Between hunkering down for Hurricane Laura and isolating from the coronavirus, watching movies my main escape path.
Throw in two nasty national party conventions, brutality in the streets and worries about schools reopening, and shutting out reality is a priority, not a luxury.
Since they haven’t made a lot of movies in the last six months, revisiting the oldies is something I’ve come to enjoy. I think every family has a list of favorites, and the “Hebert Nation” is no different.
So here’s a partial list of my family’s top movies, and if you haven’t seen them, why not give them a chance.
First is a musical from 1971 – “Fiddler on the Roof,” and the Heberts know all the words to all the songs.
The movie is about a Jewish family in 1905 in Russia. Father Tevye is a poor milkman with only daughters and he dreams of one day being a rich man.
Our dad identified with Tevye as he always dreamed of being rich and had three daughters who married who they wanted, not who the father had chosen.
The movie’s theme of prejudice against the Jewish people in the village still rings true as we watch minorities continue to fight for equality and justice. But mostly the songs are fabulous and will make you laugh and cry.
Another favorite is “Princess Bride.” I had to admit a few weeks ago that I’d never seen this 1971 movie. My sisters set up a three-way movie night so I wouldn’t remain ignorant, and I thoroughly enjoyed the flick.
The film’s about a beautiful young woman who has to wait for her one true love to find her. The movie has one-liners that fit into life’s daily conversations: “Inconceivable” and “My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!” Yes, that second line will actually fit seamlessly into a conversation.
The comedy’s is a little dated, but not knowing about “The Princess Bride” definitely puts you at a disadvantage when someone says “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Although musicals aren’t for everybody, they are a fun escape. If you can’t spend a couple of hours with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds as they tap and sing their way through the raindrops, then you really need to get out in the next rainstorm – which is probably today – and twirl around a bit.
Another favorite is “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” Not as well-known as some of the other MGM musicals of the 1950s, “Seven Brides” is a perennial favorite of the Hebert girls, and at the top of my sons’ most-hated musicals list.
If you’re not tapping your feet during the barn-raising dance sequence, you need to go twirl in the rain and dance a little jig.
Sometimes snuggling up on the couch when it’s rainy outside is a good time to watch a drama, especially if there’s a good cry involved at the end.
Two of my mom’s favorite tear-jerkers were “Stella Dallas” with Barbara Stanwyk and “Imitation of Life” with Lana Turner. Stella Dallas was a street-wise gal who knew she’d never fit into the high-society lifestyle of her husband.
She doesn’t want to embarrass her daughter at her wedding, which Stella told her she wouldn’t attend, but her step-mother understands there’s no way Stella would miss her daughter’s wedding.
She orders the drapes to remain open to the street so Stella can watch Laurel get married. Just try and keep a dry eye during that scene.
“Imitation of Life” shows how women were battling prejudice against the races back in 1959 and how that hatred divided families. And, as in “Fiddler on the Roof,” these prejudices are not any closer to being solved.
So sit back, snuggle up under a blanket, and revisit the classics from the old days. As Tevye tells the audience, what’s always important is “Tradition!” Honor your family’s tradition by tuning in to a favorite flick.
Pass the popcorn please.
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.