It’s movie night at the Anderson household. Last Sunday, we rented Barnyard and The Land Before Time and spent a little more than six dollars. The kids watched the first movie for about twenty minutes before they became bored and started throwing popcorn at each other.
This afternoon I took my daughter shopping at Target where I found Charlotte’s Web and several other classic movies on sale for $6.50. On the shelf next to them were dozens of digitally animated, celebrity-ridden, overly advertised Disney movies.
As I looked at the fancy covers of all of the hit Disney movies I was tempted to spend the twenty bucks and buy one. My kids wouldn’t enjoy boring animation, dull colors and lackluster soundtracks of a classic like Charlotte’s Web, would they?
Regardless, I was in the mood for a classic movie fix so I saved $14.00 and bought it. As we cuddled together on the couch and watched Charlotte’s Web together I was drifting into memories of my own childhood. My grandmother owned a pig farm where we affectionately called all of the little piglets “Wilbur”. I was never afraid of spiders as a little girl. In fact, I would always look for hidden messages in their webs.
Our Sunday movie night reminded me that sometimes “newer”, “trendier”, and more expensive is not always better. I still wear a pair of Levis Jeans that I bought 10 years ago. My mom swears by an old mixer that her mother used. My husband would rather use the antique woodworking tools passed down by his grandfather than the latest “gizmo” he purchased from Home Depot.
My $6.50 night was worth a hundred bucks. My kids loved the movie. They learned lessons of compassion, friendship and loyalty for less than the price of a value meal. I enjoyed my warm childhood memories while remembering that you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy a family night that is worth one.
Related Reading:
Homeward Bound – The Incredible Journey
My Fair Lady
Pinocchio