PS I Love Movies: The Break-Up
I knew it but, at the beginning, I didn’t care. I guess they call that love.
Situation and perspective depending, break ups suck. Sometimes you know it’s coming and other times it knocks you upside the head without any warning at all. And some break ups have multi-million dollar ad campaigns to let you know it’s coming this summer to a theater near you. Regardless, in any circumstance, they’re never really that good. Point proven with the 2006 “romantic” comedy The Break-Up.
I’ll cut to the chase — I’m not really here to discuss the film. It’s whatever. Pretty meh. 2 out of 5.
Before starting the P.S. I Love Movies series, I had a few essays published over the years. You could say we “hooked up” a few times but it was nothing too serious. Casual fun. However, over time I started thinking about the blog more often — I had developed a crush. Finally in September 2020, possibly fueled by months of isolation and realizing my own mortality, I built up the courage to ask P.S. I Love You for a more formal relationship. They agreed.
Six blissful articles flew by as I was in the blinding whirlwind people call the honeymoon phase. It was real and it was profound. But God is cruel and capitalism is crueler. I knew this but, at the beginning of it all, I didn’t care. I guess they call that love.
In break ups, it’s most often the people observing them that attempt to pinpoint the source of decline. What side to pick? Who is to blame? Although there are times when that is clear, more often this investigation is fruitless. For one, often there isn’t something to pinpoint — feelings just shift. Secondly, it’s painful. The most important person in your life suddenly becomes just another person — it can be comparable to the death of a loved one. But in many cases, it’s just an event in one’s life. A right of passage. Something one must bare in order to fully appreciate poetry, love songs and, yes, romantic comedies.
However, some break ups should and do require introspection. Was this my fault? Could I have done better? It hurts like hell but so do growth spurts in your teens. I don’t think I need to connect the dots for you here but I will — break ups can spurt positive personal growth.
Or you break up because you’re a freshman in high school and their parents are moving to Atlanta because their mom got this really good job and they personally don’t really have much of a say about it because they are 14 and don’t pay the mortgage and even though you should be upset at the parents (or, I don’t know, the world?) you take it out on them because you don’t understand why they can’t just come live with you and your parents but you haven’t even asked your parents you just know they wouldn’t have problem with it even though they absolutely would. But I don’t know, that’s just an example. Anyway.
Here we find ourselves in a situation where agonizing over the why is a waste of time. It is what it is. Not exactly in anyone’s control. So, I am choosing a blend of all three listed approaches. I am not going to look too far into it but I will examine how I can grow from this situation all while being a little upset. How I can continue to do what I love without having a platform as wonderful and supportive as P.S. I Love You. How I can best support all of the amazing writers I have come to know in this community. How I can maintain a productive excuse for watching rom-coms I have seen five times already. I don’t have a plan for any of this yet but I am hoping someone that reads this might offer some ideas.
It was a good run made good by the good people who read this blog. You didn’t have to read this but you did anyway and that made a world of difference to me. But I have one more favor to ask of you, dear reader. If there was a writer here at P.S. I Love You that you appreciate, that kept you coming back, please share their work with others. Find a way to keep up with them and amplify their voice. If an article ever inspired you, changed your mind or even pissed you off — let the author and others know. Flood the comment section with links to other peoples’ works. Introduce me to an article I may have missed. Share with the world how you see the world. This blog exposed me to so many different people, perspectives, and experiences that it is a shame to think that some of those people may not have an audience anymore.
With that said, Vince Vaughn has been funnier, Joey Lauren Adams is so under appreciated — it really upsets me I won’t get to write about Chasing Amy on P.S. I Love You what was I waiting for I should’ve done it when I had the chance — and Peter Billingsley needs more screen time.
The curtain has closed on P.S. I Love Movies.
FIN
P.S. I still love you.
