Did you ever go to a movie alone?

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Have you ever gone to a movie alone? Or dinner? Or some other type of thing where one might not expect to find someone there, enjoying whatever it is alone?

I don't think it's a bad thing, really. I just felt like a retard. I suppose it'd be harder if I were in a restaurant.. then people could see me. Anyway, share.

-- Emily (mildew@dork.com), December 30, 2000

Answers

Many years ago I went to see "Ghost" by myself. I was on the verge of a separation, and the love story was so sweet it just made me feel worse. I haven't gone to a movie by myself since. I have four daughters, so someone is always willing to see the chick flicks with me. Who needs a date?? Certainly not me!!

-- Lynn Norton (lynn_norton@yahoo.com), December 30, 2000.

I do it all the damn time. Heck, I went to a movie by myself just last night (I saw State and Main. It was good.) I never really think about it, even. But I am a big loser, so.

-- Josh Burnett (BurnJ451@newschool.edu), December 30, 2000.

hell yeah! i do it all the time too. last movie i saw alone (in a theatre -- don't even get me started on all the videos i rent by myself) was dr. t. and the women or whatever. it was ok. i love altman, but it was ok. i'd love to see state & main. phillip seymour hoffman's a god.

-- Larissa (larissa_slurpee@yahoo.com), December 30, 2000.

I've not done that in years (okay, decades) but I have done it several times. It does feel strange. Isn't it odd that going to a movie should be such a social thing. We don't need company to read a book or watch television. And yet... I don't mind watching television by myself (although I rarely watch tv) but it feels very strange to rent a movie and watch it alone. That's weird... I would feel strange renting a video to watch by myself but it wouldn't feel strange to watch the very same movie alone if it were on HBO.

When I travel I eat a lot of meals by myself (Hey, you have to eat, right?) so I'm always interested in restaurants that have enough light so I can read a book... It's more enjoyable to be with somebody but I've become used to solo dining... but it's not great fun. It's the time between placing an order and when it actually arrives that's the most difficult when I'm alone... When I'm on a business trip it's usually to teach a one week long class somewhere so that's a lot of solo meals.

People who don't do business travel don't understand a lot of this. When I say to somebody "I have to go to France in February" the response is usually something sarcastic like "oh, poor baby, has to spend a week in Nice" but it does mean a full week away from my family and (two weekends trashed), leave Rhode Island on a Saturday, an all night flight cramped into the cheap seats, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday away from home, alone, finally Saturday go to airport for another eight and a half hours crammed into a plane, go through customs, etc. at JFK to catch another flight to Rhode Island, etc... and I've already seen Nice (and yes, Nice is nice, but...) and even though they have delicious pizza (hey, it's more like Italy than France except they speak French) I'm not looking forward to all of those meals alone. (I've been told I should expect to make four trips there during 2001). The week after next I'm going to be in Boston, so that will be an easy ride on Amtrak, but I'll still be having those solo meals. (Hey, Em, let's do dinner next time I'm in Pittsburgh!)

-- Jim (jimsjournal@yahoo.com), December 30, 2000.


Not at this current point in time. Yet-- I don't see very many movies AT the movie theater. I'm a rental/buy kinda chick. YET(again)-- I see the alone-at-the-movies happening. So... Can I join the loser club now?

-- Jen (Winter@nyc.com), December 30, 2000.


I love you guys, I really do. Just wanted to say that.

I am also very interested in seeing State and Main.. we should make a loser-parade and all see it alone! Teehee.

Jim: about eating alone - that time can be pretty annoying, but that's why you bring a book or a magazine, right? And yes, next time you're in pittsburgh, do let me know and we'll hang out.

-- Emily (em@emilyweise.com), December 30, 2000.


I've never gone to a movie alone. I go to the mall alone though. I guess that doesn't sound like a very big deal, but it's a production.

-- kaela (kaela@kaela.org), December 31, 2000.

i've only been to one movie alone (and it also starred ms. leoni, weird, huh?) but i've gone to restaurants alone a bunch of times. in nyc there are always plenty of people eating alone, so it doesn't make me feel like a loser at all, but without a book it is kinda boring.

so you're not a loser, you're a sassy urban kinda chick...

-- beth (beth@sassy.net), December 31, 2000.


damn, i go to movies alone all the time. i actually quite enjoy it, esp if it's a movie i really want to see and am afraid the possible companions wouldn't appreciate it. you know, like a cool foreign flick, or something. it's kinda like eating out alone, for me-- bringing a book always helps. (so you can read before it starts, not during the boring parts.)

-- mcf (sakana@stlnet.com), January 02, 2001.

I used to go to movies alone and I LOVED it. I didn't have to keep up a conversation, didn't have to compromise about what movie to see...didn't have to share my tub of buttery popcorn.

It was great!!

-- say-say (saysay@fried-spaghetti.com), January 17, 2001.



Yep. When I went back to Madrid second semester after winter break last year and my boyfriend didn't come, I didn't know anybody at school or outside of it very well yet and was bored and lonely, so I went to see a couple movies, actually, by myself. It was nice... my hostparents didn't have a VCR nor a good tv so it gave me a chance to get out of the house and have fun, albeit alone. After I met people I went to the movies, etc, with them instead of by myself, but sometimes I actually *missed* going to the movies alone. I couldn't just necessarily watch the movie *I* wanted to see but had to be part of a vote, I couldn't sit anywhere I wanted nor do whatever I wanted afterwards... I am probably just weird and anti-social but I enjoyed going to the movies alone and will probably do it again sometime when I'm in a faraway place alone, or maybe just for no reason at all.

-- Anita Kelley (webmistress@neeterskeeter.com), February 01, 2001.

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