Your Comfort Films Are More Important Than You Think - Opinion
From Shane Conto
Are you preparing to cram for Oscar season to make sure you catch as many of the nominees as possible? ‘Tis the season for all of us cinephiles who treat the Oscars like our Super Bowl. Are you still struggling to keep up with of releases the holiday season and awards pushes? There have been SO many films released in theaters since mid-December. Are you one of those crazy people (like me) that tries to keep up with as many new releases as physically possible? The overwhelming feeling of looking into every theatrical release, VOD release, and streaming release is well… overwhelming.
But should loving film be a stressful endeavor? There are specific things we need to remember as film fans and that is the appreciation of the films we love and make us feel good. There are many film fans out there that don’t worry about consistently checking out new films. They just care about appreciating the films that they connect with already. I know I find myself filling up my free time for movies with new releases or new films off my watchlist. But I do find myself longing to rewatch some of my favorite films quite often.
Why is it an important thing to go back and enjoy our comfort films? Life can be so stressful and tackling a new film can be that too. Not knowing the ending and if it is done correctly, can cause a wide range of feelings including tension and stress. But our comfort films? We know the outcome. We love the outcome. The outcome brings out good feelings that can help relieve your stress. When work has you down, relationships in your life are getting you upset, or just the general foreboding nature of the world around us has you worried, those comfort films can be the right remedy to check us out for a bit and let us just enjoy things.
Outside of just making us feel better, what else can those comfort films accomplish? They can reinforce our love of film. There are reasons why these are our comfort films. There are elements of them that connect with us on a personal level. They can make us laugh. They can help us understand our own feelings and experiences. They can present our culture and background in a meaningful way. There are just so many ways films can connect with us. Even sometimes it can be an overall experience that is hard to describe. But all of those things can remind us just why we love film. When times get tough, we can sometimes forget that. Anytime I throw on The Lord of the Rings of Shrek, it just sparks that magic all over again.
But do those films benefit from our love for them too? Of course. In a world where so many people miss out on films when they first release or they might be forgotten because so many other films have come out since, that comfort status can benefit them greatly. We love our films. We watch them over and over. Naturally, we want to share that love. Whether it is word-of-mouth to the people in our lives or you post those feelings all over social media, our comfort films can then become that for others. I love the sense of community amongst movie lovers and there are few better feelings than catching a film for the first time thanks to the recommendation of a friend or someone we connect with. We spread the love of film and that is something special.
Why did I decide to write this article at this moment? My work is going into a busy season at the moment and I know it becomes harder to balance time for my passion for film. My main focus is always, and has been for years, new releases. But I had a conversation with a friend recently that made me take a step and maybe rethink that a bit. Why exacerbate your stress with your passion when you can be making yourself happier with it? Maybe you relate to that experience too. Even if you don’t…always love and appreciate your comfort films.
