Although Wyndi and I worked a bit on our Labor Day, we started it off by heading to the cinema and taking in a movie.
“We’re going to see Jaws for the 50th anniversary,” I told my dad.
“Haven’t you seen that about 30 times by now?,” he asked.
I laughed but that may not be far off from the truth. Since the original came out in 1975, both Wyndi and I have seen it multiple times but never got the chance to see it on the big screen.
As it started, Steven Spielberg introduced that we were about to see the restored 4k presentation of a movie that he thought would end his career due to filming problems before becoming a one of the first major commercial successes that inspired studios to start making summer blockbusters.
We both remarked afterwards how good it looked but we also saw it with fresh eyes. Wyndi was paying attention to things the movie did that must have been cutting edge at the time while we both found the scene of the shark attacking the man in the cage a lot more suspenseful in the theater.
I also noticed a lot more of the little scenes with characters around Amity Island where the movie is set and both of us were surprised how much the debate about closing the beach resonated on this viewing.
For those who don’t remember or never saw the movie, a large shark kills a swimmer in the opening scene prompting discussion of closing the beach right before its busiest tourist season on the 4th of July holiday.
In all of our previous viewings, the Mayor was seen almost as the villain of the movie for downplaying the threat but he seems to care about the livelihood of the town first in his decision making. His actions prove foolish and even fatal as he keeps obscuring facts and even pushes people into the water during the big event. However, he’s left guiltstricken as he realized he had put his own children in danger as they are at the beach when the shark claims its fourth victim.
Both Wyndi and I have been in community journalism for about 20 years now and have seen first-hand how important commerce and tourism is to local businesses and the families whose livelihoods depend on their success.
Event organizers put in countless hours trying bring out the community and bring people in while business owners invest large amounts of their own money to offer services and goods. Dublin and the surrounding area have several events almost weekly and local businesses are open even while construction makes it more difficult to get inside.
I encourage everyone to support both and let others know about their favorites. We might have to park a bit further away from our downtown businesses while our roads are improved, but at least there are no sharks to worry about.