Sunday, November 27, 2011
Cassie and I have left Captiva Island for the cold and gloom of Chicago, and there’s only one thing to do to lift our spirits: see the new Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn, Part I. For those who aren’t in the know, the Twilight movies are based on four bestselling books by Stephenie Meyer that focus on the goings-on of vampires, werwolves and the like in remote Forks, Wash. At the center of this saga is the forbidden romance between Edward (the vampire with a non-beating heart of gold) and Bella (the awkward human teenager who doesn’t feel as if she fits in among her own species).
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| The cardboard cutouts of Edward in Cassie's basement office. |
Twilight’s target audience is adolescent girls, but it turns out that a surprisingly large number of middle-aged women have also jumped on the vampire train, including my wife. She’s read all four books multiple times and has seen the movies more times than anyone cant count. Her basement office is decorated with all manner of Twilight memorabilia, highlighted by two life-sized cardboard cutouts of Edward. Like so many other teenyboppers and whacked-out moms around the world, Cassie has a massive crush on Edward. Sometimes I’m asked if it bugs me that my wife is in love with a vampire. No, I say. I’m delighted.
Why wouldn’t I be? In July 2008, Cassie’s little brother was killed in a motorcycle accident. Cassie spent the ensuing months in a fog. In fact, she became a little like a vampire herself: not dead, but not really alive either. Merely going through the day-to-day motions, she was a shadow of herself. In May 2009, Cassie and her mom took a trip to Paris for Mother’s Day. They had a blast—who wouldn’t have a blast in Gay Paree?—but Cassie still had that faraway countenance when she came home.
Enter Edward and company. One night while Cassie and her mom were in Paris, Liv wanted to watch a movie I had never heard of, something called Twilight. Though I fully expected this Twilight flick to suck, I agreed—anything to entertain the kiddies. To my surprise, I was engaged all the way through, so much so that when Cassie returned Stateside, I suggested we watch it.
The transformation was nothing short of miraculous. As the movie played on, it was as if I could see the color returning to Cassie’s face. The next day, she began reading the first book in the Twilight series, and within a week, she had finished all four installments. In between her reading, she watched the movie several more times and purchased the soundtrack, which she listened to incessantly.
Crazy? Of course—Cassie herself laughingly admits as much. The point, however, is this: I was just glad to see something—anything—capture her imagination. Ironically, it was a tale of the undead that provided a spark and helped to bring my wife back to the land of the living. Yes, Cassie was still grieving the loss of her brother, but before long, she was her old self again: feisty, energetic and ready to plow through life’s obstacles without thinking too much about them.
So when we return from Captiva and Cassie wants to cap off the vacation by screening Breaking Dawn, I happily oblige. I, too, like this Edward character. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a savior. (Incidentally, this is the second time Cassie has seen Breaking Dawn. Before we left for Captiva, she, some other whacked-out moms and Liv went to a 10-hour Twilight marathon that culminated with the premiere of Breaking Dawn at midnight.)
Monday, November 28-Saturday, December 3
Our vacation quickly recedes into history. For one, the weather in Chicago is a far cry from those bright and sunny days on Captiva Island. I return to my routine of resurrecting my career, and Cassie works away amid the Twilight knickknacks in her basement office.
Come Saturday, we’re in need of some quality relaxation time together. What do we do? You guessed it: We go see Breaking Dawn again.
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