The other day, I was having lunch with my friend Christina when she started talking about the Cleveland International Film Festival {CIFF}. Ever since we became friends, she has brought up the festival a few times and her passion definitely shows through.
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Me? I’d never been and really did not know much about it. I figured I’d ask Christina advice on how to pick movies, etc. Like me, she prefers documentaries and was telling me about a documentary called Dear Mr. Watterson that she planned to see with her fiance the following week. I asked her what it was about and she explained that it was about Bill Watterson, the author of Calvin and Hobbes.
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I about spit out my food and may have even teared up a little.
Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve had an obsession with Calvin and Hobbes. The strip and all of the books I owned played a huge role in my life, especially when it comes to reading. I recall nights when my parents thought I was asleep, but instead I was reading one of my Calvin and Hobbes books by flashlight for the 100th time. I loved those books and still do as an adult. I own the entire series and continue to love the antics and philosophical conversations between Calvin and his Hobbes.
I attended the Thursday night, 9:45 pm showing of the film. While in line, Christina, her fiance Andy, and I met some other fans in line. The guy right behind us drove from Columbus, Ohio for this film and said he would have driven farther if needed. He said he was more excited for this film than if he had tickets to the World Series. I had to agree.
Soon we met up with Nidhi and our friend Jeff. The five of us took in Dear Mr. Watterson and all loved it. We all appreciated that the film wasn’t about finding Bill Watterson, the very private author behind the strip, but instead it was about the fans, the strip itself, and the people who worked with Bill Watterson throughout the years. From Chagrin Falls, Ohio, no one really knows where Bill Watterson’s whereabouts are. I learned from the movie that some people are bitter about his lack of involvement in the community but others appreciate and respect it.
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In a world that’s all about merchandising and making as much money as possible, Bill Watterson shied away from those opportunities in order to protect his privacy and to keep the integrity of Calvin and Hobbes for what it was. If he would have given into merchandising and other commercial avenues, Calvin and Hobbes may not be as wonderful as the strip continued to be.
One of the best parts about the experience was the Q&A after the film. The director of the film, Joel Allen Schroeder, took questions from the audience. It was so cool listening to him talk about the making of the film. It made me feel even more connected.
As my first CIFF experience, I took it all in. I strongly appreciated the connection the audience had to not only the CIFF but the film itself. I cannot wait for next year. Now that I know how awesome the CIFF is first hand, I will be first in line to buy tickets.
As I close this, here is one of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes strips… it always puts a smile on my face.
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I loved hanging out with Todd in his element. {Major bonus that he is cute in his uniform}.
