My Latte!

Normally, when I wake up, I'll have some form of a song running through my head. Lately, this has included songs by Brad Sucks and OK Go. I don't know why. Maybe my dreams have a sound track. If that's the case, I'm glad that I've never woken up with a Village People song stuck in my head. I don't know that I'd want to be involved in one of those kind of dreams. This morning, however, I found myself with the line from a movie running through my head. I don't know if it's from (completely self-imposed) sleep deprivation or what exactly, but it was a line from the movie Cheaper By the Dozen. Not the original, but rather the remake which starred Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. It's a scene where a few of the kids finally confront a couple of bullies that have been bothering one of the siblings. A fight breaks out when one of the bullies has his Starbucks cup slapped out of his hand at which point he exclaims, "My latte!" with just the right blend of pout, shock and whine. I laugh every time that I see that scene. Really, I laugh every time I hear that line, so you can imagine that I'm chuckling pretty good at the moment. I really appreciate a line delivered well enough to make me laugh. It started me thinking about some of the other great lines from movies.

Steve Correll as Brick in Ron Burgundy:

Ron: Brick, where did you get a grenade?
Brick: [completely deadpan] I don't know.

Morpheus (Laurance Fishburn) and Neo (Keanu Reeves) in The Matrix:

Neo: [completely lost] I know Kung Fu.
Morpheus: Show me.

Grandma (Jean Schertler) to Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) in Runaway Bride:

Grandma: [talking about Richard Gere's character] I like his tight butt.
Maggie: [shocked] Grandma!
Grandma: Well, I do!

Marty (Carol O'Conner) about Charlie (David Duchovney) in Return To Me:
Marty: This is Charlie. His wife's dead.
Everyone else: [exuberant, inviting him to play poker]

Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) to the Count (Christopher Guest) in The Princess Bride:
Inigo: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

I think you get the idea.

We don't usually relate scenes from movies; we relate lines. At least, that's what I do. I enjoy the overall experience of a movie. I enjoy breaking it down and talking about why I liked or didn't like certain aspects. I love it when a movie or television show gets a line stuck in my head that'll pop up randomly and bring a smile to my face. I love sharing it with friends. Reliving that shared experience of having seen a good movie. I relish that connection. Getting them to smile or laugh or say, "I loved that part!" Maybe I just need to get out more. There are times where we get too caught up in the "big picture" and the "long-term." Yes, they're important. However, what is the long-term but a collection of moments? What is the big picture if not the sum of collected scenes? Carpe Diem, but be willing to stop and smell the roses. Enjoy the laughs. Enjoy the silly (Brick), the shocking (Grandma) and the dense (Neo). I know that it helps me get through my day. This is usually where the whole group breaks into a musical number. Maestro, if you please...