My husband and two oldest kids and myself went to the movies Friday afternoon. We went to see Unbroken.  What an amazing movie!  Unfortunately, some movie goers decided to put a damper on the experience.

Here’s what happened…

First, I went three rows up to a row that had just two people sitting in it. There were ten seats per row.   As I approached the man, who I’m guessing was in his early 60’s, he just stared at me.  He wasn’t about to move his legs or stand up so that I could get by.  I stared back at him and said, “excuse me”.  He gave a huff and turned so I could get by.  The man had placed his coat in the seat next to him and his lady friend, had placed her purse in the seat next to her to avoid either of them having to  sit next to a stranger.

While we sat waiting for the movie to start, more and more people came into the theater.  Of course, Unbroken is getting great reviews so there is going to be a crowd.  As people slowly made their way in, it was getting more and more difficult to find a seat.

Many of the movie goers were elderly.  Several were Veterans.

At some point, I overheard the “lady” two seats over from me say to her husband, “well, they’re just gonna have to sit in the very front”.  Have you ever been forced to sit in the front row at a movie theater?  In other words, she and the guy she was with, weren’t about to take their crap off the extra seats to allow elderly people a place to sit.

Finally, my husband stood up and confronted the rude couple.  After a moments hesitation, they picked up their things and moved ONE seat to the right, we moved ONE seat to the right, which opened up two seats at the end of our row for the elderly couple.  Difficult? Of course, not.

At this point, there are still folks looking for seats together.
Two theater employees then came in and loudly but politely asked if everyone could just move down a seat, there would be seating available for everyone.  Not everyone obliged. In fact, a person standing with their soda and popcorn said loudly, “we would but they’re refusing to move!”. That’s right, even after people were asking others to please move down, folks still refused to scoot one seat over so others could sit together. Eventually, after FREE tickets were offered, peopled allowed others to sit.

Unbroken is the true story of an American Olympian and war hero Louie Zamperini who, survived in a raft for 47 days after a plane crash in WWII—only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

Shame on the incredibly selfish people who tried (and failed) to block others from having a seat in a movie theater.  Next time you decide to be so thoughtless and inconsiderate, remember, the person you are refusing to help, at one time in their life, may have served his/her country to allow you the freedoms of watching a movie on a Friday afternoon.