Narnia is Captivating

We went to see "Chronicles of Narnia" yesterday evening, the 7:45 show, taking my wife's mother along. My wife read the book long ago; I haven't, though I have recently read several of Lewis's contributions to apologetics. Her mother, though knowing who Lewis was, had never heard of the Narnia series. We decided on the movie late, and arrived at the theatre only ten minutes before the show began. No lines at the ticket windows. No one in the lobby. The crowd preceded us. The theatre, stadium seating for 700 (my guess), was packed. We spied a few empty seats in the last row. We found three seats in the fifth row. We asked other patrons if they would mind moving around so we could sit together. Of course, they said, changing their seats. There were many families and teen groups in the audience, many young Latino families. Younger children looked for their friends in the audience and jumped about, as excited with anticipation as at a Big Top Circus. When the movie began, the audience went as silent as church. Despite many children aged five or abouts, squirming in their seats, for nearly all the movie the audience was so quiet that you would think you were alone in the theatre. I was going to say, you could hear a pin drop, an odd expression for a movie show. One young mother, several seats away from us, had to escort a little daughter to the bathroom, crossing in front of us; that was the only disruption, if it could be called that. As for the movie, we were enthralled, captivated, thrilled. The production of Lewis's imaginative world was so convincing, we did not doubt were were watching a real world. The four child actors who lead the story were excellent; a wonderful vision of well behaved and imaginative children. When the movie was over, the audience burst into applause. It has been a long time, perhaps since the first showing of "Star Wars", thirty years ago, that we have been in such an electric event. My wife said the movie followed the Lewis's story carefully. We gleefully compared notes on favorite character, best scene, what we loved the most, as soon as we had exited the theatre. My wife votes for the witch, a stunning portrayl of regal, cold evil. My wife's mother stated, definitely, and she wasn't asking for anyone's opinion, "This was the best production ever. Ever." She said, she would call a friend of hers and she would go see it again with her friend sometime during the day in the coming week. Bravo! Disney.