Early this week I was able to do something I can’t recall doing before: I went to the movies with my grandma. Now, I do recall going to the movies when I was a kid but I can’t remember if grandma was there. I mainly remember being excited about the movie experience: getting your ticket, walking into the lobby and being hit by the smell of popcorn and eventually sitting in my oversized seat. So Monday’s outing with grandma was very exciting.
However, we were a bit nervous because we agreed to watch “Cantinflas.” Cantinflas is a character created by Mexican actor Mario Moreno that entertained audiences from the stage and on the big screen for decades. During the 1940s and 1950s Cantinflas was the biggest comedy draw in Mexico. For anyone who grew up in a Spanish-speaking home, particularly a home with parents born in Mexico, Cantinflas was part of the family.
My cousins and I grew up watching all of his movies. From his adventures as a police officer, to a firefighter, to a military pilot, Cantinflas was a part of our life. The movies made you laugh when you were a kid and brought you to tears when you were old enough to understand the lessons in the films. So when the idea came up of whether or not to watch this movie, we were afraid of what we were going to walk into. We weren’t just going to watch a movie; we were going to watch the life story of a man who created a character that for decades, through our television, has been part of our family. There was an image and opinion of Mario Moreno that we created and it at least scared me to have that perception shaken.
My grandmother and I are not film critics nor do we pretend to know the art of acting in its finest detail; however, we walked out that theater happy because the movie was entertaining and it took us down memory lane. The images of Mexico City must have created a tidal wave of memories followed by endless emotions for my grandmother, who left her homeland in the 1970s. When certain theaters or buildings appeared in the film, my grandma would whisper a few words to me about the place; or I would ask her if that location still existed. For me it was great to watch the story of a man who made me laugh and has made me cry and who even today when I watch his movies, can teach me a lesson or two. We both walked away happy with the film but it was even more special because I was able to watch it with my grandma.