And it's beginning to snow
Ever since I was little, I always loved the snow. Despite growing up in the Chicago suburbs, the excitement and novelty around the winter substance never quite dimmed for me. Perhaps it was the early morning anticipation of a snow day, where I'd be lying in bed and slowly awaken to the sound of salt trucks or the phone ringing to alert one of us that school had been canceled. For a while there, it became kind of a gamble, as me and my brother (and my dad for that matter) didn't always go to school in the same district. On the miraculous occasion that we'd all get a snow day together, it was time for sledding, hot chocolate and snowman building. If we did still have to go to school, we packed up our snow pants and warm weather gear and waited for recess, when we could go wild on the playground and soccer fields. As I got older, I began to appreciate some of the serenity that comes with the weather as well. On a Saturday morning in high school, I'd wake up, put on my boots, take my camera and walk around outside taking pictures. The whole street felt calm, with all the background noise muffled. Snow will never not bring a spark of excitement to my day, which is why I'm always delighted to see it creep into some significant pop culture scenes. On this snowy day, here's a tribute to the top wintry pop culture moments in film and TV:
In the 2001 romcom, Serendipity, John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale meet during the holiday season and decide to let fate decide if they'll ever reunite again by writing their names and information on the inside of a used book and on a five-dollar bill. Years later, after many more missed opportunities, these two find their way back to each other on an ice rink in the snow.
As I was walking around today with the flakes falling, I cued up the original Broadway soundtrack of Rent to play Christmas Bells over and over again. The "and it's beginning to snow" motif throughout the song builds anticipation as all of the characters collide under various circumstances. It captures the anticipation, sarcasm, darkness and magic of the moment and concludes with the much anticipated arrival of Maureen for her protest performance.
In the fourth season of How I Met Your Mother, Marshall and Lily are navigating how their relationship is evolving now that they're married. They decide to let go of certain traditions, such as picking each other up at the airport and giving each other a call every day during lunch to say "I love you." In typical HIMYM fashion, Three Days of Snow plays with the chronology of events in a creative way, so you're never quite sure the timeline of Marshall and Lily's missed connections at the airport. As the city fills with snow, Ted and Barney take over the bar and host a marching band in their apartment. It all comes together in the end, after Marshall surprises Lily at the airport, marching band in tow, to show how much he loves her.
In one of my favorite Sex and the City scenes (it's from the movie, but it's amazing), Carrie and Miranda are both feeling lonely spending New Year's Eve alone. Carrie falls asleep early and awakes to a phone call from Miranda, who is sad. Carrie ignores Miranda's telling her that she's fine and runs through the snow (to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, of course) to be with Miranda and remind her that she's not alone!
And a tribute to wintry moments wouldn't be complete without the number one snow fan, Lorelai Gilmore. She gives me a run for my money! I don't quite have her talents -- she's able to smell snow before it appears and goes outside to celebrate, even in the middle of the night. She's one of the few fictional characters to truly understand the magic that it brings!
Required Reading
If you're looking for something to brighten your week, this insightful interview for The New York Times Magazine will do the trick. Meg Ryan sits down with David Marchese to discuss her acting career, level of fame, Nora Ephron, the pressures of Hollywood and the fact that she's writing a romantic comedy of her own!
