I watched three very different movies recently, and noticed an eerie similarity. There's not a whole lot of common elements among an insightful, blasphemous commentary on the world's perception of Christians, a completely random but hilarious sci-fi spoof, and an intense but over-the-top drama about malevolent weather patterns.
Except when it comes to romance...
In Saved, the guy likes the girl from the beginning. A couple scenes before the end, just before the resolution, she realizes she likes him too. They kiss. Now the relationship starts and carries into the conclusion...
In Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the guy likes the girl from the beginning. At the very end, just after the resolution, she realizes she likes him too. And here comes the kiss. And now they're together for whatever sequel does or does not come...
In The Day After Tomorrow, the guy likes the girl from the beginning (no way). A couple scenes before the resolution, she realizes - no, not that she likes him too. She realized this awhile ago. Instead, she realizes that he likes her, too (what a plot twist!). And there's the cue for the kiss. And now as the movie ends, they have a relationship...
We have a very definite pattern. Whether the guy chases the girl across the galaxy, around a Christian school, or into a public library in downtown New York, once they both realize they like each other, it's "Let's make out and now we're together..."
Something's terribly wrong here. Now don't mistake me for being prudish or old-fashioned. Although I have heard that in the "old days" you didn't kiss a girl until you knew you were going to marry her ~ something that doesn't strike me as a bad concept. But that's not my point. Let's dig deeper. I've frequently pointed out how popular music's lyrics about sex reveal an underlying focus on selfish pleasure instead of unselfish love and respect. I think kissing in movies reveals the same thing.
Let's be real. At the risk of oversimplification, making out is pretty unique as far as romantic pleasures go. On one side of it we have kid stuff like putting your arm around her, which also works for encouragement and comfort and manly stuff like that. On the other side of it we have adult stuff like sex, which also works for getting pregnant. But I'm pretty sure that the only direct purpose of making out is to have a lot of fun.
And it's simply not smart or mature to begin a relationship based on the pleasure you get out of it. That's why I roll my eyes whenever the movie couples have to kiss as soon as they realize their mutual attraction. That's why I love the scene in Return of the King when Faramir and Eowyn look into each other's eyes and she just puts her head on his chest and he holds her and they both smile.
It's easy to forget about how these ultra-pretty movie hero relationships might have gone after the movie was over. It's easy to forget that their characters were engineered to be "perfect" for each other, something that may or may not be true about whomever you happen to "like" at the moment. So this is just a friendly reminder that if you don't feel like making out the moment you find that special person, that's quite alright.
Quite alright, indeed.
Edmond the Hun
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