Spring Break at the Movies

For those of us in northern climates, spring break is a strange American pastime—a desperate search for vitamin D to escape the "sprinter" (spring-winter) slush. But for the "holdovers" who stay behind, the empty streets and gray skies offer a different kind of magic: the cinema.

In this essay episode, Luke Ferris explores the unique nostalgia of the spring break movie season. From childhood memories to the recent "quadrant-bursting" success of Project Hail Mary, Luke discusses why the theater remains the ultimate escape for those left behind.

He’ll dive into:

• The Escapism of the Spring Break at the Movies: Why being a "holdover" feels like a secret club for movie-goers.
• Project Hail Mary and The Return of the (Non-Comic Book) Event Film: A look at why the Andy Weir adaptation (starring Ryan Gosling) is the perfect "four-quadrant" spring break hit.
• The Drama of The Drama: A celebration of big movie stars making adult movies for adults. 
• The "Sprinter" Survival: Why a packed Tuesday night screening in Grand Rapids feels more rewarding than a tropical beach.

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Sources for this episode:

• Royalty-free music and sound effects via Artlist.com
• Project Hail Mary | Final Trailer
• The Drama | Official Trailer HD | A24
• TMNT (2007) - Trailer

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Uh spring break. A very strange American pastime, especially living in northern climates. Now, this is typically surrounded by the school calendar, both colleges, high schools, and elementary schools in America all take roughly a week off in the springtime to give both the students, I guess the parents, and the teachers all a break before the final push into the summer months. Now, here in the northern part of the United States, it's truly an escapism moment. The people who can afford it or not afford it, I guess, they just truly need to get out of the daily trudgery of sprinter, that's spring winter for those who don't know the colloquialism, and head to warmer weather in the southeastern United States or a country like Mexico or anywhere in the Caribbean. Why does this happen? Well, because winter's tough and it's long and it's painful, and everyone can use a little vitamin D. But for those who don't travel for spring break, like myself growing up, there's this holdovers experience, almost like you're part of the breakfast club coming in on a Saturday for detention. The sky is still gray. It's still 40s and 50s outside and very rainy. The streets are empty, and you've gotta think of something to do. Now, growing up, I did travel a little bit during spring break, but typically it was an hour away in Lansing, Michigan, or seven to eight hours away in upstate New York, which is definitely not tropical destinations. But spring break was a magical time, especially if you were a holdover like myself. One, you didn't have to go to school, definitely a perk. And two, it was a special time of year to go to the movies. Even this year, look at the movies that came out. We had a Super Mario movie sequel that dropped precisely during the spring break season, and it's gone on to grow us domestically, 300 million and growing. And it's an opportunity to capture the eyeballs of kids off school, very much like there's a lot of family-friendly movies that come out during the holidays or the summer. I remember growing up, I had similar opportunities to go to movies during spring break, and I'll never forget one of the first times I was able to go to the theater alone with one of my friends, Justin. It was truly the best spring break ever. I mean, I think we spent the entire spring break hanging out, doing multiple sleepovers, but I really remember that one afternoon cloudy day in Michigan when Justin and I got dropped off by my mom, and we saw one of the many iterations of a theatrical animated teenage mutant Ninja Turtle film. I think there's been seven since then. Between two worlds.

SPEAKER_02 3:19

Every 3,000 years, the stars of light are unleashing an army of monsters. That can't be good beyond our universe.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Within hours, we'll lose the city, but within weeks, the world versus brotherhood.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

That cannot be broken. There was something thrilling about being in a theater with just my buddy during a spring break afternoon, with no one else we recognized there. Just me and my best friend eating popcorn, laughing at each other in the movie, and spending a week together with seemingly no rules, just us and whatever we wanted to do next. Excluding a couple of chores we were forced to do. Today, spring break for me is just really nothing. It's just another week of drudgery during the springtime season. If you don't have kids and if you're a working professional like myself, spring break is when you just hear your colleagues talk about all their trips that they're planning and having to drive to Florida. I mean, I don't mean to throw shade, but it doesn't sound like a much of a break to me for these parents. Yet still, during this season, during this time of year, the theatrical experience remains the same. And this year was really special. It was a special spring break season because I felt like we were back. Of course, there was the Super Mario movie, but there was a big centerpiece movie that was released during this springtime season that covered all four quadrants, meaning a film reaches multiple demographics, male, female, under 25, and over 25. And that movie for me and many kids stuck in their hometowns over spring break. Project Hail Mary.

