Some works of art do far more than entertain us. Some touch our hearts, our souls, and shape the people we become. It's rare to find such profound influences. For me I'd say Boy's Life, Christine, Halloween, Crazy Love are among the few to have such a profound effect on me.
I'd have to put Meatballs on the list.
What? A juvenile comedy about unruly kids? Slapstick antics, endless sexual innuendos, broad comedy. And to some, schmaltzy sentiment.
I first watched Meatballs on cable with a friend. I think it was around 1980 or 1981. The movie hit me like a ton of bricks. I laughed, sure. I was still a kid myself in most ways, but Meatballs touched me in deeper ways.
I rode my bicycle home rather late on that Wintry night. I was renting a room in a house at the time. Things weren't looking great. The house was up for sale and I had to move out soon. I could barely afford the fifty dollars a week I paid in rent and I didn't know what I was going to do.
I laid down with Meatballs in my head. It wasn't a bed, or even a couch. I had a loveseat to sleep on. I either fetally curled up or let my legs hang off the end.
My youth was over. I felt like I squandered it all. I never had a teenage romance. I didn't really have the kind of friends I should have had. Not college-bound kids with decent families and bright futures ahead. Not loveable meatballs like depicted in the movie. A bunch of burnouts is what they were.
I didn't go to any dances or other social functions. I wasn't involved in sports or academic activities. I sneered at all that. I now know I was secretly jealous.
I was awkward, shy, and had no self confidence. I second-guessed every move I made, and overthought every action. In social situations I would either blurt out something at the wrong time or keep quiet when I really had something to say.
I suppose I was like the Chris Makepeace character. The difference was, no adult took the time to help me. If they had tried I probably would have been distrustful.
I never got cheers for a big victory like Rudy the Rabbit when he won the deciding race in the Meatballs climax.
The truth is, I was a resentful little punk.
Watching Meatballs hurt me, but I also loved the movie. It became a huge favorite of my life. A movie that represented the fun spirit of youth. The days of innocent mischief. Sunny times with decent friends and goals in life.
I cannot count the times I've seen Meatballs. I see how silly it is, and some of the humor doesn't work, but my love for it has only magnified.
Not everyone feels the same way. Some of the gags don't transfer well to the current environment. Many of the jokes seem sexist or even bordering on abusive situations. I see it as kids exploring their burgeoning feelings. The teens in Meatballs are lacking in experience and they make it up with bawdy talk. The young ladies indulge in some of it, too.
Bill Murray shines in Meatballs. I heard the movie was originally going to be more of a raunchy Animal House kind of deal, but the scenes with Murray and Chris Makepeace were so strong the filmmakers went back and re-shot a lot of it.
The end result is an almost unbearably sweet confection of a movie. My heart still aches at the end when the counselors are saying their goodbyes. I never fail to lose a few tears at the poignancy of the song...
And it made me love you
And it made me never want to go away
Meatballs became a touchstone of my life. A film I return to again and again, and the impact never lessens.
One of the greatest joys of my life was showing Meatballs to my stepdaughter, India. It was the favorite movie of her youth, and for a few years we watched it on the night of the last school day of the year. Are you ready for the summer?
She loved it so much I made a promise. I sent her to camp one summer. It was costly, but she was such a great kid. I warned India that camp wouldn't be as wild as Meatballs. On the other hand, it would be better because it would be a real experience.
A real experience. Writing that gives me great pause. So much of my life was spent in vicarious experiences from movies and books. Sometimes I am proud and happy about all the time I've spent in appreciation of the arts. Other times I feel like I missed out on so much.
How much different would my life have been if I knew kids like those in Meatballs? Where would I have ended up?
On the other hand, would I have even liked them?
Maybe kids like them read the occasional book, and surely they liked movies, but how many could knowledgeably discuss the history of science fiction? Without mentioning Star Trek or Star Wars? Surely some liked monster movies, and they knew who Boris Karloff and Vincent Price were, but did they know names like James Whale and Tod Browning? If I spoke about the cinematographer of Planet of the Apes, or which monster maker did the creature from The Manster, they would have looked at me like I was the one with two heads.
I think for the most part serious readers are loners. Cinephiles can hardly abide conversations with typical viewers. We are rare breeds, and with the exquisite enjoyment we get from outsider art comes a degree of loneliness.
I hear people say they would never like to relive their childhoods. I think for a lot of them it's sour grapes. Who wouldn't want to be young and strong? Who wouldn't like the freedom of a fresh new body?
Who the hell wants to worry about credit management? What's so fun about dealing with thieving insurance scoundrels? Colonoscopies, medications to regulate cholesterol or blood pressure, fading vision and aching joints.
There's no turning back this roller coaster of a life. And is it really so bad? I have a great house, a beautiful piece of property, and the perfect woman to share my life.
I may not have traveled the world or engaged in extreme sports. I don't belong to a country club or have the fellowship of a church. I have, however, read thousands of great books, and I feel sorry for those who don't know them. I've explored the vast ranges of cinema. This was my choice and I am happy with it. I sometimes feel like the arts chose me instead of the other way around.
Youth is a far country from where I am, but it's one travel destination I visit often. Meatballs is a movie that takes me back to an idealized version of childhood I never knew, but in my dreams it is as real as this morning's sunrise.
