Screen on the Green

Last night, I went with friends to watch Wait Until Dark, starring Audrey Hepburn, at Screen on the Green.  The last time I attended Screen on the Green I went with Floyd back in college. Back then, the event was definitely less well-attended and less of a big deal than it seemingly is now.  They've moved the location from the foot of the Washington Monument to the expanse of the mall near the National Gallery of Art and the screen and sound system are much better. 

The Mall was relatively packed, full of young, vibrant people like myself.  Being in the presence of so many other twenty-somethings really made me smile and feel happy to live in this great city.  Just yesterday, I read that Fortune magazine listed Washington, D.C. as one of the best places for young, single people to live—along with Lexington, Kentucky (?!).  And I totally agree.  D.C. offers diverse nightlife and social activities in addition to a range of job opportunities in politics, nonprofit, law, public relations, etc.

One of the best lines from the movie, which really dated the script, was when Audrey Hepburn's character, who is blind, notes that she wished she wasn't blind and could do important things like make a soufflé, pick out a tie, and pick out wall paper for the bedroom! 

I'm so happy that women's liberation happened and opened up a women's possibilities of "doing something important" beyond the home (though I must admit that dedicating your life to building a nice home and raising a family is acceptable too…sort of…just as long as it is a conscious choice and a woman realizes that it's not her only option.)  Just like watching a movie at Union Station, watching it amid at least a hundred others was fun as folks commented along with the movie—cheering when things went right and laughing when things got cheesy.

I guess the highlight was seeing the folks get up and dance when the HBO introduction was shown. It was so odd, and somewhat psychedelic. I don't understand it, but you better believe that the next time I attend, I'll get up and wiggle as well.