Seeing Shrek In Theaters: What It Means To Me

Shrek 25th Anniversary Poster — Dreamworks Animation/Universal

Introduction

Shrek is now 25 years old. It was re-released in theaters last week for its anniversary, and I was able to catch it.

Of course, Shrek is a movie that I have seen many times as both a child and an adult, so what did I get by watching a film I’ve seen numerous times before in theaters? Well, it was truly something special, and a time where I really felt alive.

Unique Experience

It was truly a unique experience. I had watched the movie at home many times, but the film was released 2 years before I was born, so I would have never got to experience it on the big screen.

Sure I saw it at home, but the first place I often saw new movies growing up was in the theater.

After all, on the big screen the picture makes the colors pop out more, and the high quality speakers can help you notice things that you might’ve missed.

On top of that you have the comfortable recliner seats and it all makes for an experience where you get lost in your own little world while enjoying a movie even if many other people are around.

It makes it feel like I’m there on day one, giving a kind of surreal feeling as I never once expected to have this kind of experience for the movie.

Comfort — Knowing The Lines

Shrek is a movie I’ve seen numerous times on DVD.

Being one of the first movies I ever watched, I grew up with it. At this point, I can quote just about every line in the film. This creates satisfaction, you know when the beats come in, you know when the comedy hits, and you know what lies beneath everything at its core.

It connects me to a younger version of myself, the version that often had fun without worrying about judgment just because I was a kid, and the one that had a lot more imagination than I ever gave myself credit for.

At that time I could just laugh when Donkey said he was making waffles in the morning, or when they made fun of Lord Farquaad’s height, while imagining myself in that world talking to Shrek.

It reminds me that version of myself is still there, just more grown up with a deeper understanding of the film.

Seeing Myself

For as much as I watched Shrek as a kid, the reason I kept coming back to it even when I was getting older is because I saw myself in the character.

There’s something about seeing the weight Shrek carries from people judging him by his exterior while never attempting to see more to him that really resonated with me as I grew into a teenager and young adulthood.

Seeing him mask himself just to try and be alone and appear more scary than he is to fit the mold of society, and seeing him try his best while struggling to open up about it to Donkey is a place where I can see myself.

When people throw out harsh judgements, it can be really hard to be honest and vulnerable, because it plants a seed that makes you think you will be taken advantage of, and that stays with you until new evidence comes to challenge it.

The overall message as well of we all have layers is very much an area that helps me feel seen. It is a deep reminder that many struggle silently in the world but there is always hope.

Not Alone

What makes it special more than anything else is the fact that the theater was nearly sold out. On the surface, this may seem like a very small detail, but to someone like me who processes meaning silently, it can mean a lot.

The conclusion I drew from this was that I was not alone. While I don’t know any of these people, the majority of them were adults, and that tells me that I am not the only person who has been positively impacted by Shrek in their life.

It tells me that there are tons of people that it may have helped in some way whether it made them laugh or felt the emotions of it.

For me, I’m a combination of both. I feel the characters and I laugh, it’s a unique combination that is quite human, to be both entertained and seen at the same time, and seeing others there to watch it is enough to tell me that I am not alone.

Conclusion

25 years after the film was released, Shrek is still a very special movie, and seeing it in theaters is something I will never forget.

It connected me to the inner child in me, it let me experience something that I never thought would happen, I laughed, it connected me to the times I silently struggled, and most of all I knew I wasn’t alone. Sometimes, a unique experience is all you need to feel alive, and that is more than enough.

[embed]Shrek: Donkey — The Unconditional Friend Donkey sees past the layersmedium.com

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