The first time I watched Titanic, it was 1997 and I was six years old.
I was not allowed to see the whole thing. I saw most of it though. I was either kicked out of the family room or just dismissed myself for the “Draw me like one of your French girls” scene. Honestly, I found what I did see of it a little boring at the time, but I’ve always thought that I should watch it again later since it’s held in such high esteem.
So I did. And it was terrible.
If you feel differently, please let me know why. I just do not see the appeal.
I went into a bit of a rant about it last night to my mom. Man, I wish I would have gotten that on video. I’m not sure if I could repeat it on cue. So, I’ll just try in writing.
First off, the couple only knows each other for two days and they’re terribly in love. That’s the part I just can’t relate to. I get that Rose didn’t want to be with her fiance and that Jack was a nice guy. But it’s a little ridiculous when Jack says things, “I know you.” Kid, no you don’t.
Jack isn’t so bad though. He’s kind of cute and he’s sure of himself. It’s Rose who is a little annoying. Even as an old lady, she’s a little selfish. I mean think about it. She’s recollecting her time on the Titanic while on this boat with a crew who is looking for a very specific, expensive necklace. I get that it was sentimental for her, but it seems so rude when she drops the necklace to the bottom of the ocean without telling anyone she had it with her.
In the scene when Rose and Jack are running away from Rose’s fiancé Cal while he is firing gunshots at them, they run down the ship instead of across. Watching that felt like watching a horror movie. “Don’t go in there! Just run the other way. It’s not that hard. If you down, there will be water. Idiots.”
The one character I actually liked would have to be Molly Brown. I love her wit and dry humor. It turns out that she’s based on a person who lived, whereas Jack and Rose are not. Margaret “Molly” Brown was an activist who worked for labor rights, women’s rights, education and literacy, in addition to being a world traveler. She also ran for Senate twice.
Sorry, guys. I’m a cynic when it comes to love sometimes, even though I am happily in love myself. I’ve just never understood the head over heels love at first sight kind of love because I’ve never had that. Perhaps that isn’t fair.
Funnily enough, I brought up the fact that I had watched all of Titanic on Netflix recently, along with my sentiments, while my boyfriend, his sister and her boyfriend and I were eating dinner together. Paul’s sister said something about how Paul thinks quite the opposite.
While I was six when the movie was out, he was 10. Apparently Paul saw the whole movie and loved it. Like my brother who is a few years older and I’m sure other boys at the time, he became very interested in the Titanic itself. Paul built a model of Titanic and learned to draw it. He’s sure he could still draw it from memory because he has done it so many times.
This movie was nominated for fourteen Academy Awards and won eleven. So, it’s clear that it was appreciated by other people. I guess it just wasn’t for me, or my older sister Katie, who I watched it with. I can’t deny that I’ve loved other things the director and actors have done.
Now I can say I have seen all of one of the most iconic movies of my generation. Hurray!
Modern Notebook 