A Hard Day's Night

One of the many charms of A Hard Day's Night is it's complete Britishness. Not one concession has been made to an American audience. (You'll find that same essential British personality in Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy) Combine that with screenwriter Alun Owen's plentiful application of Liverpool slang, jargon, and colloquialisms, and it's not surprising that my 9-year-old American son said "I loved it but I had no idea what they were talking about." I myself don't know what every word means, but that's part of the charm. Part documentary-style handheld look at the backstage life of the Beatles, part pre-Python-esque absurd screwball comedy, plus proto-videos of seven new Beatles songs, this movie is a triumph.

In the "always notice something new" department: Ringo is not the best-looking Beatle, but in this movie he's the most appealing. If anyone's physical attractiveness is enhanced by their oddball looks + personality, it's Ringo.

Pete has entered a Beatles phase lately, starting with "Yellow Submarine" (the song), leading to "Sgt Pepper / With a Little Help From My Friends", to the whole Sgt Pepper album, and now this. Excited to watch his fandom develop!

FUN ANECDOTE: On the walk down Main Street back to my truck, Peter and I began singing the song "A Hard Day's Night" together. I was helping him along with some Pete Seeger-style prompts, where I feed Peter the next line just ahead of him singing it. I get to the second verse:

You know I work all day / To get you money to buy you things...

.,..and I can't remember the next bit! It's one of those moments where I'd never forget the words while singing along to the record, but solo on Main Street, I lost it. I start to struggle and try a few options for how the next line starts...

and then the lady 10 feet in front of us on the sidewalk, whom I had not noticed before, chimes in:

And it's worth it just to hear you say / you're gonna give me everything

Turns out she was also walking home from the movie! Thanks fellow Beatles fan, wherever you are! 

 (At the Mahaiwe with a small but enthusiastic Gen X-to-Boomer crowd, plus some kids and grandkids)

THEATER NOTES: I enjoy supporting the Mahaiwe, the moviegoing experience is pretty good (I'd like the sound volume turned up a few notches), and the prices are fine, especially for a non-profit. One area that, for me, is holding them back is their barely-there concession stand. I understand that they're not a full-time theater, and I get that they don't want to pay for a kid to run the concessions, but I really want to spend more money on real theater popcorn and a soda with ice. That bagged healthy popcorn is not enough for me.