Recently my lifelong pal, Alison, and I were looking for a DVD of the movie "5 Flights Up" starring Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton.
We are avid fans of both actors. We had watched the film a few months ago and loved it. It's the story of an older couple in NYC who are selling their apartment because it's five flights up and has no stairs. The problem is, they've lived there over 40 years and it's home. The husband is an artist and the wife is a retired teacher. They have no children so they lavish their affection on their little dog, Dorothy, who is sick and needs surgery. The story takes place over a couple of days as they deal with a realtor and open houses. In the middle of all this, an alleged "terrorist' is creating havoc in the city and the authorities believe he has a bomb on the Brooklyn Bridge.
This is not an action film. It's a smart, clever comedy with a meaningful message about love and relationships.
Needless to say, we both wanted this film for our collections to watch on those quiet afternoons as we escape the chaos of the world while we drink our coffee and eat our chocolate. It's one of those movies you can watch over and over (like "You've Got Mail," "The Proposal" or "The Devil Wears Prada").
Soon after watching it, I bought the DVD on amazon, but Alison wanted to buy it here in town. So the journey began.
We started at Target. No luck.
The mall. Not there either.
Kmart. Nope.
Walmart. Zip.
We called it a day. Alison later told me she went to Sam's Club and struck out. She finally had to order it online.
The funny part was, when we asked the sales people at all these stores if they had the movie in stock, none of these 20 to 30 somethings had ever heard of it. They looked at us like we were aliens from outer space.
You would think Morgan Freeman (Batman's right hand man) and Diane Keaton (comic actress extraordinaire) would be on the Hollywood radar. I suppose a well-told story with witty dialog and interesting characters is not enough.
I'm not surprised. The world is changing. It's faster and more furious than ever. But I am grateful that filmmakers are still creating simple, beautiful films.
In the words of Meryl Streep from "The Devil Wears Prada": That's all.
