My Day with the King

Today, at the last minute, I decided to see The King's Speech. I'm not a fan of "artsy" films, but when they have a historical perspective, based on true story, I find them a bit more intriguing.

I arrived at the cineplex in Evanston around 2:00 for a 2:15 showing. I bought my ticket, made a quick stop at the restroom, and headed into the theatre. As I turned the corner to sit myself down, I was shocked to find the room almost full. So I worked my way to the back of the theatre and sat down. A few minutes later, I was flanked by older women who obviously took advantage of the $6.75 ticket price.

Within a few minutes, the elderly lady to my right started chatting me up. "Boy, trying to take off all these layers...and I'm from Florida." she said. Of course, I thought, "Oh dear." I smiled and turned my focus to my iPhone. Inside I began thinking, "Please don't be a talker or one of those old ladies who smack their dentures." In addition, I wondered, "How am I going to eat my kettle corn popcorn I brought from home or drink my mini Pepsi Max with these ladies so close by." There was barely enough room for me to breath let alone reach into a giant ziplock bag filled with treats.

In the end, I found time to munch through an exceptional movie. Colin Firth most likely will win a Golden Globe followed by an Oscar. And Geoffrey Rush was stupendous as well in a film that was both educational and moving. But the most poetic moment of the day happened in the men's restroom on my way out around 4:30.

An older man turned to me after going #1 and said, "I enjoyed that movie - especially because I lived in Germany during the war." "I just moved back from Germany - Munich," I replied. I smiled, washed my hands and walked out the door. I wanted to say more, such as "Thank you for your service," but I didn't want to have an extensive conversation in the men's room. His comment, and smiling face, was a wonderful end to my afternoon with King George VI, the elderly patrons and a snuck-in bag of Orville Redenbacher popcorn.