"I'm almost ten!" That's what I vigorously proclaimed to my Mom and Dad when my Aunt Glenda ask them if I could go with her to see the movie Jaws. My birthday is in September, so I was technically 9 years and 9 months old when Jaws came out. My Aunt Glenda had already seen the movie and was taking her niece and one of her friends to see it. She told my parents that she would cover my eyes during the "bad parts" and that sealed the deal. Of course, I would not let her cover my eyes because I wanted to see the "whole thing." She smiled and said okay. I almost spilled my Coke when the head rolled out the bottom. No lie, my reaction was visceral.
I remember immediately reading the book to see all the "changes" that had been made between the film and the story Peter Benchley had written. It was the first time I ever thought of writing a story on my own.
While there were certainly trips to the movie theater before Jaws, they are all lost to memory. Jaws is the first movie I remember seeing on the Silver Screen, and can still remember everything about that experience today. Anything that came before was immediately swept from memory. That's how you know it was a classic.
I was 10 when it came out as well. My father took me and had already seen it. During the scene where Quint tells the story of the Indiannapolis many movie-goers started talking, apparently bored by the extended dialogue.
My father hollered out to the whole movie theater: "Shut up!"
Everyone shut up.
I think it's one of the few movies that was an improvement on the book (and the book was very good). I read the book when I was 11!
I think "Jaws" is one of the best movies ever made. The reason it's not just another "monster" movie (with the shark being the monster) is that the mechanical shark didn't work, creating the need to create all the scenes that make the movie great.
Another great scene that wasn't in the original script was the scene where the three characters talk about all of their shark injuries and Quint tells his "back story" of being a crew member of the USS Indianapolis.
I think about the scene where the mother of the little boy who was killed on the float slaps Chief Brody and tells him, "You knew. You knew there was a shark and you still let people go into the water."
The mayor, an interesting character himself, tells Bodie, "She's wrong." And Chief Brody replies, "no, she's not."
That's what happened - write large - in Covid. Every "authority figure" knew what was happening - that people were being killed - and they did nothing to stop it. They all KNEW.
The movie Jaws is so complex when viewed through the prism of history that I could have written 20K words on the actors, the director, the setting, its cultural impact, etc. all, and still be doing research. You are 100% correct Bill, as the “emotion” that went into the film after the “shark” trickery didn’t work is what makes the movie a classic. No matter how much money Star Wars grossed or even how many people (mainly kids) went to see it, that movie is truly a Science Fiction film and the special effects are what carried it. Jaws is a Drama, set against an incredible sea creature. It is the Moby Dick of our era.
One metric I use to identify a classic is if the story has several memorable and well-drawn characters. Jaws has three great main characters and Mrs. Brodie and the Mayor are also very good.
How can I follow up after you two? 😂 I was only 11 when that movie came out, and my mom wouldn’t let me see it. 😭 Like any kid in that situation, I went to the library and checked out the paperback. 😁
Once I was old enough to watch the movies I missed as a kid, I finally saw Jaws. Trust me, the music in that film made it so that I couldn't go into the water for a very long time 😬
"I'm almost ten!" That's what I vigorously proclaimed to my Mom and Dad when my Aunt Glenda ask them if I could go with her to see the movie Jaws. My birthday is in September, so I was technically 9 years and 9 months old when Jaws came out. My Aunt Glenda had already seen the movie and was taking her niece and one of her friends to see it. She told my parents that she would cover my eyes during the "bad parts" and that sealed the deal. Of course, I would not let her cover my eyes because I wanted to see the "whole thing." She smiled and said okay. I almost spilled my Coke when the head rolled out the bottom. No lie, my reaction was visceral.
I remember immediately reading the book to see all the "changes" that had been made between the film and the story Peter Benchley had written. It was the first time I ever thought of writing a story on my own.
While there were certainly trips to the movie theater before Jaws, they are all lost to memory. Jaws is the first movie I remember seeing on the Silver Screen, and can still remember everything about that experience today. Anything that came before was immediately swept from memory. That's how you know it was a classic.
I was 10 when it came out as well. My father took me and had already seen it. During the scene where Quint tells the story of the Indiannapolis many movie-goers started talking, apparently bored by the extended dialogue.
My father hollered out to the whole movie theater: "Shut up!"
Everyone shut up.
I think it's one of the few movies that was an improvement on the book (and the book was very good). I read the book when I was 11!
I think "Jaws" is one of the best movies ever made. The reason it's not just another "monster" movie (with the shark being the monster) is that the mechanical shark didn't work, creating the need to create all the scenes that make the movie great.
Another great scene that wasn't in the original script was the scene where the three characters talk about all of their shark injuries and Quint tells his "back story" of being a crew member of the USS Indianapolis.
I think about the scene where the mother of the little boy who was killed on the float slaps Chief Brody and tells him, "You knew. You knew there was a shark and you still let people go into the water."
The mayor, an interesting character himself, tells Bodie, "She's wrong." And Chief Brody replies, "no, she's not."
That's what happened - write large - in Covid. Every "authority figure" knew what was happening - that people were being killed - and they did nothing to stop it. They all KNEW.
The movie Jaws is so complex when viewed through the prism of history that I could have written 20K words on the actors, the director, the setting, its cultural impact, etc. all, and still be doing research. You are 100% correct Bill, as the “emotion” that went into the film after the “shark” trickery didn’t work is what makes the movie a classic. No matter how much money Star Wars grossed or even how many people (mainly kids) went to see it, that movie is truly a Science Fiction film and the special effects are what carried it. Jaws is a Drama, set against an incredible sea creature. It is the Moby Dick of our era.
One metric I use to identify a classic is if the story has several memorable and well-drawn characters. Jaws has three great main characters and Mrs. Brodie and the Mayor are also very good.
There were also quite a few locals in that movie, which gave it a lot of authenticity. Just a very well done film.
How can I follow up after you two? 😂 I was only 11 when that movie came out, and my mom wouldn’t let me see it. 😭 Like any kid in that situation, I went to the library and checked out the paperback. 😁
Once I was old enough to watch the movies I missed as a kid, I finally saw Jaws. Trust me, the music in that film made it so that I couldn't go into the water for a very long time 😬
Kim, that's a great story! I'm still amazed my mother let me go. My Aunt Glenda was very persuasive.