Sleepless

Listening to Sleepless in Seattle on listentoamovie.com while working. I forgot how much I loved this movie the first time I saw it. I thought it was so endearing that the whole movie revolved around a romance between two people who had never met. They never meet until the end of the movie.

Of course this type of idealized relationship and pairing is complete bullshit but it’s a nice little fantasy. I never believe there is this person out there that’s your magical perfect mate, I don’t know many people who do. I believe in circumstances, compromise, and convenience. NOT at all romantic but very practical. Still, it’s nice to allow your head to go to that mystical place where dreams are possible.

I really like the quiet and quirky nature of both the main characters. I used to love Meg Ryan before she swore off romantic comedies and then got her face muddled with plastic surgery. I never understand actors that turn their backs on the genres they are really awesome at in order to prove themselves to be serious at their profession. Hell, it’s all about entertainment so who cares if you can star in a drama or a comedy?

Anyhow…The whole movie is about a possibility that always exists in all of us to chase after a dream that we wish was there. The danger in this is that often, that dream doesn’t exist in reality and it’s hard to shake that growing up. As I got older and older, it became harder and harder to swallow the fact that opportunities of who I’d be were getting smaller. I used to have these totally crazy and elaborate fantasies as to what I’d be doing in my future life.

I certainly never thought I’d end up as a recluse with all passion drained from me. I thought I’d be a fancy architect living in New York or a bohemian film maker traveling all over Europe in the name of public art! I dreamed of a slew of friends and wonderful people I’d meet and all the awesome places I’d end up seeing.

Instead, I lived a very safe life. It’s nice, cozy, and a strong investment for my future. And I’m not a kid anymore and I realize you have to grow up and start taking on responsibilities and stop dreaming up a life you’ll never live. But every once in awhile, it’s quite nice to open up at the lock box of fantasies and have the cliché moment of “what if?”