SPEAKER_01 5:10

We're here for the same reason. His son is dying too. Check this out. With about 250 words, let's find you a voice.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

I am Rocky. I'm Mike.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

Great. Together, we're pretty smart, but no one's ever done this before. It is time go. Think you're being go time, pal.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

This adaption of Andy Weir's best-selling novel, Stars, and was produced by the great Ryan Gosling. I had a lot of hype for this movie going in, and I've seen it twice over the past couple weeks. Most recently this past week on a Tuesday night in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with my brother, a huge fan of the book, and my dad, who we let tag along. He didn't drive us, by the way. I was shocked to see a pack theater on a Tuesday night going to see a movie that had already been out for a couple of weeks. Now I'm sure there was people at the theater seeing the Super Mario movie or other movies that have been out this springtime season, but it was thrilling to see a pack theater on a seemingly mundane evening. It helps that the movie is also fantastic. It's thrilling, exciting, emotional, and the marketing material that it was ET crossed with 2001 of Space Odyssey isn't too far off. And normally I don't talk about modern movies that are in the news and the zeitgeist right now, but I think this is gonna be one of those long-term acclaimed films. Maybe not as big as ET or 2001, but it sure hit emotionally and had that experiential moment in a theater with a group of people, with my holdovers, with my spring break holdovers. And that's what's been missing. I think for a while, something that captures the emotion and the imagination of theatergoers of all ages that connects to a different type of moviegoer. I think the idea that, without giving away any spoilers for Project Hail Mary, is really at the core of it, humanity and friendship. It's about coming together to solve problems. It's a beautiful representation of what a thrilling film can bring through science, through incredible acting, through amazing production, ideas, music, cinematography, all the ingredients of a great movie with a strong, powerful, human-centric message. We could all use a little bit of that right now, am I right? Now, this doesn't happen every year, and that's why I'm talking about this subject of spring break at the movies. Sometimes we get movies that are trying to be like this but don't necessarily hit, but that's why this year is so special. But the good news is, my spring break theater experience continued this year, and this one was a bit for the adults. I was able to go to the drama with my wife that same week on a date night to another packed theater for a non-opening weekend because it was spring break. We were definitely surrounded by high schoolers and college kids, mainly young ladies, but the laughs, gasps, and the drama of the drama definitely was a memorable experience that added to this dynamic array of spring break cinema experience.

SPEAKER_02 8:34

So you're saying Charlie is your first love? Yeah. First love or your first crush? Most, I think. Wait, is that gonna say 30? I wanna say this thing about Hello. You know how it's it's very cute, but it's also kind of repulsive, even. Okay, it's kind of like before we got married, we did this thing where we said the worst thing we've ever done. I'll tell mine if we all do it. What did you do? This dumb beer bottles and porn. You left another night. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Okay, I um how cool is it to have some of our youngest, brightest stars leading a movie for adults with adult subject. Now, this is definitely a movie that has elements of romantic comedy, thriller, drama, aptly named the drama, but this is one you're gonna probably talk about. Now, I don't know how well it's gonna age over time, and there's some certain things about the movie that are unsettling to say the least, but to have something like this come out in April is pretty spectacular. An original story, an original idea, big star power, and that brings people in for an experience. Again, another aspect of the spring break movie going experience. But why does this matter, Luke? You're probably saying. Why does taking time during the frigid holdover days, the frigid abandonment of spring, the frigid acceptance of full spring keep us alive, keep us going? Well, I think there's a special thing that I kind of like about being the kid that sticks around. You're not maybe cool posting pictures online of a magical tropical vacation, but at the theater, at the movies, it's always gonna provide you this escape, this magical experience. I always remember it being like we were in this club, a special group of people that were packed into a theater that didn't go on that trip, but got to have this experience in the movie theater. While people were gallivanting on beaches and going swimming in the ocean and on road trips eating Chick-fil-A, I got to be in this cozy theater with my friends or family experiencing a story, a story that changes who you are, or at least keeps you sane during the bleak spring. Maybe it was because I was a little hipster back then, and probably still am, but I always felt like staying behind on spring break was a badge of honor. And here I am as an adult, still kind of feeling the same way because I didn't go on a spring break tropical vacation. And not to poke at anybody who decided to do that, but sitting in the theater twice over the past week, seeing two different types of movies, two different types of audiences, but two fantastic experiences, reminded me of this childlike escape, this childlike pride of being the ones that are left behind, but experience something. Oh, so much better. Least Important Things is a podcast about movies, friendship, and finding meaning, and the most important of the least important things. It's hosted and created by me, Luke Ferris. You can connect with the show on social media, find those in the show notes. You can visit our website, www.leistimportthings.com. But most importantly, we have a Patreon. Join us on Patreon for exclusive content, more special surprises, and for the same price as probably less actually than a small popcorn at your local theater. You can become a friend of the show, which helps us keep making episodes like this one. Plus, you'll get a sticker, a special note from me, and more surprises to come. We have some exciting rewatch episodes in the work, so stay tuned, stay subscribed, and I'll talk to you next time on least important things.