A Pleasant Surprise

I recently attended a performance of "Fox on the Fairway" at the New Dinner Theatre in Overland Park, KS. Dyan Cannon was to be the celebrity actor, but we did not see her until the end of the show when she came onto the stage with her crutches. The accidental injury to her ankle prevented her from appearing in the play.

Ms. Cannon took the opportunity to say hello and even offered a Q & A to the audience. That's when the surprise occurred. She described herself as an old-fashioned, moral person, and a believer! I later learned via her book, Dear Cary (the memoir she wrote about her marriage to Cary Grant) that she is also Jewish.

Why was I pleasantly surprised at her announcement of believing in God? The previous night I watched just 45 minutes of a movie, and despite some well known and respected actors (Robert DeNiro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Topher Grace, Amanda Sigfried), the film was both vulgar and profane. I decided halfway through the movie that Netflix could have it back and it would get a one-star rating from me.

I'm not a prude, but I sometimes wonder what the people who make some movies are thinking. Some screenwriters not only fail at basic grammar many times, but their vocabulary doesn't seem to be extensive when it comes to writing colorful words in the dialog. Does using the same curse word over and over again (you know what one I mean), and gratuitous nudity really make people come to see the movie?

Perhaps my biggest concern is that some moviegoers think the vocabulary and behavior, spoken and shown in the movies, are representative of real life. Personally I don't think it is, but if I'm wrong,  then I wish to remain blissfully ignorant of the real world. The same goes for what passes as entertainment on some reality shows.

But my big question is why such talented actors chose to do such a low-class film? Perhaps they do not understand, or even care, that some individuals like myself will be very hesitant to see what movies they make in the future. In any case, I'm not the one to judge their actions. I'm just the one to decide if I want to waste my time watching bad cinema.

I keep thinking about Proverbs 11:27 - "He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it." I guess you know what this optimist chooses!