Written by Mark Sieber
I'd have to put Meatballs on the list.
What? A juvenile comedy about unruly kids? Slapstick antics, endless sexual innuendos, broad comedy. And to some, schmaltzy sentiment.
I first watched Meatballs on cable with a friend. I think it was around 1980 or 1981. The movie hit me like a ton of bricks. I laughed, sure. I was still a kid myself in most ways, but Meatballs touched me in deeper ways.
I rode my bicycle home rather late on that Wintry night. I was renting a room in a house at the time. Things weren't looking great. The house was up for sale and I had to move out soon. I could barely afford the fifty dollars a week I paid in rent and I didn't know what I was going to do.
I laid down with Meatballs in my head. It wasn't a bed, or even a couch. I had a loveseat to sleep on. I either fetally curled up or let my legs hang off the end.
My youth was over. I felt like I squandered it all. I never had a teenage romance. I didn't really have the kind of friends I should have had. Not college-bound kids with decent families and bright futures ahead. Not loveable meatballs like depicted in the movie. A bunch of burnouts is what they were.
I didn't go to any dances or other social functions. I wasn't involved in sports or academic activities. I sneered at all that. I now know I was secretly jealous.
I was awkward, shy, and had no self confidence. I second-guessed every move I made, and overthought every action. In social situations I would either blurt out something at the wrong time or keep quiet when I really had something to say.I suppose I was like the Chris Makepeace character. The difference was, no adult took the time to help me. If they had tried I probably would have been distrustful.
I never got cheers for a big victory like Rudy the Rabbit when he won the deciding race in the Meatballs climax.
The truth is, I was a resentful little punk.
Watching Meatballs hurt me, but I also loved the movie. It became a huge favorite of my life. A movie that represented the fun spirit of youth. The days of innocent mischief. Sunny times with decent friends and goals in life.
I cannot count the times I've seen Meatballs. I see how silly it is, and some of the humor doesn't work, but my love for it has only magnified.
Not everyone feels the same way. Some of the gags don't transfer well to the current environment. Many of the jokes seem sexist or even bordering on abusive situations. I see it as kids exploring their burgeoning feelings. The teens in Meatballs are lacking in experience and they make it up with bawdy talk. The young ladies indulge in some of it, too.
Bill Murray shines in Meatballs. I heard the movie was originally going to be more of a raunchy Animal House kind of deal, but the scenes with Murray and Chris Makepeace were so strong the filmmakers went back and re-shot a lot of it.
The end result is an almost unbearably sweet confection of a movie. My heart still aches at the end when the counselors are saying their goodbyes. I never fail to lose a few tears at the poignancy of the song...
And it made me love you
And it made me never want to go away
Meatballs became a touchstone of my life. A film I return to again and again, and the impact never lessens.
One of the greatest joys of my life was showing Meatballs to my stepdaughter, India. It was the favorite movie of her youth, and for a few years we watched it on the night of the last school day of the year. Are you ready for the summer?
She loved it so much I made a promise. I sent her to camp one summer. It was costly, but she was such a great kid. I warned India that camp wouldn't be as wild as Meatballs. On the other hand, it would be better because it would be a real experience.
A real experience. Writing that gives me great pause. So much of my life was spent in vicarious experiences from movies and books. Sometimes I am proud and happy about all the time I've spent in appreciation of the arts. Other times I feel like I missed out on so much.
How much different would my life have been if I knew kids like those in Meatballs? Where would I have ended up?
On the other hand, would I have even liked them?
Maybe kids like them read the occasional book, and surely they liked movies, but how many could knowledgeably discuss the history of science fiction? Without mentioning Star Trek or Star Wars? Surely some liked monster movies, and they knew who Boris Karloff and Vincent Price were, but did they know names like James Whale and Tod Browning? If I spoke about the cinematographer of Planet of the Apes, or which monster maker did the creature from The Manster, they would have looked at me like I was the one with two heads.
I think for the most part serious readers are loners. Cinephiles can hardly abide conversations with typical viewers. We are rare breeds, and with the exquisite enjoyment we get from outsider art comes a degree of loneliness.
I hear people say they would never like to relive their childhoods. I think for a lot of them it's sour grapes. Who wouldn't want to be young and strong? Who wouldn't like the freedom of a fresh new body?
Who the hell wants to worry about credit management? What's so fun about dealing with thieving insurance scoundrels? Colonoscopies, medications to regulate cholesterol or blood pressure, fading vision and aching joints.
There's no turning back this roller coaster of a life. And is it really so bad? I have a great house, a beautiful piece of property, and the perfect woman to share my life.
I may not have traveled the world or engaged in extreme sports. I don't belong to a country club or have the fellowship of a church. I have, however, read thousands of great books, and I feel sorry for those who don't know them. I've explored the vast ranges of cinema. This was my choice and I am happy with it. I sometimes feel like the arts chose me instead of the other way around.
Youth is a far country from where I am, but it's one travel destination I visit often. Meatballs is a movie that takes me back to an idealized version of childhood I never knew, but in my dreams it is as real as this morning's sunrise.
Written by Mark Sieber
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