An Open Letter to Everyone Under 18 Going to See The Force Awakens

Dear Youth of the Nation,

Do you like that? I didn’t call you whippersnappers, shake my cane at you, or yell at you to get off my lawn. In a gesture of good faith, I’m willing to refer to you as youth. Let’s begin this conversation from a civilized place, shall we?

This Thursday evening at 7 p.m. – yes, on a school night – I am taking my cozy little family of four to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens in a theater near my home. When I purchased the tickets, I was stupid happy. Off the charts giddy. I am going to experience Episode 7 with my children in the theater at the very first showing to the general public. Other parents, bow down to my awesome.

Bow Down

And then I went to see the final Hunger Games flick on opening weekend.

face palm

Kids, you are a chatty bunch. My husband and I inadvertently attended a movie in a theater filled with barely post-pubescent, not-even-remotely respectful, hitch-a-ride-with-their-parents movie goers. They talked a lot leading up to the start of the film, and they twittered nervously – no, not the social media platform, the annoying noise – throughout much of the movie. Any moment that was remotely related to anything even slightly romantic in the least led to near hysteria. And the scene near the end with the cat, the interaction that was supposed to supply me with the cathartic cry I needed, well forget it. Mass hysteria broke out when someone yelled, “The HELL???” and all of you rude little peons began shouting and talking and…

losing-my-shit

I needed a moment. Let’s get this back on track.

So here’s the thing about Episode 7And please try to hear me on this.

I have been waiting for THIRTY-TWO YEARS to find out what happens next.

Tough to grasp? Here’s an illustration:

return of the jedi leia

the force awakens

Ya’ll. You don’t even tolerate waiting for thirty-two seconds for anything. You probably don’t even like that I wrote out thirty-two seconds. 32 sec. Better?

You know how upset you get when your favorite series does a winter finale and you have to wait until February to find out the next twist in the story?

Kim Kardashian ugly cry

THIRTY. TWO. YEARS. !!!!!

So please, if you join me in the theater tomorrow, bring your best manners. Bring your the principal just walked into the room manners. Bring your grandma came over for dinner manners. Bring your if I back talk one more time I’m going to lose my phone for a month manners.

Don’t laugh at my family for our matching Star Wars tees.

Don’t point mockingly at my Rebel Alliance pin.

And don’t – DO NOT – talk during the movie or I will get up, use my cell phone light to find you, and make use of the fact that I’ve got money saved for bail for just a time such as this.

temper

Now please enjoy the film.

Sincerely,

Amy

p.s. Don’t make me use my light saber.

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7 Comments

  • This is pretty much why I don’t go the movies much anymore.

  • I laughed out loud through this entire post. Spot on. And? I was totally one of those teens. (Sorry Mom!)

  • I am really hoping the weekend showings won’t be like this. Now to stay offline till then ’cause I really, really don’t want any spoilers.

  • Ha! I just went and saw Mockingjay part 2 and it’s been out for weeks and there were a bunch of kids TALKING and UNWRAPPING CANDY the whole time! Isn’t that why there is candy in a huge box. NO WRAPPERS EVER!

  • This is all kinds of awesome! And if you happen to run out of bail, we will start a Kickstarter or a GoFundMe to get you out STAT and then we’ll greet you a the jailhouse doors with wine to congratulate you for putting today’s youth in their place.

    -Love from the rest of us who have been waiting a very long 32 years!

  • I am pretty sure that the last movie I saw in a theater was National Treasure. It’s highly embarrassing. But…. I can pee when I want, eat any snacks I want, not pay a babysitter, rtc.. If you like the communal aspects of watching a movie in a theater, great. Otherwise just wait. I am sure you could take that day off and go in the middle of the day the first week of January. Since you waited already 3 weeks already no big. Blasphemy I know but I just wait for the out of theater release.

  • Cindy Brooks

    Haha! My sweet husband suggested at dinner tonight that we go tomorrow (our theatre added more showings). I looked at him like he was out of his mind for the very reasons you mentioned. I was saved when our grandson piped up that it was a school night, so I went with that and we’re going next week instead.