Love at First Film (Or Not)

One of my friends in college was an exchange student from Guatemala. She had never seen a movie before, so I volunteered to choose her first-ever movie for us to watch together. I was so excited. What should I choose? Something good, something classic. Roman Holiday! It has a handsome leading man, the quintessential leading lady, a great setting, a beautiful romance... how could you go wrong?

Halfway through the movie, my roommate came in. I paused the film while the three of us exchanged greetings and small talk, which turned into a conversation between the two of them about exercise. I got lost in the flurry of excited chatter about weights and ellipticals and cardio, and before I knew it, off they went to work out together.

So there I sat, stranded in Rome with Greg and Audrey. In theory, not a bad thing. But it didn't give me the best feeling.

In fact, I felt awful about that for a long time. Roman Holiday is one of my favorites, but was it an appropriate choice for this occasion? Should I have chosen a color film instead of black and white Something with more whiz-bang special effects? If I had picked something else, would she have stayed?

I told my mom this story as I prepped to write this blog post, and she put my mind at ease, telling me Roman Holiday was a great choice. It’s got everything, she said. Tugs on every heartstring, taps into every emotion.

That did make me feel a lot better, but I still wonder. What might I have shown her instead that could have won out over exercise? Maybe it wasn’t the movie; it was about the viewer and her expectations. Perhaps Roman Holiday just wasn’t what she was expecting—to her, it didn’t scream “wow, this is what movies are! This is what movies could be!”

So going forward, next time I have a chance to show someone their first movie, here are some other options I might consider.

For a film that seems to jump off the screen, Mary Poppins is magical. I think it has that feel of “wow, so this is what a movie could be!”

Back to the Future could also be interesting. The special effects are neat, and the time travel/meeting-your-parents-when-they’re-teenagers plot would certainly get someone's attention!

I don’t usually gravitate toward contemporary films, but Crazy Rich Asians is a fun and vibrant romcom that’s always a good time.

You’ve Got Mail and While You Were Sleeping are also charming romcoms that could be a great first introduction for the viewer looking for something a little lighter.

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I would LOVE to hear your take on this. If you got to show someone (of age) their first movie, which one would you show them?