When Your Sorry That It's Over

One of my earliest memories ever is of myself sitting on a carpeted floor in front of a 1950's/ '60's floor model television in all of its monochromatic glory.  The images on it were beyond my comprehension at the time, but as I got older and continued to remember what I saw, I came to understand what it was I was watching.  I, and my parents, were watching Star Trek.  It was the original series.  And we were watching the episodes on their original broadcast dates.  (Yes, I realize I'm dating myself.)  I had no idea what I was looking at, but I know my parents (at least one them) liked it.  It was on every evening until they canceled it.  When I was a little older (and geekier) I watched the reruns.  From that I moved on to vintage, grade B sci-fi movies.  I had developed a healthy taste for science fiction even though, at the time, I didn't realize it.  From there I moved on to other genres of what were becoming even more vintage films.  I didn't know why (and didn't stop to think about it) but, I found that I really enjoyed watching the older films.  Of course, at the time, as the family had graduated to the use of color TVs, the only criteria I had developed for determining the age of a movie was whether or not it was a black and white film.  A quality that was now made quite obvious by the TV.  As I got older and my tastes and expectations evolved, my taste in movies expanded, and by this time (my late adolescence), I was quite well settled in my interest in movies and television. 

Now, significantly later in my life, my interest in films and television is predicated on slightly more developed criteria.  It should be understood that I am, for all intents and practical purposes, an escapist.  I don't consider myself a serious one as my escapism doesn't really exist outside the realm of movies and TV.  Even then it only lasts as long as what I'm watching.  But, I'm still an escapist just the same. 

There are two basic elements that I watch for in a film or TV show.  The first is: "Does it take my mind off of the world?"  There are times when this can be a rather critical element.  But, if the story is well written and I'm able to identify well with the characters, it's not so big an issue.  The second isn't really that important, but, it does lend a great deal to whether or not I enjoy what I'm watching and will watch it again.  There have been some movies that I've enjoyed so much that when they were over, I found myself feeling a touch of sadness, not because the story was sad, but because the movie was over.  There has been the odd film that, when the words "The End" showed up on the screen, or the credits started rolling, left me feeling almost choked up.  I was sorry that it was over.  There are a great many movies that I've watched that I thought were a really good watch.  But, I didn't have that feeling when the movie was over.  For me, when that feeling is there, it doesn't matter what the movie's about, it doesn't matter how old or new it is, it doesn't matter who's in it.  If the film was shot just the right way (whatever that may be), if the story was written just the right way, if the characters were played just the right way, if it all came together just so . . . seeing "the end" or the credits would try to choke me up and it was guaranteed that I was going do what I could to see that movie again or, when possible, purchase the film so I could watch it as much as I wanted.  There is no specific formula that I'm aware of that gives a movie this quality.  As far as I know now, this is something that just happens when the conditions are right in the creation of a movie; when all of its parts and elements come together just right. 

For me, this is one of the things that fits a film or a TV show into the category of "great".  I know I've been watching a great movie or TV show when I'm sorry that it's over; when it has made me forget about what's going on around me for the hour, or two hours, or however long it is, and I'm sorry to see the credits.