Thursday, September 22, 2011

Am I bad?

So yesterday was my nine year anniversary. Yay for us! Well, we decided to go low key because we want to do something awesome for our ten year, so dinner and a movie seemed to be the ticket.
We drop the kids off at my husbands parents and head downtown to a very cool vintagy type theatre called the Kentucky Theatre. I love it, it is decorated like an old-timey playhouse and just the whole vibe is my type of thing.
They usually play films that don't make it to the big theatres and yesterday they were showing this movie called Sarah's Key, about a lady who discovers she is about to buy an apartment once owned by a Jewish famiy who abandoned it in the 40's. Due to her journalistic nature and some personal issues she tries to find out what happened to the family.
Well, ***SPOILERS*** I had no idea I was about to sit down to a two hour movie on a happy day about the French deportation of the Jewish to concentration camps and one particular families story.
Based on the French novel by Tatiana de Rosnay, Sarah's Key starts out with two ADORABLE little kids tickling each other under the sheets. They are laughing just like my two kids. They are the same age as my two kids...the same kids I just dropped off with the mom-in-law 30 mins earlier. They also look scarily similar to my two kids.
So these two kids hear a knock on the door and Sarah (older sister), fearing for her brother locks him in the closet to keep him safe only to have her and her whole family ripped away and eventually taken to a concentration camp.
Can I tell you I am already bawling my eyes out at this point in the movie because it is devastating. Not to mention it shoots a scene of an empty apt, the closet door and this tinny voice whispering Sarah's name.
Many times through the movie she tried to get back to him. She loses her parents, gets sick, runs from the camp with a little girl who eventually dies and finally makes it back to her old apt with the help of two lovely people.
She runs in, anticipation clear on her face, stomps past the new occupants (who happen to be the family of the lady trying to find out about the little girl) and unlocks the door. The moment she opens it she screams a gut wrenching child's scream because her brother is still in the closet dead.
I am getting choked up just writing this because the little girl should win an Emmy or an Oscar or something. My heart fell to my feet at this moment because all I could envision were my kids in that situation. Oh gosh and that poor boy, how he was so scared and must have felt abandoned and then this little Sarah whose guilt must have been insurmountable. Can you imagine the burden she had to bear? Well she didn't bear forever because she ended up driving her car in front of a mac truck and killing herself as an adult.
I have never in all my life cried so hard...I mean shoulders shaking mouth open so I don't sob out loud crying through the WHOLE movie. It was so bad that I went to the bathroom afterward and cried some more in the stall just because it was so devastatingly heartbreaking. To think that so many stories like that happened during WWII and crazy things like that happen still...I can't find words.
Anyway, what an anniversary huh? The movie was beautiful, because it was so real and innocent and scary but on my anniversary? I can't imagine how hauntingly great the book is and I don't know if I ever want to know now because I have a permanent scar on my heart from the movie.
Here is the question I pose to you all...
Afterward, we went to dinner at this very cool little place downtown and my husband wanted to order the rabbit. I kindly (with continued watery eyes) asked him if he would order something else because my emotional state couldn't handle, on top of the vivid images in my head from the movie, a dead little bunny on the table. Is that bad? Could you handle Thumper being chowed on after a movie experience like that? What is the worst anniversary experience you've ever had?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I started reading this post excited,because my own anniversary is coming up this Sunday (8th, woohoo!) but then, you started talking about that movie and

Oh. My. Word.

What a horrible (albeit, beautiful-sounding and heartbreaking) movie to watch on your ANNIVERSARY!
*passes you tissues*

And, no, I don't think it's wrong to ask hubby to change his order, but I'm selfish, and don't like rabbit anything anyway (we have a family of them who visit our side garden everyday, and we like to think of all our woodland creatures as our "pets") :)

I think I would've needed a strong cup of coffee and LOTS of chocolate anything.

Thank you for sharing, and now I know what not to watch during happy celebrations!

Sarah Tokeley said...

Somehow these things are even worse when they are unexpected.

And no, you're not bad!

Emily R. King said...

