ethoughts weekly- Issue 171

July 24, 2007

The Drive-in

I went to a drive-in movie this week, which hasn't happens in 12 years. Did you know there are still are drive-in movies out there? There are! Now I’ll briefly amuse you with just a few tidbits of drive-in history I found at driveintheater.com. You can go there to find listing of drive-ins that are still operational, and all kinds of drive-in related stuff, and information. The website looks like it was designed in 1998, on an old Commodore 64. It even has outer space wallpaper background.

Anyway, the first drive-in movie opened in 1933. By 1948 there were 820 drive-in theatres across the United States. In the 1950s, the drive-in theaters grew plentiful and large. Over 5,000 could be found, and several could hold up to 3,000 vehicles. Many added extra attractions like playgrounds, miniature golf, pony rides, boat rides, talent shows, and animal shows. Concession stands even started serving more than just snacks. Items like pizza, hamburgers, and chicken dinners were available. This was the hay day of the drive-in. A steady and rapid decrease came after the 1950s, with drive-in movie theaters dwindling more each decade. Only about 800 or less remained nationwide by 1998.

When we went, our friend Tony, who never misses reading an issue of the local paper, had nabbed a coupon for a discount. It was only $8 for our whole carload to gain admittance. That came to $2 for 2 movies for each of us. He quipped that we had others crammed in the truck, but the unaffected teen attendant said it was still $8. He probably spotted Tony’s prankster ways a mile away.

It wasn’t a big turn out for the newly released features Ratatuoille and Transformers. But it was a charming throw back to see families with their minivans backed in, piled up with comfy blankets and pillows. Children were enjoying the theater playground, or already dressed in pajamas and cuddled up in the make shift blanket beds, holding their snacks, and eagerly anticipating the upcoming cinematic feature.

I’m not entirely sure why the charm of the drive-in experience died. Maybe the weather had something to do with it. It was mild windy that night, and I kept wishing I had worn socks. My husband had almost talked me out of bringing blankets, and my jacket, but he soon saw my foresight and wisdom. He said something about it through his chattering teeth. At least I think it was my wisdom he mentioned. Maybe the culture just changed too much, and families stopped hanging out together like that. I hope that's not why, but I have this bad hunch about it.

And I saw a shooting star. I don’t get a chance to see shooting stars too much anymore. At first I always assume I have imagined a shooting star. Maybe it’s just low blood pressure, or a floater. They increase with age, my eye doctor tells me. She’s about 14, and she tries to look really compassionate when she tells me these types of things. I’m not even middle-aged, but I think I’m finally really looking thirty-something more than ever. I suppose there’s no point in doing anything but getting use to the idea. But, when I saw the shooting star, I didn’t wish I was younger, or that there were more drive-in theaters, it just seemed very touching. It all seemed magical then. I did want to wish something.

I wanted to wish that the kind of innocent charm, and family fun, and goodness, that can be had, in places like reasonably priced drive-in movie theaters, could be something I could give my children in the form of memories. I wanted to wish that the fun family that I saw around me would sort of flow back into the bloodstream of our culture too. All the disconnection, and madness of business separates us, and makes our lives solitary and hectic in an ongoing kind of way. We never really escape it for too long. I keep hoping that my choices to make life simpler for our family will pay off. I keep wanting to stiff-arm the pull to be Americanized into doing everything, so that every moment is accounted for with something completely productive, and busy looking or important sounding. I want to be careful that I will shelter my children enough, but not smother my children with just my own ideas. I want them to be street smart, and yet keep their beautiful innocence of childhood intact as long as appropriate.

We didn’t take our children to the drive-in this time. We were just taking the drive-in for a test drive. I’m very glad they didn’t view Transformers, which is far more a teenage-targeted movie. From our time there, we could surmise that the atmosphere was a good one. I hope we make it back to the Laurel Drive-in soon. (laureldrivein.com) And I guess I should say I don’t really wish on stars, except for fun. Yep. The drive-in was swell.

-Lisa

PS

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Lisa DeLay

©2007