BLOGS

by Lauren Gitlin December 2, 2008 4:12 PM

Through a confluence of mystical forces that included a borderline food coma, a shoddy remote control, and a level of laziness I defy anyone to equal, I found myself a few years back absorbed in watching that Christmas-time TV movie staple of the modern era, Love Actually. Though I freely admit that I have been known to succumb to the charms of countless saccharine rom-coms, even I didn't deign to spend money on a ticket to see this film when it came out in theaters. Nor did I feel compelled to rent it on DVD, or even on-demand it on one of those bleak, self-pitying Saturday nights when you're too hungover/depressed/full of pizza to drag yourself out of your house. But on that fateful night, the stars aligned and I found myself staring transfixed into the deep pools of Keira Knightly's eyes, guffawing at Colin Firth's bumbling attempts to woo, and tearing up at the mere sight of a broken, grieving Liam Neeson.

Needless to say, in the intervening years, Love Actually has joined the ranks in my ever-growing arsenal of Embarrassing-Must-Watch-TV-Movies (or, for the acronym-inclined, EMWTVMs). You know the movies I'm talking about -- the ones that you'll happen upon when flipping through channels, and regardless of whether you saw it yesterday, whether it's half-over, whether you have dinner plans, whether your hair-dye needs rinsing out, you're forced by powers beyond your control to sit down and watch 'til the bitter end. It's unclear whether my personal list is revelatory of some deeply embedded psychic identity or merely the whims of network programming. I suspect it's a combination of both. Regardless, my EMWTVMs include, but are certainly not limited to: Bridget Jones' Diary, The Seven Year Itch, Something's Gotta Give, My Fair Lady, Auntie Mame, In Her Shoes, Broken Flowers. Surely they're not all that embarrassing on the surface, unless you take into account the number of times I've watched them and the sheer volume of opportunities, social engagements, meals and showers I've forgone simply to watch them. And that, dear friends, is for another blog post in some future time to be determined.

I know I'm not alone. Give me all the gory details of your EMWTVMs. It's only fair.

TAGS: Bridget Jones' Diary, Broken Flowers, guilty pleasures, Love Actually, Something's Gotta Give

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