I wanted to see the movie when it was first announced, and one of my sons informed me he had picked up tickets on Monday for the first show. I offered to pay him for my ticket, but he said to consider it an extra Father�s Day gift.
I got to the theatre at about 10:30pm on Tuesday night to save our seats. He got off work at 11pm and met me at the theatre. The movie started just after midnight � early Wednesday morning.
The theater was packed. The movie was great.
The popularity of the Spiderman movies attests to the appeal of superheroes being linked not just to their powers, but also to their personality. The best authors and directors understand their audience. The more we can relate with the plainclothes personality, the more we can enjoy the fully-costumed hero.
The whole superhero thing strikes a chord in many people for many different reasons.
When I was a kid, I had some weird dreams. I know dreams are bigger than life, and I�ve heard folks say that most dreams are a virtual stage on which we try to resolve the issues of our subconscious.
Fears, hopes, friends, enemies, suspicions, affections all somehow work their way onto the stage of the dreamer. Over the years, I�ve discovered a surprising similarity between my dreams � and nightmares � and those of others.
There were dreams in which I was running - more accurately, trying to run. But my feet wouldn't move, as if stuck in quicksand or dragging some heavy weights. Sometimes I was chasing bad guys. More likely, however, they were chasing me. Either way, the frustration was enough that it was a relief to wake up.
Then there were other dreams from which I hated to wake. Dreams where I ran so fast I actually started to fly. Like a plane on a runway, feeling lighter and lighter, eventually taking off. Flying above the hydro wires and street lights. High enough to get the upper hand on the baddest bad guys.
And then I'd wake up.
Feeling like I was �ripped off,� I'd try my hardest to fall back asleep and re-enter the dream where I left off. I had usually armed myself with a new weapon or strategy which I was sure would serve me even better as I re-engaged the enemy.
Sometimes it worked. I re-entered the dream, vanquished the crooks or aliens and went off to celebrate with friends. Other times, I lay awake with an illogical resentment that I couldn�t finish the dream.
The latest Spiderman flick reminded me of some of those childhood dreams.
The audience got a good dose of what we all daydream of - the superhuman exploits of the hero. But we also caught some of what more of us relate to � a guy who�s clumsy in life, klutzy in love and confused in loneliness.
This was a guy who struggled with the reality that special powers are necessarily accompanied with special responsibilities. We saw a guy who learned to balance those abilities with his duties, a guy coming to grips with the knowledge that you can�t ever run fast or far enough to escape the call of your responsibilities.
We watched a guy who was less self-motivated than he was spurred on by dastardly criminals or a determined girlfriend.
Those are everyday realities, all reflected and resolved in just over two hours of fiction. That�s Hollywood at it�s finest.
Back in the real world, we�re all just poor schleps trying to find our way through the complexities of our respective circumstances.
Back in the real world, we all face a reality sans superheroes. From our politicians to preachers, from teachers to parents, from cops to courts, we�re oft reminded that nobody�s perfect. Everyone falls short of their aspirations to greatness.
I know it�s only a movie, not a sermon. In the end, the best thing about the evening was spending some fun time with my son.
I woke up the next morning a bit groggy from staying up late. I headed off to work, to the usual assortment of less-than-spectacular circumstances, crises and conflicts. While major to me, these things pale in significance when compared to the circumstances of others in this city � let alone in other parts of the world.
I smiled to myself as I remembered some of the scenes and funny lines from the movie. I smirked as I reflected that I identify much more with Peter Parker than Spiderman, but that�s okay.
It�s not bad to do what you can with what you�ve got.
Rev. Harry Lehotsky
514 Maryland Street
Winnipeg, Mb R3G 1M5
(204) 775-4929
[email protected]