Beautiful note to Dad, Drew. We're the same age and a lot of what you wrote resonates personally. You were lucky to have a Dad that navigated you through the murky waters of cinema the same way you are with your boys. And I can't wait for No Time to Die. :)
Happiest of birthdays!! I just want to add how I remember the first time I met you almost 5 years ago now (wow!) How nervous I was to meet Drew’s parents! You we’re so loved by him, and I wanted to make a good impression. You were so warm and inviting from the very first introduction. As the years have gone on, you’ve continued to embrace me with so much love. I lost my dad at just 16, but I think of you as like a second dad now. Thank-you for being such a great dad and grandpa. You’ve raised such an amazing son, and I benefit from all you have taught him about being a thoughtful and kind man. I benefit daily from all you have taught Drew, and for that I will be forever grateful. MUCH LOVE to you on your 80th birthday! 💖
Tampa Theatre, oh man, I loved that place when I lived in Clearwater. I still try to stop by whenever I'm in town visiting my family. It is absolutely beautiful and I always feel a connection to all of the generations of people who must have sat in that space together enjoying a movie (or just trying to spend some time out of the heat).
My relationship with James Bond is also linked to my relationship with my father, the first one he ever took me to was Moonraker and it started my love for the character and franchise. My father was in the Air Force and we were stationed in England in the early 80s, so when Moonraker came to the base movie theater he took me to see it...only to be interrupted 5 minutes into the movie by a base-wide alert that shut the theater down and sent all the military personnel into a training exercise. They didn't even issue us refunds! Moonraker eventually came to a British theater a few weeks later, so he finally was able to take me to see it then. But after that I was hooked!
What a wonderful birthday message to your dad! I know my father created in me my life-long love of movies out of a shared joy, but also of necessity in some ways as taking your kids to the movies is pretty much the divorced-dad staple. When I was young, I learned to associate movies with happy times amidst sadness, and they're still my escape in that way.
The memories I have with my father was when The Betsy came on cable. A woman disrobed, showing full nudity. His one remark, “Your mother wouldn’t want you watching this.” But he didn’t send me out of the room.
Beautiful note to Dad, Drew. We're the same age and a lot of what you wrote resonates personally. You were lucky to have a Dad that navigated you through the murky waters of cinema the same way you are with your boys. And I can't wait for No Time to Die. :)
Happiest of birthdays!! I just want to add how I remember the first time I met you almost 5 years ago now (wow!) How nervous I was to meet Drew’s parents! You we’re so loved by him, and I wanted to make a good impression. You were so warm and inviting from the very first introduction. As the years have gone on, you’ve continued to embrace me with so much love. I lost my dad at just 16, but I think of you as like a second dad now. Thank-you for being such a great dad and grandpa. You’ve raised such an amazing son, and I benefit from all you have taught him about being a thoughtful and kind man. I benefit daily from all you have taught Drew, and for that I will be forever grateful. MUCH LOVE to you on your 80th birthday! 💖
Tampa Theatre, oh man, I loved that place when I lived in Clearwater. I still try to stop by whenever I'm in town visiting my family. It is absolutely beautiful and I always feel a connection to all of the generations of people who must have sat in that space together enjoying a movie (or just trying to spend some time out of the heat).
Oh, wow! Yeah, we were in Tampa for many years. That was high school for me.
Great theater for revivals and special events.
My relationship with James Bond is also linked to my relationship with my father, the first one he ever took me to was Moonraker and it started my love for the character and franchise. My father was in the Air Force and we were stationed in England in the early 80s, so when Moonraker came to the base movie theater he took me to see it...only to be interrupted 5 minutes into the movie by a base-wide alert that shut the theater down and sent all the military personnel into a training exercise. They didn't even issue us refunds! Moonraker eventually came to a British theater a few weeks later, so he finally was able to take me to see it then. But after that I was hooked!
Thank you for sharing that with us.
What a wonderful birthday message to your dad! I know my father created in me my life-long love of movies out of a shared joy, but also of necessity in some ways as taking your kids to the movies is pretty much the divorced-dad staple. When I was young, I learned to associate movies with happy times amidst sadness, and they're still my escape in that way.
Happy Birthday, Mr. McWeeny!
Also, a very touching article, Drew.
The memories I have with my father was when The Betsy came on cable. A woman disrobed, showing full nudity. His one remark, “Your mother wouldn’t want you watching this.” But he didn’t send me out of the room.
That also doubled as the sex talk.