Amelie

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In thinking about France and Mike I need to include reference to a favourite French movie, Amelie.  The movie is fanciful, and artsy, and kooky, and lovely.    Mike and I saw this movie at the Screening Room, which is the little independent movie theatre in Kingston.  It's off-beat-- a small space with weathered seats-- a place where you can get coffee in a real mug to drink during the show.  Watching movies in this venue was NOT Mike's thing but he would go again and again with me.  He soon realized that despite the less than desirable atmosphere, in his mind, this is where he saw the best movies.

And so, this is where we saw Amelie on a winter night in Kingston.  I remember having hot chocolate in a mug, made with real milk.  We knew nothing about the movie, aside from the brief description provided on the poster.   I think it's fair to say the movie transformed Mike's thoughts.  We had planned a trip after he finished his residency, with early thoughts of traveling to Scotland and Ireland.  As many know, Mike loved Braveheart.   However, after this film, without a doubt, we were headed to France.

We own this movie and I can't count the number of times Mike watched it in full, or in parts.  I can never manage to do this, but Mike could sustain his attention and interest through beloved movies over and over and over again.  Mike could somehow re-connect with the feelings he had when he first experienced the movie -- a magical French escape.  We have the soundtrack and would play the music often.  It's been a few years since I've listened to the music regularly, but hearing it always puts a smile on my face and makes me feel just a little more alive.  Remembering all of this reminds me to play the music for Lucas and Emily and to tell them a story about how their Daddy liked a movie about France with twirly, dancing music.   If he were here, he would dance with you and spin you around and around, high in the air....like this...