Riding High on Gravity

Bliss
October 7, 2013

At the Breaking Bad finale watch party last Sunday, a commercial for the movie Gravity aired and Cyn said, “Oh, I bet you’ll be all over this one.”

To be honest, I hadn’t planned on it. Being trapped alone in space is not my idea of a good time. Then I remembered that one of my main characters in my book is in love with stars and galaxies, so then seeing this movie became a no-brainer.

Some Frank's Famous Chicken and Waffles for dinner before going to the movies. Yum! pic.twitter.com/XRV0x7g4oA

— Shannon Moreau (@shannonymoreau) October 4, 2013

I sent out a Facebook message to the usual suspects and Martha answered right away. She is one of the “non-essential” employees affected by the government shutdown, and she needed cheering up.

Martha will enthusiastically reply to a movie invitation with “you bet I’ll be there!”  and then show up at the theater and say, “What are we seeing again?” This was no different. When I shared a Gravity movie review by Rolling Stone Martha was like, “Sorry, can’t go to that one, already seeing Galaxy on Friday.”

“Um, no, actually, we’re seeing Gravity.”

“Oh, we are?” Even she laughed at herself over that one. When we settled in our seats at the theater Friday she said, “You were probably thinking ‘what is wrong with her?’”

“Well, it was an easy enough mistake to make,” I said. “It does take place in the galaxy. They both start with the letter ‘G’. They’re the same number of syllables.”

“No, I’m just out of it,” she said.

Gravity movie night at the High Ridge Theater.

What an amazing ride Gravity was.

We saw the 3D version and too many times I flinched and jerked in my seat as shuttle debris flew at my eyes. My jaw dropped, I waved my little fists around, or I fell back from the edge of my seat with an exhale of relief. In my peripheral vision between the 3D glasses I could see other people jerking in their seats as well, so it wasn’t just me.

So many of the scenes worked on so many levels: the rational, the emotional, the spiritual.

“Wow, that was an adventure,” Martha said when it was over and we both sat staring shell-shocked at the rolling credits.

Just saw Gravity. What a ride! I'm exhausted and exhilarated at the same time.

— Shannon Moreau (@shannonymoreau) October 5, 2013

How many more “E” words can I use to describe how I felt after this movie? Exultant. Euphoric. Ecstatic to be alive.

I drove home in the dark, a little faster than I probably should have, singing at the top of my lungs to my Britney Spears CD, and not caring who at the stop lights saw me belting it out like a fool.

Who else saw Gravity this weekend? What did you think?