Friday, March 24, 2023

From Movies to Memories #SOL23

Do you have certain foods or smells or songs that take you back in time and hold a special place in your heart? What about movies? When I think about movies, I have three that take me back to a distinct moment in time and are deeply connected to a memory.

Hoosiers:  Being from Indiana, it is no wonder that this movie holds a special place in my heart. When I was a junior in high school, our boys basketball team won a state championship title. This was before class basketball in Indiana, and we were the underdogs, much like the Hickory Cornhuskers. 

Part of this movie, the state finals scene, was filmed at Butler University's Hinkle Fieldhouse. They filmed this when I was attending school there. One of my biggest regrets was not taking advantage of the opportunity to be an extra in the crowd in this movie. It was a huge time commitment with many specific requirements. I had a night class, so it just didn't work out for me.

It was also the movie my husband and I went to see on our second date. And our last movie with just the two of us. We don't like the same kind of movies, and kids came along, so we began going as a family.


Top Gun:  I have seen this movie more than any other movie I have ever watched. It came out when I graduated from college, young and ready to conquer the world, and when I had a major crush on Tom Cruise. That beach volleyball scene! 

After this movie, I watched every movie he played in. I still have Top Gun on a VHS tape, which was done illegally by rigging up two VCR players to watch and record! 

Although my obsession over Tom Cruise is gone, he is still eye candy! And I thoroughly enjoyed Top Gun:  Maverick and being able to pick out details included in or alluded to from the first movie. And did you see that beach football scene?!?



Grease:  This movie came out in June of 1978, the summer after my 8th-grade year. It was that time when we were still kids but yearned to be young adults. The perfect love story for our age.

I went with a group of friends who eventually became my EJDs. We have been friends for over 45 years! I bought the soundtrack on a cassette tape and knew every word to each song by heart. I wanted so badly to sing like Olivia Newton John.


Thank you, Glenda Funk at Swirl and Swing for the inspiration for this post.

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we 
share a slice of life during the month of March. 

7 comments:

  1. Leigh Anne, I had fun stepping back in time with you. Grease + Top Gun + Tom Cruise = Time Gone By But Remembered Always!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great movie memories… fun that you have a group of friends who’ve stuck together so long! My favorite Top Gun scene is Great Balls of Fire with Goose’s kid on the piano while his dad plays and sings and all the banter, especially between Goose and Carol.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The first I don't know, the second I don't remember. The third I saw for the first time in a movie theatre at Smith College before the classes started in fall. During the songs the audience stood up and sang and moved along. This is the most bizarre and memorable movie experience that I have. I had never seen anything like that in Estonia, nor has it happened later. Thanks for the post.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Leigh Ann, I also enjoyed these movies. I thought the newest Top Gun movie was incredibly enjoyable. Tom still looks very "delicious". I could also relate to the desire to be able to sing like Olivia...I cannot carry a note. You share some awesome memories here. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Leigh Anne, thanks for the nod. I also loved Grease and Top Gun. Did you see the recent John Travis commercial? He’s unrecognizable! Ha! We saw Olivia Newton John i’m Las Vegas a few years ago. She talked more than she sang, and by then her voice had weakened. These movies echo long time ago and spark many memories.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I could sing every song along with for Grease. I always wanted to be Sandy. Now you have me thinking about the movies and memories in my life.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Top Gun! Wow, I saw that movie so many times... This is a fun idea for a post. Certain movies really do connect us directly to memory!

    ReplyDelete