On the Big Screen

So I thought on Mondays I would occasionally write a "My Opinion Matters" segment. Then I realized that most of the time, it would be me talking about the fact that maybe my opinion doesn't matter at all. Anyway, it will be a good way for me to blow off a little steam now and again with a nice rant. But I hope this also includes raves (like the Little Capers super hero shirt I am GIVING AWAY over at The Full Mommy) and opinions on all matters of things, not just products or customer service.

But today, today I have a little rant. A little rant about frickin' movie theaters:

My husband and daughter went camping for the weekend and the little guy and I spent some one-on-one time while they were gone. Since he eats, drinks, and sleeps Thomas, I thought I would take him to the theater to see his very first movie on the big screen.

Yes we have the new DVD Thomas Hero of the Rails. We were lucky to get it in advance of the release date (which is why my kids will never, ever let me stop doing product reviews, they love the DVD's).

But what I think many parents don't realize is that for a limited time, they are showing it in theaters.

In our town it is only playing at one of the two major theater chains. Of course it's at the theater that I avoid at all costs. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

We've seen the movie dozens of times. Just that morning he kept asking me to turn it on. ("Mommy. Thomas and Hero. Watch Thomas and Hero.")

The showtime was 11:00 am and I know that it's under an hour. Perfect. We'll get out in time to grab some lunch and maybe do a little shopping.

So we pay the five bucks to get in (special pricing and he is under three so he was free). We settle into our seats right at 11. His eyes are big as this is completely new for him. He was barely heavy enough to weigh the seat down.

We were the only ones in the theater. Really, it was just the two of us.

So a couple of minutes after 11:00 the previews begin. And they go on. And on. And on.

Finally at 11:20 I told him I would be right back and peeked out the door to see if I could flag down the ticket taker. I asked if the movie was ever going to start...it's rated G...how can they expect toddlers to sit still through all these previews...

The guy told me that I should have known that they always show 20-25 minutes of previews.

I explain that's asking a lot of toddlers to sit through all that. He says there's nothing he can do. Nothing.

So while we were watching all the frickin' previews, every time one ended my little guy would turn to me and say, "Thomas? Hero? Watch Thomas and Hero?" And I would say, maybe it will start next.

Here's what we endured:

1. Pepsi Max commercial
2. Pepsi commercial
3. Movie Theater commercial
4. A Christmas Carol (the ghosts were pretty scary)
5. Chipmunks
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. The Princess and the Frog
8. Toy Story 3D
9. PBS Rhyming Time
10. Legos
11. Barbie 3 Muskateers DVD
12. PBS Take a Look
13. Thomas Coloring Pages
14. Kidtoon Films Intro
15. Thomas Singalong

I have to say that I was completely impressed with how he sat patiently through all the previews.

But it took so long for the movie to start. I kid you not, the 11:00 am movie started at 11:26! So by the time it started I had to pee like nobody's business. There was no way I could hold it. No way at all.

So the opening credits had just begun and I swooped him up and told him I had to go potty and we would come right back.

I was prepared for tears. But he just said "okay" and he went willingly.

I raced as quickly as I could so that we could get back to the long-awaited main feature.

He enjoyed every minute of it. He was an angel. I was in awe of what a patient child he was given how long we had to sit there. It was the absolute best I could have ever asked for out of a first-time-at-the-movies for a little kid. (The long wait was obviously my anxiety, not his.)

When the lights came back up he stood up, said "The end," and walked toward the door.

It has been several years since I have been to that theater. In fact I think I was pregnant with my child who is now five. And I hope it is that long before I return to it again.

So here's my question: Shouldn't we as customers have a say in how many previews we are willing to watch? Our time is valuable and we shouldn't be subjected to so many commercials and previews. Isn't ten minutes enough? Isn't 26 minutes too many? Shouldn't they limit the commercials and previews for rated G movies?

And if you think about it, when you go to a movie with your spouse or friends, isn't that a lot of babysitter money that you have to shell out?

I keep saying that it is cheaper to buy a DVD then go to a theater to see a movie. But some movies you just have to see on the big screen.

(This post is part of the My Opinion Matters Monday series, sharing my rants and raves. Brought to you on Mondays...sometimes.)