Going to the Movies

Last night our family went to see a movie, a rare treat these days. We went to see Brave at the Patriot Cinemas in Hanover, Massachusetts. Maura had wanted to see it all summer and Jennifer and I had no objections. We generally enjoy animated features, particularly the films made by Pixar.

We were not disappointed by Brave. I was happy to see an animated movie about a young woman that did not revolve around her relationship with a man. Visually the movie was stunning. I was particularly impressed by the animation sequences in some of the important scenes that slipped effortlessly between a cartoony style and a more realistic one. I noticed the transitions not because they called attention to themselves but because they were so artfully done.

I also enjoyed the movie because it fit so clearly into the fantasy genre that I love. While the setting was based on Scotland it was in no way a historical one and the plot featured plenty of magic and swashbuckling action. It was fast paced but the movie still took enough time to develop the characters beyond mere sketches and to allow them to change emotionally in significant ways.

Maura enjoyed the movie at least as much as I did. She has inherited her parents’ taste for the fantastic. When the action hero is in fact a young heroine it is all the more exciting for her.

We may find the time and money to see a few more movies at the Hanover Patriot Cinema. We will probably be back on a Tuesday night. Tuesday is a bargain with $5 tickets all day. With snacks thrown in we managed the evening for around $30 and if we skipped the overpriced treats we could managed the evening for $15. On our tight budget we couldn’t manage that every week but it is reasonable enough that we can afford to go occasionally, especially if we plan for it.