Always settle scores at noon:

The great thing about Paris is that you can always see the Eiffel Tower from your room, whether you’re an artist in a tiny garret or a millionaire in a first-class hotel. Just look out the window and there it is. We who have spent much of our lives at the movies know this to be a fact, having seen it demonstrated on many occasions.

That’s a perfect example of Movie Wisdom, the information we absorb inadvertently while sitting in the dark. We may go to the movies to enjoy the actors and the stories but the experience also enlarges our view of the world. In early autumn, when the Toronto International Film Festival comes around again, it reminds me of how much the movies have taught me.

There is a bit of wisdom in this, especially in the realm of romance. It causes a lot of problems for those of us who are not Lloyd Dobbler and can’t do many spectacular things. It has forced me to be more witty in the expectation that it will be an acceptable substitute for charm (and I am charming, for the record).

However, there is a slippery slope into solipsism just around the bend. If there is this ‘movie view’ of the world, then you are either the star or a supporting role. If your life amounts to being in the background on the sidewalk two Saturdays ago, then you might as well kill yourself now.

The next issue I can see with this sort of outlook is that people would find themselves secretly (and it would have to be, otherwise they wouldn’t be properly surprised) expecting some sort of adventure to rearrange their entire world. Which is disturbing from a sociological POV but not so surprising from ground level; this shit is boring.

Related posts:

1. In which I say no to your taste in movies
2. This guy is bitter. Don’t be this guy.
3. when afternoon tv was worth watching
4. I’m that guy
5. this guy needs to disappear under a kitchen counter somewhere.