High Entertainment

The uncomfortable touch of a stranger’s elbow presses against mine as I shrink back into the stiff cushions of my dreaded middle seat, recoiling in awkwardness. “Only four more hours,” I whisper to myself. The mere prospect of freedom from Seat 32E seemed sublime.

The light of the TV screen in front of me catches my distracted eye, and I opt to pass the time by scrolling through the movies United Airlines has so graciously provided me with on my way back home for Thanksgiving break - this year, I’m grateful my parents allowed me the pleasure of missing my Monday and Tuesday classes to make the trip back to California to see my family for the holiday. My body’s willingness to sleep on the plane usually determines how long the six-hour flight feels, and this time, the REM cycle was not on my side. The emboldened letters of the in-flight entertainment leaflet in my seat back pockets keep glaring back at me as I decide to give in to a movie.

I have always loved traveling in spite of its inevitable complications. Ever since I was a child, my family was constantly moving. My dad’s job took my brother and I to Asia for the first five years of my life, and the trip back and forth across the Pacific was never smooth sailing. Long and cranky fights with my brother were hallmarks of my childhood. My mom still tells me stories of the many times I threw temper tantrums on the plane, infuriating the entire cabin to the point of utter resentment. For how universal of an experience dealing with a crying baby on a plane is, I always try to remember that unfortunately I too, was once that same crying baby.

Movies, for many people, are sources of escape and can be especially useful on those flights when it feels as though the time just couldn't pass by any slower and the crying babies just won’t quit their operatic episodes of agony. That feeling of settling into your own little bubble as you grow completely oblivious to how close your seat-neighbors are to you is unashamedly comforting. Many of us correlate the in-flight experience with watching a movie, or maybe even taking a peek over at what the person next to us is enjoying on their screen.

After a few minutes of aimless scrolling on the miniature television, I notice one of my favorites – Spy, the 2015 action-comedy combo starring Melissa McCarthy is (and forgive me for sounding old) a laugh-your-socks-off movie. The movie is a hilarious portrayal of an in-over-her-head spy trying to halt an undercover crime regime set against the beautiful backdrop of summertime Europe. The hilarity of watching Susan Cooper, McCarthy’s character, conquer success after success in a web of CIA-like spy missions while seemingly not having a clue what she’s doing gives way to priceless comedic timing. The movie is a refreshing upheaval of the traditional glitz and glamor of spy movies and boasts the perfect combination of suspense and witty humor.

I find myself audibly laughing on the plane, and realize the glances I’m receiving from the people around me are likely due to the distinctive nature of my laugh for which I get made fun of constantly. I don’t really care. Even though the unspoken keep-to-yourself nature of airport travel usually makes me cringe at any attention drawn towards me, I just can’t help but laugh, scene after scene.

After my movie ends, I take a second to look around and realize I’m not alone – countless other people are having similar experiences. A ten-year-old across the aisle is captivated by Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon, his eyes glued to the screen as animated Vikings catapult fire torches at flying creatures. A woman a few rows in front of me discreetly wipes a tear from her eye as the credits close on A Dog’s Purpose. And let’s be honest, if you didn’t cry during that movie, you’re either a cat person, or something’s wrong with you. I see a man jump a little in his seat, and realize he’s midway through Jordan Peele’s Nope. A girl is watching Harry Potter, and after realizing she has a copy of The Sorcerer's Stone in her seatback pocket, I come to the conclusion that she’s likely a diehard fan.

Movies are so much more than just a mindless way to pass the time on a plane. They allow us to relax back into a realm of our choosing as we eagerly await our destination. The dim lights of the airplane cabin, coupled with trying to position your headphones to avoid the smallest bit of static that infiltrates the audio, remind me of all the times I’ve enjoyed a film during the chaotic flux of traveling from place to place. While some people insist on sleeping on flights to avoid the inevitable jet lag, I swear by turning on a movie and letting a story engulf me, in whatever way it might.

I step off the jet bridge at LAX and find my parents waiting for me at the arrivals pick-up line. I’m still smiling, remembering the funniest moments from the movie, amid my overall joy for being back at home. Who knows, maybe after Thanksgiving dinner, we’ll scroll through our favorite list of movies back home, arguing over which we should watch. My dad will most likely fall asleep, my brother will leave midway through to go play video games in his room, and my mom will probably be checking her email during all of the important scenes. I, however, will sink back into the beanbag in our family room, and pretend I’m still on the airplane in my little bubble, captivated by yet another story sure to make me laugh, cry, scream, or ideally, all three.