Greeting, Readers. Recently, I went to the movie “Walk the Line” with my friend Jen. Shortly after the movie started Jen leaned over and asked, “What do you think of it so far?” In shock that anyone would try to have a discussion right then, I nodded with a half-hearted smile and quickly tried to focus back on the movie.

A while later, Jen whispered that she really liked the color and style of Reese Witherspoon’s hair. A few minutes after that, Jen let me know that she had a similar armoire that was used in one of the scenes. At that point, I seriously contemplated moving seats. Instead, I just leaned in the opposite direction, mortified that my good friend was a movie-talker.

When the movie ended, Jen said to me with a puzzled look, “Gosh, Susan, I got the impression that you really didn’t want to talk during the movie.”

“Who in the world talks during a movie?” I questioned.

I decided that Jen could use a little lesson on movie etiquette, so I called up Town Center’s Buffalo Grove Theaters. There I spoke with John Scaletta, Director of Operations at F&F Management which owns and operates movie theaters throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. I told John about some recent encounters I’ve had at movie theaters lately and asked for his expert opinion.

Last month, my friend Elyse was waiting in a long line at the candy counter. Although I was not getting anything for myself, I stood in the line next to Elyse’s line so whoever got to the front first would order. My line opened up first, so Elyse moved from her line to mine. Just then, the man directly behind me started screaming. “You can’t budge me! I was waiting here! Get out of my line!”

I couldn’t believe I was part of an altercation regarding fun things like candy and popcorn and I also couldn’t believe that grownups still cared so much about “budging.” What did John Scaletta think of this?

“People need to decide how severe an action is before becoming so irate. If a few people are together that’s fine if it’s on the same bill. It’s just like at the grocery store if you run out of line to grab an item you forgot.” John adds, “Our society has so much immediate gratification that we all seem to overreact when things don’t go our way immediately.”

Are you annoyed when someone’s cell phone starts ringing during a pivotal part of a movie? Mr. Scaletta says to either turn them off or don’t bring them in the theater. “People are frustrated by cell phones ringing and by people answering them. No one should answer a cell phone during a movie. It takes away from the experience everyone is trying to enjoy.”

Regarding talking during a movie, John says just don’t do it. “Not only is it offensive to the people around you, but also to the person you are whispering to.”

What about if you didn’t hear what someone in the movie said? All of us have leaned over at some point and whispered, “What did she say?” Scaletta says you’re better off trying to figure it out yourself. For those people who really do have a hard time hearing, the Buffalo Grove Theaters offers assisted listening devices, for free, at the box office.

Whether or not you or those around you have proper movie etiquette, people still flock to the theater. “There is an infectious spirit in any theater,” notes John. “Everyone is experiencing the same magic at the same time. There’s an unspoken feeling that goes throughout the crowd whether it’s a comedy, drama, horror movie, etc. Those are reasons people keep returning.”

“Today’s life is stressful and people use movies to escape,” Scaletta points out. “Movie theaters are a focal point of any community. We take that responsibility very seriously by giving back to individuals, groups, charities and associations.

Furthermore, Mr. Scaletta is very pleased with the local audience. “Parents do a great job of teaching their children to respect those around them and also to pick up their garbage. I see it a lot.”

Do you know someone with an interesting story? If so, please email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
And to all you “Jens” out there, Shhhh!

© 2007 Susan Dubin, Buffalo Grove, Illinois