28 of 31: Two Thumbs Up

Are you ever too old to enjoy a Disney movie? 

The unequivocal answer to that question is absolutely not!

My mom, my older sister, her daughter, her daughter's daughter, my baby sister and I made our way into the IMAX theater. Our fingers immediately found the appropriate buttons reclining our seats while raising the footrests. These chairs even had heat. 

Incessant giggles ensued as my technology-challenged mother tried repeatedly to take a picture of her girls as we continued to hear the loud click of her cell phone camera. The flash, however, was noticeably absent. Thus saving us the misery of being momentarily blinded by a bright white light...along with the rest of the movie goers in our row. Obviously a dark movie theater is not ideal for popping pictures. With fierce determination, she continued to click at least seven or eight shots, but to no avail. Every time we heard the all too familiar sound of a camera's shutter closing, we knew she'd only be rewarded with a very dark and fuzzy screen.  

Finally, the movie started and we practically had to demand she return her phone to her purse before the people in the row behind us complained about the crazy lady trying to take pictures in a dark movie theater. We promised her we'd take a selfie in the lobby afterwards.

As the scene opened on a sleepy little village in France, I almost felt a bit dizzy as if my eyes couldn't process all the images spinning about on the enormous screen. Luckily, I grew accustomed to the sheer magnitude of the IMAX and my stomach settled.

Beauty and the Beast didn't take me back to my childhood because I wasn't a child when I first viewed the animated Disney classic. But that mattered not since it did captivate my imagination and heart with its music and stunning effects. As if on cue, we all shed a tear when (spoiler alert...sort of) Beast died even though we knew that true love would bring him back to life in his human form just a moment after. There is something magical about being swept away into a fairytale. Especially a fairytale where the princess rescues the prince!  

From her love of books to her emphatic rejections of Gaston, I just cannot help but love Belle. It didn't hurt that she was played by Hermione, I mean Emma Watson, to boot! 

I will be forever grateful that I was able to share this evening with the strong, beautiful, smart, and caring women of my family four generations strong. Even if we never did get around to taking that selfie!

I may not be Siskel or Ebert, but I'd definitely give it two thumbs up.