Husbands,  Marriage Confessions

The Date Night Movie Compromise

Last night, Chris and I took advantage of having my parents in town this week and we had a date night.   I was so excited about it.   I talked about it all day.   At one point in the day, my mom asked me what my favorite date night was.   I didn’t even have to think about it.   My favorite night with Chris is dinner at a Mexican restaurant where I can drown myself in queso without judgment.

(A note to all you single ladies out there:   Choose a partner who doesn’t judge you for wearing stretchy pants to meals.)

After my Mexican fiesta, we then head over to Barnes and Noble where we spend an hour – or more if I have complete control – reading books, listening to music, drinking hot chocolate, reading magazines we don’t pay for, and picking out bookmarks.   That’s a perfect date night to me.   But, admittedly, that might be a little too exciting of a Saturday night for most people.

My mom agreed that that was a really great date night.   And then she asked, “So, what’s Chris’ favorite date night?”

“Uhhh…umm….He likes…tacos?”   I stammered.

Feeling guilty, I decided that tonight’s date night would be all of Chris’ favorite things.   So, I made a reservation at our favorite sushi restaurant even though that’s the ONLY place we EVER go and I am REALLY ready to try something new.   And then I made the very noble, self-sacrificing, honorable announcement that I would go see Avatar with him.

Seriously.   He should have thrown me a parade.

I am so not a science-fiction person.   I am so not a cartoon person.   I am so not a three-hour movie watching kind of person.   So, the thought of hunkering down to watch blue cartoon people with tails make out and save trees for three hours was just about as awful as it gets for me.   But I love Chris.   And he loves the occasional sci-fi flick.   And be bought me boots for Christmas.   So, blue people it was.

In case you haven’t seen the movie yet, let me save you the $12.00 ticket.   Don’t go!   Or, if you do go because someone is forcing you either at gunpoint or by coercing you with new shoes then take something to entertain yourself.   Something like a patch of sod that you can watch grow or a sample of paint that you can watch dry.   Anything more interesting than what’s happening on the screen.

After the movie, as we headed out to the car, I turned to Chris to see if he seriously, honestly, actually enjoyed himself.   His exact words?   “That is the most incredible example of technology in film we’ve ever seen.”

Are you kidding me?   Didn’t you see Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Animation.   People.   Interacting.   And not one blue person.   GENIUS!

But I digress…

Date night, I guess, isn’t about what movie you see or where you go to eat.   It should be about taking time to talk to each other about things other than the baby and the bills.   And that is what I got out of our date night last night.   I loved talking with Chris in adult voices about adult things.   I mean, I love talking with Chris in baby voices about baby food and dirty diapers, too.   So, maybe I had to sit through a movie that I didn’t like.   The point was that the person sitting next to me loved it.

So, perhaps the larger issue here is how did I end up spending the rest of my dates nights with a person who thinks blue cartoon people with tails are entertaining?????

Its probably best not to ponder that for too long.

20 Comments

  • Bridget

    I LOVED Avatar. Did you see it in 3-D? I understand your woes. My favorite date night would involve dinner and perhaps a movie that caters to children (Up, Night at the Museum). He would prefer to see something meaningful, or something. I frequently go to movies alone.

  • Sarah

    I thought Avatar was pretty cool but I’m all about science fiction, action, and superhero-ey type movies. Probably an added reason that my hubby loves me.

    My favorite date nights…we rarely have a true date night since we eat out once or twice a week on a regular basis.

  • Miriam

    I’m not going to lie, I went to see it and I loved it. Of course I’m a nerdy, nerdy engineer. And I insisted on paying the extra money to go see it in IMAX 3D. I just couldn’t get over what they are able to do with movie animation now. But then again, I’m a nerdy nerdy girl who would have gone to see it alone if my husband hadn’t been available.

  • Haley

    Oh Katie, if you ever need a good date you can come with my hubby and I. We don’t do much movie watching but love to go to Barnes and Noble or the thrift stores looking for books. It’s like a treasure hunt.
    Sorry for your suffering but you know Chris really appreciates it.

  • Kelly H.

    Your ideal date night sounds like my ideal date night (Italian instead of Mexican though). I’m not sure how you sat through Avatar. I couldn’t do it, which is exactly why my hubby will be going with my brother on Saturday.

  • Jenn

    Thanks for the heads up, my husband will be dragging me to Avatar tonight. He works in film and does animation for a living so this is pretty much the most exciting movie to have come out in, well pretty much forever! But I guess the date part is what is important and at least I get to choose the restaurant 🙂

  • Sarah H.

    When I first saw the preview–I said NO WAY. But then my husband seemed interested—and I said I’d go if he wanted me to. But then it came out that it had a pretty liberal agenda (said so by the director and such) so my husband wanted nothing to do with it. So yay for having a super conservative husband, and not going to see it 🙂 For a good movie I recommend Blind Side!

  • Casey

    Atleast you had a good date night, with your stretcht pants. It’s so funny you say that, my cousin always says the same thing when she goes out for dinner too.

  • Shannon

    I know so many people who went and loved that movie, but I can’t imagine that I’d like it one bit. Definitely not my type of movie. I heard the 3D was great though and people felt like they were really there. Did you see it in 3D?

    I also second Sarah H’s recommendation for Blind Side. I saw it Monday night on my date night, and it was a great movie!

  • Casey

    Oh, I feel for you. My hubby REALLY wanted me to go see Avatar with him, but I totally got out of it. His Dad decided to take him and his brother as a Christmas present. SCORE FOR ME. He totally loved the technology of it, too. Enough to say he thinks it is the best movie ever made, technically speaking.

  • Regina

    I’m another one who refuses to go with her husband to see the blue cat-people with tails. Since he likes the Mexican/Barnes & Noble thing anyway, I think I’m good though.

  • Startup Wife

    Oh man, I hate sci-fi movies but I LOVED Avatar. There were some things I really didn’t like, but on the whole I was … enchanted, haha, much like Chris. Sorry you didn’t like it.

  • EmilyC

    LMAO!!! I just love your review of this movie! 🙂 If I’m going to spend three hours of my time watching a movie it better make me laugh or atleast feel good when I leave!

  • Mom of 3

    My husband and I saw Avatar in 3D last night and I thought it was amazing! We hadn’t been to see a movie together since our #3 was born 3 1/2 years ago and I’m so glad that we chose Avatar. You could never get the same experience watching a DVD on a TV screen. If you watch any of the “making of” clips you can really appreciate what it took to make the film. It was a great compromise for us between what he calls a “chick flick” and something purely violent like Rambo. Congrats to you for getting out of the house while your little guy is still little!

    • Katie

      That was Chris’ thing about seeing it in a theater, too. He said it just wouldn’t be the same on a home TV and I after seeing it, I completely agree.

  • Lisa

    I saw Avatar last night with some girlfriends of mine and we all really liked it. It was pretty magical with a unique story, but then again, I’m a sci fi kinda girl so it was right up my alley. I’m going to take my husband to watch it this weekend 🙂

  • Kristen

    I am catching up with your blog and came up to this entry and I thought I was reading about myself! I too an not a schi-fi cartoon lovin gal, but this Sunday night I am giving the gift of Avatar to my husband for V-Day, meaning, I will go with him to see it in 3D. I am hoping I might like it, by chance. Even all my friends say it was amazing!

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