The article reflects on the author's formative experiences with movies, particularly Sullivan's Travels, highlighting the influence of aesthetics and personal connections in shaping cinematic appreciation. As a 13-year-old visiting Blockbuster Video to impress boys, the author discovered the classic film featuring the compelling duo of Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea. The characters, embodying powerful themes of escapism versus realism, lead the audience to ponder the societal issues of their time, especially during the tumultuous 1930s. This nostalgia intertwines personal memories with broader cultural critiques.
If anything commands you to put down your phone and stop doomscrolling, it'll be Lake's dominant, ahead-of-its-time sensuality, the perfect foil to McCrea's earnest everyman.
Sullivan feels guilty distracting himself from the endless tumult of the Depression, impending world war and the fact that there are others suffering far worse.
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