Field Trip With Bashir

I caught the Grandin Theatre's first showing of "Waltz with Bashir" this afternoon before work.

Went into the lobby at 1:05 p.m. and it was jammed with young people.

"What's going on?" I asked the concession kid.

"It's a field trip," he explained as dozens of high schoolers buzzed around.

"Grrrr-reat!" I replied with the signature sarcasm that makes me a figure beloved by so many.

"It shouldn't be too bad, there are teachers in there with them."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," I said, suddenly humbled by his attempt at solace, and laughed. "I'm just a grouchy old man."

And the kids seemed to be drawn into the movie, a film I found to be eye-popping and mind-blowing and thought-provoking and all the other critical bullet points. I was a little unnerved by the very graphic (yet still animated) sex scene, but aside from a slight audience vibration they didn't seem outraged.


The final scene -- which unexpectedly but effectively cuts to live action -- staggered me.

As I filed out among the juniors and seniors, though, I heard one guy (who wore a backwards baseball cap [seriously?]) complain to his girlfriend, "That didn't make no sense at all!"

And in a way, he's right. Just not in the way he meant.