More than a movie

It was just a movie. 

It certainly wasn’t a great movie, but it actually represented something great. Just going to a movie in a theater together with a bunch of other people meant something. Something important. And that’s what we did Saturday.

Last weekend was not ideal for outdoor activity. While gorgeous with fall colors, snow on the peaks and low hanging clouds, it was pretty chilly and wet for trail sports in the north end of the valley. So, my wife and I took advantage of what we haven’t been able to take advantage of since before the start of COVID — we went to a movie at the Majestic Theatre. 

Now I’m not a movie aficionado that knows Hollywood trivia and all the details of filmmaking but when we got to the theater on Saturday it wasn’t about that sort of deep dive. It was about the smiles from the other patrons, the conversations taking place that centered on being together in a common purpose, the simple joy of gathering, the smell of the popcorn.

Looking for a place to park before the stripes went down in the parking lot, it was typical CB weekend mayhem and so it was easy to cross paths with others on the same journey. In fact, several of the people we ran into had already been to the Majestic once that week and were back for another movie. And remember that right now there are only two movies playing. The place was acting as a magnet.

Inside the glass doors, it was great to be in line, chat up friends, see the smiles of the people working behind the counter, walk through the solid wooden door of the Paden Kelley Memorial Theater and into the dark comfort of the previews and settle in as the theater dog scampered around looking for treats on the floor. Bullet Train will not be listed as one of history’s top 100 films of all time but despite the overuse of gratuitous gore, we agreed that it was at times funny, crazy in a movie sense and featured one-time Crested Butte skier and charismatic movie star Brad Pitt (who if I recall the story, once got lost out of bounds off of the Gold Link lift ski trails)— so there was that local connection (sort of). 

But it was just being there that mattered. It wasn’t about the actual movie — it was about the place and the people. It was so good to have a movie theater back in the hood. It really did bring people together to connect. During basically its first week of reopening, it was living up to its promise of supporting and enhancing community. 

As we head into election season and all the BS that accompanies it, there is a place to go to escape. As winter waits over the horizon, the Majestic has reopened its doors and as we experienced last weekend, that is a really good thing. Honestly, it is more than just a movie.

—Mark Reaman