Glue movies

What’s your glue movie?

For me, I’m completely sucked in anytime I accidentally stumble on A League of Their Own while flipping channels. Yes, watching Tom Hanks and Geena Davis scratch out wins on the diamond always hooks me like a fish till the credits roll.

See, glue movies are any movie you can’t stop watching whenever you see it on TV.

Nope, don’t matter how many times you’ve seen ’em, don’t matter if you own ’em, don’t matter if you don’t—just forget the laundry, skip the dishes, and make your lunch tomorrow. You’re stuck in a glue movie so start popping corn and pouring sodas because you’re not going anywhere.

Now, I was chilling in my friends Nick and Julie’s basement apartment one night when we started chatting about glue movies. After I spent five minutes spilling potato chip crumbs all over my T-shirt while describing Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell’s on-field chemistry, Nick started up a rant of his own.

“You know, you would think my glue movie would be The Usual Suspects,” he began. “I can pick it up anywhere and knowing the twist makes every scene more interesting. Like, what’s true, what’s made up? I’ve seen it twenty times and I still don’t know. But then again, it’s completely unwatchable when edited for television. In the police lineup scene they say something like ‘Hand me the keys, you very large cockroach.’ It’s awful. So ... now that I think about it, my glue movie is definitely Heat. Long movie, understated performance by De Niro, best bank-robbing scene in history, and enough relationship stuff so Julie gets into it.”

It was a good argument and Nick was satisfied with it. He took a long swig of his drink and nodded his head a little bit as he came to terms with his glue movie selection. Then there was a pause while I licked my fingers and fished out the last crumby triangle of potato chips from my chip bag before Julie went off like a rocket:

“My movie is definitely The Mighty Ducks 2,” she started, excitedly. Nick and I raised eyebrows, but she ramped up. “Look, I’m smiling just thinking about it. I had a crush on all the boys from the first movie, but now I can only responsibly love them closer to the legal age of consent. Plus, they had a girl on the team and I always dreamed of being that female hero. And I generally love movies with kids because they remind you of actors before they were big. I mean, I loved Joshua Jackson in Dawson’s Creek because of the ducks,” she finished.

Nick shrugged and nodded, I furrowed my eyebrows and gave a tentative thumbs-up, but Julie wasn’t quite done.

“Oh yeah!” She beamed. “And the movie taught me everything I know about hockey, which can be summarized in three words: Ducks fly together. This is what I yell whenever I walk by and Nick’s watching it on TV.”

We smiled and laughed because it was clear these movies really do hold a special place in our hearts.

Maybe you’re glued to the screen waiting for the redemption in Shawshank, nervous for the courtroom drama in My Cousin Vinny, or eager for the final Quidditch match in Harry Potter.

But no matter what, watching your glue movie is like hanging out with an old friend who pops by for an unexpected visit. After you pour a drink and settle into your couch dent, the memory pops and nostalgia drops start sparking and sizzling in your brain. Suddenly you’re reminded of drives to the mall in mom’s minivan, crashing on basement couches with friends, or sharing old faves with a new flame.

So get stuck in your glue movies and just enjoy them, everybody.

They’ll be yours forever.

AWESOME!