Raised on Sixth and Adams my family and I used film to learn about love, life and laughter. Cuddled up on the couch after a trek to our local Blockbuster (now replaced by a chic Anthropologie storefront). My parents, brother and I were transported to different eras and experiences with those VHS tapes (way before streaming services were introduced). Some of my fondest memories were watching my father’s eyes light up as he pressed pause to point out scenes that were filmed in our city of Hoboken, New Jersey. Films like “Funny Girl”, “The Muppets Take Manhattan” and his favorite “On the Waterfront.”
After losing my father in 2020 to COVID, we embarked on the process of living without him. The grieving process was different, and it was film that seemed to remove the miles between my mother, brother and I before she relocated from New Jersey to North Carolina. Virtual movie dates and sleepless nights binging series like “Call the Midwife”. Early mornings spent saving her favorite flicks to her watchlist. She became a professional with Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime. The discussions afterwards created a path for us to share our sadness and anger in a way I had not experienced before. Movies had truly been an integral part of how we healed, and it made me wonder if I was not alone. I hope you join me on this journey as we talk about films that impacted us, studies on how movies can help, and heartwarming stories like the one Celine Dion shared with Entertainment Tonight. After the loss of her beloved husband, it was the Pixar movie “Up” that provided her the words to communicate the loss to their young children.
I must share a special note of gratitude to my baby brother Eddie (@film_archaeologist) on Instagram. He always reminds us of our love for film, the joyous memories it created and has the power to continue to create.
Talk Soon!
Dawn XO
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