I posted just now over at The Memphis Blog about first moviegoing experiences, and I’ve sat here for roughly three seconds trying to dredge up my own memory of my first time at a movie theater, only to thoroughly confuse myself. I guess I’m going to have to ask my parents, because I can only narrow it down to four contenders (one of which I’m not even sure happened): The Abyss, The Little Mermaid, Driving Miss Daisy, and The Wizard. All of those flicks came out in 1989 and I guess I could do some research and see in what order, but, well, meh. But I’m still not convinced it’s any of those, because surely I saw a movie in a theater before I was eight years old, right? I just can’t remember going to any movies before then. In fact, there’s a whole chunk of my childhood I don’t remember at all. Hmmm.
Anyway, the important thing — er, things — to get out of all of this:
• I lost a tooth during The Little Mermaid, which I went to see with my cousin Ashley. I think I remember wrapping it up in a bathroom paper towel and bringing it home to cash it in.
• I saw Driving Miss Daisy with my sister and I’m fairly sure I was a brat through the whole thing, because boy was that a boring movie for a kid to sit through.
• I saw The Abyss with my parents, and they made me cover my eyes during the boob shots. I was fascinated that there was a character named Lindsey, which wasn’t a name I heard a whole lot at the time.
• I’m still not sure I saw The Wizard in the theater, because I think maybe Ashley and I had the choice between The Wizard and The Little Mermaid and I pitched a go-devil fit (as my mother would say) for The Little Mermaid so it won out. I should see if Ashley remembers…