Growing up, it seemed every time I went to a movie, my dad would reminisce about how, as a kid, he could see a show and get popcorn for “two bits.” It’s only because of him that I now know that “two bits” is the same as a quarter. If you’re interested in the why of it, you can read more about it here.
The average cost of a movie ticket in 1980 was $3.42 (and it wasn’t the matinee price, either). I don’t remember what we paid for popcorn back then, but it was a whole lot more than two bits. And now it costs more than the movie tickets, which is just crazy when I can make it at home for pennies.
You might wonder why I’m boring you with these unimportant details. It’s called backstory. Yes, I know a good writer never front loads the backstory but humor me.
It’s hard to find a movie worth paying good money to see, especially when it’ll be available to stream in mere months. But there is something about sitting in a theater sharing an extravagantly priced bag of popcorn (always small) and a soda (which is the only time I ever drink them) with my husband.
When the movie The Boys in the Boat (directed by George Clooney) came out a couple of weeks ago, Chris and I jumped at the chance to see it. He had read the book years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I expected to like the movie, but I didn’t expect to be literally sitting on the edge of my seat cheering these amazing (and unexpected) athletes to victory.
There are so many life lessons we can take away from this true story about a ragtag group of young men attending University of Washington in the midst of the Great Depression. Perseverance. Discipline. Faith.
The book (and movie) focuses mainly on Joe Rantz, whose mother died when he was very young and was abandoned by his father before he was fourteen. How many of us can pull out excuse after excuse for not following our dreams because it’s “inconvenient” or “just too hard”? Guilty.
Joe was homeless, jobless, eating at soup kitchens, and taking courses at the college to become an engineer. It was the need for a job and a place to sleep that motivated him to try out for the rowing team when he’d never rowed a day in his life. He wasn’t the only one, either. There were close to fifty of these boys competing for eight spots. As a member of the team, they were given a part time job, a bed, and food. He wasn’t in it for fame and glory—he was in it for survival.
And for those of you who want a little romance to go along with the story (like me), you get that, too. This movie is a feel-good, inspirational experience you won’t want to miss. A definite five out of five. I could go on and on, but I couldn’t do it justice. You just need to see it for yourself.
We weren’t out of the theater five minutes before I was pulling up the history of the book by author Daniel James Brown on my phone. I had to know more. How true was the movie? What happened to the boys after the 1936 Olympics? And most important, did Joe and Joyce marry?
Well, all but one of the “boys” lived to be in their 80’s or 90’s. One of them was a smoker, and it took its toll. Joe Rantz married Joyce and they had five kids. He became an engineer and worked for Boeing for 35 years. There are so many other interesting facts, you might want to read this Time Magazine article for yourself.
Now that I’ve seen the movie, I am itching to read the book. Here is the link if you’re interested.
If you’re still on the fence about seeing The Boys in the Boat, I must admit I went a second time with my sister-in-law. Paid the same matinee price (but I passed on the popcorn and soda) without even flinching. This is one movie I would purchase for my small library and share with anyone who somehow missed the boat. Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself.
Comments 1
Thank you for sharing