One year ago to the day, I read The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. I know this small trivia because Facebook is sending out memories on the timeline and this was what I posted last year. It’s a fun coincidence, because last night I saw the movie of the same title, and it was a hoot!

While the movie about the The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared, was well done; I’m glad I read the book first. There were many times I laughed out loud and there were many more times the audience roared with laughter.

The audience was pretty well all seniors. Not just the 65+ crowd either — I would not be one bit surprised if there had been a few who were close to 100 year mark themselves. There were a lot of old folks in attendance.

This film wasn’t shown in a regular theatre. It was in a performance hall with me guessing about 150 seats. It was sponsored by a film society in the town of Gibsons.

The doors for the show opened at 7pm for a 7:30 showing. Having Hudson genes in me, I showed up 10 minutes before the doors opened. I like being early. I was not early. There were at least 40 people in line in front of me, and minutes later many, more folks lined up behind me.

Then when the doors opened, they asked the people with reservations (or the members of the film society) to come forward first. Another 50 people showed up out of nowhere. I wasn’t sure I would even get a seat as more and more people shuffled by me.

As we waited, it came up that this was my first time at this venue. I was warned by two people, that whatever I did, I was not to jump over the seats or eat a snack. That if I did either, I would be banned from the place for life! I was grateful for the advice, as I did have some Junior Mints in my purse and the seat I eventually found, would have been a lot easier to have climbed to than the ruckus I caused by having the entire row of old folks stand up so I could squeeze by to the last seat open in the row by the wall.

Like I said, there were some really old folks there. I was surprised that so many were out in the evening and knew the drive home would be adventurous. The film didn’t get out until after 9:30pm and the roads are unlit. Hell, I don’t like driving in the dark, and for the most part I am usually well asleep by that time each night, and I am much younger than the majority of folks in the theatre. Much younger!

Anyway, it was interesting to watch the people find their seats. They had to climb stairs to get to them. Only the first row was on the floor, the rest went up, up, up. The top row of the theatre could give one a nose bleed and so many folks had canes, and such.

Needless to say, it took a while for every one to find a seat.

But, the circus was just beginning, because the people selling tickets, sold more tickets than there were seats.

I was grateful for my chair as I watched many wander and wander like playing a musical chair game. The music had stopped and at least 30 people were left without a place to sit and watch the movie. There was no way, any of these folks were going to sit on the floor, or stand for the duration. Plus, the director of the place, said the Fire Marshall wouldn’t let that many people be there, so if you were not sitting down, you had to leave.

This took a bit of time as no one wanted to leave, or scale the stairs again. People kept thinking an empty chair would appear if they stood staring long enough. And low and behold, a few did! It seemed folks who rode with others had to leave if their driver wasn’t lucky enough to have a seat, so the shuffling continued, because remember, there was no jumping over the seats allowed, so the entire row had to stand up to let one out and another in. This was not as easy as it sounds.

I do wish someone had filmed this part of the evening. It was as entertaining as the movie. The best part was everyone was so polite and slow moving, and no one seemed angry or frustrated, but there were many admonishments of, “I told you to come early!”

Finally, everyone in their seats, no snacks, no jumping, cell phones off, and the lights went down, but not before everyone was told not to leave your seat when lights are off, or you could get hurt.

The movie about an old man was even better, when the old folks around me made so much of this goofy story, seem so very possible.

I’m glad I witness the evenings performance and glad I saw the movie as well. I’d like to describe to you how everyone left the theatre and the parking lot, when the show was over, but who has the time? I need to get a few things done today!

I really enjoyed the book, the movie was good, but the show last night was fantastic.