Tonight, I went to a sneak preview of “Ruby Sparks,” an eccentric and mostly charming flick with an indie-movie vibe that posed a somewhat poignant question: If you could define the perfect mate and have him or her materialize before you, would you be happy with that relationship? Or is true, genuine, fulfilling happiness what happens in the less-than-perfect moments, when someone chooses to be with you in spite of the rough edges?
It’s a question that, in the context of a movie, has a pretty obvious answer … but it takes working your way through the implications of defining and then having perfection to see the kinks in that scheme.
At any rate, as is often the case when I go see a movie that has a larger question, no matter how cleverly disguised, I get all up in my head. This is why I love movies (and sometimes also hate them, when I’m not careful about how I place them in my delicate schedule): They have the ability to yank you out of your everyday, banal existence and help you reflect on the choices you make, the people who surround you, and where you want to take your life.
In the end, I’m almost always happy for the opportunity to do some meta-thinking… even if it necessarily means being all alone, removed from the people I’d pretty much always rather be with than be without. Living a life unexamined is obviously NOT for me. Someday, though, I’ll get to live my examined life in closer orbit to another who will endure my post-movie ruminations. Until then? I guess I’ve got the blog to listen in.