Sick Movies

I don’t like feeling sick, but I do like the sense of comfort that comes with being sick — the guiltless ease in which one can relax, for your body forces you to do so. It’s as if there is nothing else between you and the comfort of your bed.

The week I was sick recently was honestly, strangely, one of the nicest weeks I’ve had in quite some time. I rediscovered several movies and TV shows — and fell in love with them all over again. The best discovery was “The Abyss.” It was the perfect movie to watch, for when you’re sick, there is nothing better than snuggling up to a darkly lit suspense thriller. Something about “The Abyss” put me at ease. Maybe it was the majestic the underwater footage, maybe it was the film’s old-fashioned sense of excitement, maybe it was the tenderness of the love story. All I know is that I felt absolutely euphoric while I was watching it.

I followed “The Abyss” with “Vanilla Sky” — that somewhat forgotten Tom Cruise flick. It’s not a great film by any means, but an interesting commentary on beauty and superficiality.

Next came “21 Grams”— a film I actually hadn’t seen. It’s heartbreaking yet beautiful. It also made me a little lovesick for Naomi Watts. After that was another new film for me — the late Anthony Minghella’s “Breaking and Entering.” What an original film, it’s truly beyond categorization. Can you imagine the pitch? “Well, it’s about this Bosnian refugee who has an affair with this British architect and her son starts stealing equipment from his firm…”

Then, I just watched old episodes of “Home Improvement.” Sure, it’s not the most sophisticated humor, but it’s fun, feel-good entertainment and it made me nostalgic for my childhood.

So, that was my week of being sick. Thanks to being sick, I was able to enjoy these movies and TV shows and block out all worries. I watched them with ease, with comfort. What a nice week.

After that, I had what I call Post-Sick Sadness, where you long for that feeling of comfort that comes with being sick. I got over that, but I’ll always remember that nice week spent watching movies in the great comfort of my bed.