Crappy rom coms remind me of America

When people think of Ben Keedy, they usually think “danger.” If you were to drop in at a random time, chances are I’d be doing something exciting, like eating spicy foods, chugging gallons of Surge, or racing off on a new adventure. I guess that’s why they call me the Bry-man.

Four years ago, I experienced my grandest adventure to date. Sibling Jenna and I kicked the Haslett dust off our boots and escaped to exotic Italy to visit middle child Megan. It was a time of whimsy and excess, as we feasted on the finest pasta and traveled to the most remote locals imaginable. The devil was our guide as the three Keedy children lived it up in a land with no laws and high quality healthcare. I shan’t go into any further detail, lest this blog be used as evidence in court.

However, even the most rugged individuals can feel a twinge when away from their home country for an extended period of time. One of possibly only three Americans in an alien land, I became a tad bit homesick. I was having a blast, but missed the familiar comforts of the land of the free.

Luckily, there was a theater near Meg’s apartment that showed American movies (complete with Italian subtitles). So, the three Keedy children hitched up the wagon and traveled three blocks over to see the much hyped film by auteur director Tom Dey (perhaps best known for his tour de force Shanghai Noon, and for helming the upcoming Marmaduke), Failure to Launch.

Dispensing with the smarminess, Failure to Launch is not a good film. However, it was an extremely comforting experience watching it. For a while I felt home again, watching a world of familiar clichés, archetypes, and plot lines. Had I seen Failure to Launch in the USA, I probably would have forgotten it immediately. But because I saw at a particularly susceptible time in Italy, I have forged this strange connection with it. Seeing it was like getting a hug from Mom during the middle of a tough day at elementary school, or rooming with your best friend during your first year at college.

Failure to Launch illustrated, for me, one of my favorite things about films: their ability to connect with you on a deeper level than “that looked cool.” I’ll probably never watch Failure to Launch again (I don’t want to, really), but I’ll never forget seeing it in Italy.