LOL! No, I don't think I could eat Thumper after that. Ha!
Happy Anniversary!

Rachel said...

I read this book in June and posted about it on my blog. The first words were "This book is an emotional read." I can only imagine what it must have been like seeing everything played out on screen. Maybe you should have a anniversary do-over. :)

Angela Cothran said...

Sarah's Key definitely doesn't set the romantic mood you want for your anniversary. I agree with Rachel you should have a do-over.

Loree Huebner said...

Happy Anniversary!

No Thumper on my table.

After such a emotional evening, I'm afraid to ask - what was dessert?

Jenny S. Morris said...

I can't remember the movie, but I had a similar, in home date experience. I balled my head off, and when it was over, I was in a very forlorn mood.

I don't know if I could eat Thumper any day, let alone after that. I vote for a do over too!

Kristin Rae said...

awww what a day! That movie sounds super sad (reminds me of the emotions I went through watching Life is Beautiful... omg). And no, I don't think you're bad :)

Congrats on your anniversary! Hubs and I have our 5th anniversary in November, and we're going to San Francisco! Never been to Cali, so I'm pumped. We've only spent our first anniversary together, so I don't have any stories to share there, but... hubs' birthday was Sunday, and we did the movie and dinner thing. I was interested in Contagion, he showed me the trailer to Drive (hello Ryan Gosling) and it looked less depressing, so we went with that. HORRIBLE. GRAPHIC. SLOW PACING. DISTURBING. DEPRESSING. We sat through dinner like zombies. Happy birthday to him. LOL.

Unknown said...

Happy Anniversary, and no, you aren't bad.

While not an anniversary, I had a similar experience for my birthday (before hubby and I were married.) He took me to see Schindler's List. I can totally relate with all you said.

Hope you had a great dessert and a fun rest of the night!

Small Town Shelly Brown said...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

I skipped the rest of your post at *spoiler alert* because I don't like spoilers.

So, I vote for not eating Thumper and that your are a good person.

Jennifer Hillier said...

Happy Anniversary!

But I'm sorry you spent it crying. And no, I could not eat Thumper, either (I laughed a tiny little bit when you said that - even after crying, you're still funny!)

Deana said...

Liza- I feel bad..I didn't mean to damper your day:) I'm sure it will be awesome!
Thanks for the tissue and yea, I'm like you woodland creatures all the way. It kills me that he would eat a bunny:(

Sarah- Oh yea, so wansn't expecting that one.

Emily- Oh gosh, I don't think I could eat thumper on a really great day:)

Rachel- Oh I bet the book was a tear jerker:( I so need a do over.

Angie- How right you are:(

Loree- Ha! The server actually suprised us both with a piece of chocolate cake with a candle on top:) That did make it very nice.

Jenny- Kills you doesn't it. I couldn't even do a killer rabit on a good day:(

Kristen- I haven't heard of that movie, but I'll be sure to check it out on a rainy, pms kind of day:)
I saw Contagion too the other day. Wowzer, that was depressing:(

Mary- Gosh, that had to be hard. I feel your pain. And the night did get better, we had chocolate cake:)

Small town- Sorry about the spoiler, and thanks for the vote:)

Jennifer- And that's why I had to post about this, so I could smile too:)

The Husband said...

OK ok ok...now for the husbands perspective. At least it was memorable, right? hahaha. The movie was well made and intriguing, albeit a terrible and unfortunate journey, there were some redeming take aways. Life aint always peaches. More disturbing than the rabit was the fact we were eating in a French restaraunt. Just sayin! love, W.

Claire Hennessy said...

Wow, movie sounds grueling and you described it really well. I picked a rubbish movie last time me and my husband had a date night, but at least it wasn't our anniversary! Sweet that he changed his order (I agree, bunnies are pets not food!)
I’m delighted to award you The Versatile Blogger Award:
http://clairehennessy.blogspot.com/
Have a great day :)

Deana said...

Hubby- I didn't even think about that. What a themed night of sadness. Lets count on ten being much better....though you are right, the movie was very good.

Claire- Thanks for the compliment and the award! I feel totally special:)