The Pleasantville Experience

OK, I've never intentionally used drugs in my life, but there is one night in my life where I am sure I was high on something. . . the night I went to see Pleasantville. . . in the theaters. . . on a Friday night. . . by myself.

All of my friends know about this famous event and pretty much every time any movie ever gets brought up I get the inevitable, "Maybe I'll go see it by myself like Baller did when he went to see Pleasantville!"

Why do I bring this up? You guessed it, I did it again, but under much different circumstances. I went to see the new Batman today lonestar; however, it was with good reason. 1) Rachel left out of town for the weekend, 2) I got off work unexpectedly at 2 pm, 3) all my friends had either seen it or were still at work, 4) the Dark Night is a man's movie (unlike a certain other movie from the past starring the man who would become Spiderman). So I caught the 3 pm Batman lonestar to kill some of my boring night away and to be able to participate in the conversations I hear daily about Batman. I'm sure I 'll still get ripped but I think I've provided enough evidence in support of my decision today. Well, at least enough to know that I wasn't on drugs.

The Pleasantville experience was a different story. I have no idea what happened or why it happened. My only explanation is that I was high. It was a Friday night, I know because I started out the night at the Copper Hills Football game. For some reason none of my friends were there; either working, coming later, whatever. After the game I knew that there was a party at another friends house, so I had opportunities to do something after the game, but for some reason I was thinking to myself, "I have no friends tonight and nothing to do. What should I do?" During this period of spaced-out thinking, I thought to myself, "I really want to see that movie Pleasantville, but I'm sure nobody else wants to see it. Maybe I should go see it tonight since I have nothing else going on." So I left the game (I'm sure we were losing big), hopped in my car, and went down to the Carmike on 90th and Redwood, which was the "it" theater at the time. Of course for Friday night dates, the place was packed. I bought my ticket, headed in, and ended sitting close to the screen, only a few rows back, dead center with people on both sides of me--giving 1 seat space on each side for the freak, of course!

The movie over, I got back in my car and drove to the party. Everybody, "Where have you been all night?" (This is obviously like 11:30-midnight range now after the game/movie combo). "I went to see Pleasantville." I shrugged it off like it was no big deal. . . people go see movies all the time, right? (Well, yes, just not by themselves). Them, "With who?" Me, "By myself". . . . . the second I responded by myself I knew I had just confessed a sin that would never be forgotten for the rest of my long-lived life. Laughter, mockery, and shame ensued. . . and does to this day.