There are two types of people at every movie: cinephiles and fanatics.
People who love movies, and people who live the movies — the ones who appreciate films for their ethereal meanings and existential motifs, and the ones who experience them… carry films with them for the whole of their existences.
If you fancy yourself a fanatic, you spend your life trying to become your ideal character. Everything you wear is inspired by someone you’ve watched.
Everything you say is in line with the perfect bit of dialogue, and everything you do deserves an original soundtrack.
Your life isn’t just a scene; it’s an Academy-Award-winning drama. It’s comedy or film noir. It’s the saddest scene of your favorite romance films or the climax of your favorite montage.
Your life isn’t just an ordinary set of days; it’s a riveting, suspenseful, sad and hilarious box set of the best things you’ve ever seen.
Your life becomes the screen, and you, the star. You are the compilation of every film that affected and inspired you. You watch the movies the same way you watch your own life.
So what happens when you like the movies more than real life; when your days are less routine and more scene-by-scene; when you don’t just watch movies, but live by them; when you see movies as real life and your life as the perfect movie?
You always expect closure
Every scene must have an end, and every trial and tribulation must have a lesson. Life isn’t about open endings, but ones that fold nicely into a higher meaning.
You expect every moment in your life to start and end the way all your favorite films ever have, with a resolution.
You have wild expectations for your life
A leading character is nothing without her journey. A movie is nothing without its climaxes.
You expect your life to be as dramatic and fulfilling as any of the characters you've come to see as more real than the people around you.
You are no different than a somewhat less neurotic Alvy Singer. You aren’t just going to live a monotonous, boring “real life”; you’re going to live a life that some could only categorize as fantasy.
Your relationships are never healthy
You may not be expecting that Nicholas Sparks relationship, but you’ve compiled a very distinct image of the perfect relationship from a compilation of your favorite indie romances and classic love stores.
You don’t expect that storybook romance, but at least an Oscar-worthy one. You want that exciting, passionate and addictive love that’s too beautiful not to be the focus of every scene.
You only cast the best supporting characters
If you’re going to have enemies, they better have some spunk, and if you're going to have friends, they better be worthy of a supporting character role.
You want the most colorful of people around you, people who are worthy of their appearance and time on your screen.
You add people to your life the same way you expect any casting agent would. You want your friends to be as endearing, important and relevant as any of your favorite character’s sidekicks.
You’re never lonely
Movies aren’t just on the screen; they’re in your memory, thus, part of your life.
Just because you don’t have anyone around you doesn’t mean you’re not surrounded by friends. And you’re never just sitting around alone, you and your own character are enjoying a solo scene.
You are soaking up the spotlight by yourself, watching yourself from a removed space, observing the scene for what it is — a beautiful moment of solitude, a chance for your character to grow and learn by his or herself.
You never have bad moments, just good scenes
This moment, this horrible moment that has you crying in the street isn’t making you feel sorry for yourself, but appreciative of the scene for its intensity and emotion.
You see the scene as something to remember, grow from and empathize with.
You take your emotions, and you throw them into the movies you will watch tomorrow, the way you connect with the sorrows of your favorite characters and the way you connect with everyone else.
Every feeling deserves your full attention
You don’t just have feelings; you have emotions. You cry, scream and worry the same way your favorite characters do.
You’ve evolved past simple one-dimensional feelings and try to experience everything as deeply as you've felt watching others express themselves. You aren't afraid of your feelings, just how well you can express them.
You always feel like the star
You’re as famous as you see yourself. Your life is as good as the ratings you give it. You’re as in-demand as you want to be.
There will always be critics, villains and people who don’t have your same taste, but you’re immune to haters.
You are the star, and no one will take that away from you, not even the youngest, hottest actress to come onto the scene.
