Just like in late January, when commercials promote front row views for the Super Bowl. during March Madness, NCAA tournament time, Sunday papers and TV ads will hawk extra wide screen TVs.  You’ll be reminded to Catch all the action, or Make your neighbors jealous by filling your living room with a TV screen so wide passersby can see what your family is watching through your front window.

I must say, after spending most of my television watching life in front of a 19” inch Sony (Do you remember tube technology?), I have enjoyed watching sports and movies in the comfort of my home on a 55” flat screen.  (I have not mastered the intricacies of having four different remotes, but it hasn’t been hard to appreciate the super-sized screen.)

Televisions and home theaters have gotten so sophisticated and choices have gotten so expansive between TIVOed or DVRed network shows, cable and satellite broadcasts, DVDs and computer streaming options, I have lost some of my mojo for going out to take in a show.

But not completely.

The other week, I went to see the new Wes Anderson movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel, at a local Cineplex. The movie was full of whimsy and surprises, such as walk-on roles by very familiar actors, but I wasn’t only entranced by the creativity and spell of the story and cinematography. I really grokked on the whole going out to the movies experience.

I usually skip the popcorn and bladder blaster-sized soft drinks, but I like the adrenaline rush of getting to my seat on time. This means leaving the house by a certain time, parking the car, taking some allowances for how crowded I think the theater will be and how many coming attractions I am willing to sit through. I will usually try to make a show before six o’clock to qualify for a discount, but I’m not prepared to pretend I’m a senior yet and qualify for that discount too.

I like the ritual of picking out a seat. I have my own process. It takes vantage point and distance into account, also whether I think the folks nearby are going to talk through the entire movie.

I like the comfy, Velour upholstered seats. I like seeing movies on a really big screen; for nuanced close-ups and for the sense of being in the middle of the action.

But the thing I like best is watching a movie with other people at the same time, the communal experience of going to the movies.  In our modern world, I am not sure doing things as a community is valued much any more.

I like sharing an experience – as it’s happening. I am not interested in just relaying an experience to someone later or tweeting a cryptic message to people I am loosely connected with, letting them know what I saw and whether it was worth waiting in line for a ticket.

To me, it’s a great feeling to catch myself flinching at a particularly in your face moment and see whether other people have a similar reaction. I even like, while waiting in line to buy my ticket, trying to guess which of 12 different films the people in front of me are planning to see. I love thinking about my fellow moviegoers, who are on dates or family outings, joining other couples or groups.

Seeing something on the big screen – sharing a movie-going experience – is no small thing.