmarks were bypassed in my childhood. Eating a jelly doughnut was one of those. There were several others on this scale. Getting to park in a parking garage for the first time was one of my favorites.
So, throughout college and my early adult years, never did an opportunity arise to attend a free screening of a movie until last night. Had it not been for an email sent by a friend encouraging me to do so, I wouldn't have known about it. I'm not sure how people find out about these things. I've been to the theater on more than one occasion and been witness to the long line of people outside a particular screen and noted that they somehow obtained this singular opportunity. I then went on to my show thinking only how they were lucky and then thinking about it not at all.
My opportunity last night was to watch "Thank You For Smoking", a satire depicting vice-lobbying for items like cigarettes, alcohol, and firearms. I was looking forward to it. In recent months while attending movies, I've watched the preview maybe three times. It appeared funny, upbeat, with an established presence that was self-aware. I added my name to the list via the website, and was delighted upon receipt of the email confirming my reservation.
Do you recall that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry and Elaine are standing in the line at the car rental agency? Jerry needs a rental because his is in the shop, and he has made a reservation for a mid-size. However, when he approaches the counter, the rather smarmy attendant informs him that they no longer have a mid-size, but they could provide him a compact. Jerry, confused by this turn of events, inquires further. Taken aback, the clerk defensively indicates that they do have the reservation. Jerry responds with the classic line, "Oh, sure you have the reservation. You know how to take the reservation, but you don't know how to hold the reservation. And that's the most important part; the holding."
I arrive at the movie theater at 7p for the 7:30 show, and join the already long line. Okay, I think to myself, so we won't have our choice of seats; no big deal. Soon, I realize from the doubling of the line behind me that it is unlikely all these people will get in. Around thirty people in front of me are yet to enter the theater when, with little surprise, the coordinator of the event comes out to tell us the capacity has been reached. He thanks us for coming and then says something about seeing the movie, but I don't really hear him because by this point he is no longer important to me. I know him only as the person who dashed my dream of checking one more item off my "to do" list.
Disclaimer: I'm not a marketing expert. Despite the previous disclaimer, I wonder at the wisdom of allowing what occurred. I understand that having a larger than necessary group could help drum up excitement for the movie. "Wow," Bob says to Pam as they pass the long line on their way to "Date Movie 3", "that 'Smoking' movie must be really good. Let's see that next time." This type of interest generation can only go so far, I would imagine. Now consider the one hundred fifty people who were told they had a 'reservation' but didn't get into the film. How many people will they tell about their inconvenient experience and a wasted time of waiting to see a movie? How many will be turned away because they were, in some ways, deceived? The simplicity of limiting how many could be added to the list is what bothers me. It is in fact such a simple process that it can only have been intentionally excluded. I admit this is an assumption.
Some day, perhaps in the not-so-distant future, I will be able to mark free screening of movie off my list. For now, I must turn to other items on my "to do" list. First up is hitching a ride on the space shuttle.
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