What makes a moment special

A little break from the holiday talk. It's been a busy year for me so far, not long got back from holiday and in a little over a week I'm flying off on another business trip, it's a shame I'm not getting any air miles!

Ok so onto the topic I want to talk about.

Reading Sarah's blog got me thinking about what makes a moment special. My most special moment of all time was when I first held my daughter, for me it was as if time stood still and nothing else mattered. The look on my mothers face when she first held her was a classic as she realised this made her a grandmother.

Most special moments only last for seconds, some even shorter than that, but when we remember them they last for much longer. The problem with memories are that they are fallible and we sometimes remember what we wish happened.

Special moments can take many forms, becoming a mother to meeting eyes with someone across a crowded room. They are what I think of as the slow motion moments as time stands still and all other distractions seem to vanish. I can recall a moment in a night club were it seemed like someone pulled the plug on the music while I whispered to someone, but in reality it was a split second pause in the beat.

Other moments are where someone behaves or does something contrasting to their personality or at least your perception of them. When I was about 11 a ball was thrown in my direction and as I looked round to my name being called I just stared at this ball as it was coming closer to my head, my special moment came when my little brother who at the time was hopeless at catching a ball put his hand up and caught it. The reason I think of it as special is that many times before and after he has thrown balls at my head with the intention of hitting me but for that brief moment he was my protector.

Movies can sometimes have special moments. Now I know they're written, edited and have music played in the right place to make it special.

Films have their slow motion moments, during conflict when the sound of what ever is exploding slows down so that someone can have their moment. They all add to the drama of the film, I'm not arguing that, but how many times does a film make you grin like a cheshire cat or have tears running down your face, I know us girls are more emotional than you boys out there and we probably shed a tear for every film we watch but I'm thinking on a more emotional level.

I'll probably regret sharing, so if you come back and find this post is shorter it's because I came to my senses and deleted the following.

When I was a kid I probably cried at a lot of films when sad things happened, but the following are the ones which left lasting memories and still make me cry when I watch them now.

Transforms (1984 movie), my brother liked it *wink wink*. I cried at the scene where Optimus Prime dies, I actually watched it again recently before watching the new film and I felt a tear at the same scene. I blamed my contact lenses but I don't wear any!

Short Circuit 2 (1988), again I had to watch this because my brother liked it *wink wink*. I actually saw this in the cinema and wasn't alone in the tears department, I think all the kids came out in tears when the crooks were smashing up Johnny 5. We all let out a cheer at the end when he caught Oscar.

Meet joe black (1998) I let out a tear or two at the end as Joe and William are walking over the bridge, there were a few more tears when Joe walks back over the bridge.

The green mile (1999) At John Coffey's execution.

Sliding doors (1998) when Helen dies in the hospital and the other Helen and James meet in the lift.

12 Monkeys (1995) When Cole dies in Katheryn's arms and he watches a boy walk away he realises the boy is him and his nightmare about watching someone die was watching his grown up self die (it's easier to watch it than me explain it, although if you haven't seen it I've just spoiled the ending for you)

Bicentennial Man (1999) Ok so I actually cried a couple of times during this one, when Andrew and Richard watch the hologram of the wedding dance, at the death of Little Miss when Andrew realises everyone he knows will eventually die and finally when Andrew and Portia dies.

I just noticed that none of the above are listed as my favourite movies on my profile, might have to change that.

For an example of something that made me smile in a movie

As good as it gets (1997)

Melvin Udall: I've got a really great compliment for you, and it's true.

Carol Connelly: I'm so afraid you're about to say something awful.

Melvin Udall: Don't be pessimistic, it's not your style. Okay, here I go: Clearly, a mistake. I've got this, what - ailment? My doctor, a shrink that I used to go to all the time, he says that in fifty or sixty percent of the cases, a pill really helps. I *hate* pills, very dangerous thing, pills. Hate. I'm using the word "hate" here, about pills. Hate. My compliment is, that night when you came over and told me that you would never... well, you were there, you know what you said. Well, my compliment to you is, the next morning, I started taking the pills.

Carol Connelly: I don't quite get how that's a compliment for me.

Melvin Udall: You make me want to be a better man.

Carol Connelly: ...That's maybe the best compliment of my life.

Melvin Udall: Well, maybe I overshot a little, because I was aiming at just enough to keep you from walking out.

I've also just realised that all the films are pre 2000, does that tell you anything about the current quality of movies?

I think I went a little off track near the end, but hey that's what blogging is for :)