Has anyone had the odd feeling lately that they have finally “gotten old?” It hits us at different times, I know, but nothing quite throws you into a nostalgic mood quite like a 90s throwback.
It happened to me this week when my Blu-ray copy of Titanic arrived from Amazon. Sure, I had preordered it way back in April, but that was not why I felt suddenly aged. It’s because I remember seeing that film for the first time. And boy was that a long time ago; 1997, to be precise. I was not yet four years old then. And now I’m sitting here at college getting ready to watch it again, and it’s a little freaky.
Of course, before I go on, yes, I love “Titanic.”
Obviously, when I saw it for the first time I didn’t care about the Jack-Rose love story, I was only interested in watching the big ship get all messed up.
But that was then, and now I love the film because it is simply a great film.
To everyone who just turned up their nose at that remark, I just have to ask, why?
People criticize the dialogue as poorly written, but are the things we say in real life so stirring, especially between two star-crossed lovers?
We’ve all seen a couple in the back of some lecture hall saying flat-out dumb things to each other, but it always makes perfect sense to them. Titanic dialogue is the same way.
I hate to bring out box office receipts as evidence of a film’s worth, but with “Titanic,” that is definitely a low-hanging fruit begging to be picked. It is the second highest-grossing movie of all time, according to **.
And considering that movie tickets today are much pricier than they were during the film’s first run back in 1997, its current total of over $2 billion means something more than it was shown in 3D and therefore more expensive. Yes, it was re-released in 3D this spring, and yes I went to see it, but that was a very limited run so I’m not holding it against the grand total. Another reason why I love “Titanic”: girls love it. There is nothing more awkward to me than having to sit through a movie I hate, with people I like. And with all the chick flicks I end up watching, that happens quite often. But “Titanic” is my “get out of jail free” card.
It’s similar to a chick flick in the sense that a love story is central to the plot, but it is also a period piece, and an action movie for a good chunk of its three-hour runtime. There’s something for everyone in this film.
Perhaps I am a bit too enamored with Titanic. After all, it has been a part of my life for literally as long as I can remember. Perhaps some of the dialogue is a little hokey. Maybe now in my old, jaded state I even see through some of the special effects that haven’t aged so gracefully these past 15 years.
But I doubt I will ever find a film I enjoy in so many different ways.
Anyone who has not yet been submerged — pun intended — in the Victorian Era via this movie should give it a whirl. I promise it won’t sink your day
Garrett Cimina is a freshman majoring in finance and is The Daily Collegian’s Monday columnist. Email him at grc5096@psu.edu.
