For those of you who haven't seen this movie, it's called Her. It came out in 2013, so it's already a couple of years old. I'm sure you've at least heard of it, right? If you haven't, here's a brief synopsis from IMDB:
A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need.
Now, I'm going to admit, when this movie first came out, I thought it sounded really dumb. Like, who would do such a thing? That's what humans are for, not computers! And then it started winning awards and stuff.. I was flabbergasted.
BUT. There's a song in this movie that so happens to be "our song" for Dan and myself, so we decided we might as well watch the movie that it's in. I didn't want to at first, I was dragging my feet to sign onto Skype and start this movie date. Some parts were a little odd, yes, but afterwards, I felt such a connection to this movie! It ended up being absolutely wonderful, and I'm sorry that I missed all the hype about it back in 2013 when it came out.
*Spoiler Alert!* So basically, if you want to know a bit more - This movie takes place in the near future. Everyone has these interactive phones with little ear pieces that allow the person to be connected at all times. Like, even more than we already are. Theodore works as a writer, and he writes letters for people. Because apparently in the future, people can't write their own letters to loved ones. He's going through a divorce from his wife, and he's having trouble letting her go. He's insanely lonely and just a very sad dude.
Around this time, the new operating systems are being released, and they're more interactive than ever before. Naturally, Theodore invests in one of these devices. Her name is Samantha, and she's incredibly intelligent. She talks to him and gets to know him. She's almost a real person.. except for the fact that, ya know, she doesn't have a body or anything. The two eventually fall in love and start dating. I know, I thought it too. He's dating his operating system?!
Alright, I've spent enough time talking about what happens. This movie made me really think, especially being in a long distance relationship. When Dan isn't around, it's kind of like I'm dating a computer. I only get to see him through a screen. I can't touch him or be around him. I text him, I call him, but that's all I can do. Eventually at the end of the movie, Samantha leaves and Theodore is left feeling alone and confused. Human interaction is something we take for granted. Maybe it's just because I'm in similar shoes, but this movie really touched me. Sometimes I have to remind myself that Dan is a real human being, with flesh and bones. It might sound silly, but when you go so long without seeing someone, it's easy for your brain to get all jumbled.
If you haven't seen this movie, even if it's for the same reason I hadn't watched it up until now, please do. It really gets your brain rolling. Makes you think about humanity and your own personal relationships. And it kind of gives you an insight to what being in a LDR is like. Except in this case, Dan and I are both real people. It's moving, it's powerful, and everyone should see it. It might even get you to put your phone down for a while and just enjoy life.
