i have reflected many times

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The weekend that Everything Is Illuminated was released was apparently in the midst of a dry spell for movie viewing for me. Serenity would be out two weeks later, Good Night, and Good Luck the week after that. The Constant Gardener was two weeks earlier. Everything Is Illuminated was #45 at the box office its opening weekend but, to be fair, it was only on 6 screens. And, I didn't even see it in the theater. I watched it on DVD months later.

The 40-Year-Old-Virgin was #4 in its 5th weekend. I would see it on DVD. The Constant Gardener was #7. I had seen it a couple weekends earlier. Red Eye was #8. Saw that one its opening weekend, four weeks earlier. Wedding Crashers was #9. I would see that on DVD. Same with March of the Penguins at #10, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at #16, The Skeleton Key at #18 (hated that movie), and Broken Flowers at #19. Batman Begins was #25 in its 14th weekend. Saw that one opening weekend. More that I wouldn't see until DVD: Fantastic Four at #26, Madagascar at #28, Junebug at #29, The Aristocrats at #30, Mr. & Mrs. Smith at #33, Proof at #35... or did I never end up seeing that one? I know I read the play. Grizzly Man at #36, War of the Worlds at #38, 2046 at #40. Not that I need to get beyond the top 40, but Revenge of the Sith was still in theaters, #41. And, #42 was a great little movie called Thumbsucker.

Everything Is Illuminated is all about looking at the past. It is also very much about objects. It is about time and place. I was curious about the time--September 2005--so I googled it. Hurricane Katrina had just happened. There was apparently a blackout in Los Angeles. Don't remember that.

On TV, Prison Break had just started its first season, as had Rome and Supernatural. I wouldn't get into the latter until midway through that first season. How I Met Your Mother was about to start its first season, but I wouldn't get into that show for another two years or so. House had just started its second seasonBoston Legal was about to begin its second season, as was Veronica Mars. Lost was about to begin its second season. Other shows that were trying to grab that same audience--Threshold, Invasion and Surface (the latter, I never watched) were about to premiere. (Threshold premiered that Friday night, in fact--the 16th. Arrested Development was about to begin its third season.

My LEGO collection had gained several Viking sets that summer. I hadn't gone back to school yet. I was a stay-at-home dad.

Like many a time I have come upon this movie in the past, I find myself just sitting and watching.

I will try to say more about the movie itself tomorrow.

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