(EDITOR'S NOTE: Each Monday, the Sun-Gazette asks somebody in the area, "What's on your mind?" If you have a topic you would like to share, send an email to Alyssa Murphy at amurphy @sungazette.com; Savannah Dempsey at sbarr@sungazette.com; or Philip A. Holmes at pholmes@sungazette.com.)
"There are two columns of movies," Erik Ireland, of Forksville, said. "The ones that make you think and the ones that entertain you."
Originally from Presque Isle, Maine, he watches about six movies a month, whether at a movie theater or online.
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Erik Ireland
Of the two types of movies, Ireland watches about three thought-provoking movies for every entertaining movie he sees.
One of the thought-provoking movies he has seen is "The Tree of Life," which focuses on a Texan family in 1956, where the eldest son finds seeks answers to the origins and meaning of life.
"It's a beautifully shot film," Ireland said. "Very nice."
The movie starts with cells dividing and gradually gets larger, like an ecosystem. Something that is so small and only can be seen through a microscope, such as a rotating electron, is the same as how galaxies rotate, he said.
"It's the complexities of life," Ireland said. "It's quite something."
When he was a student, movie going was more of a social activity he did with friends, mostly seeing the hit blockbuster movies at the time.
"We hardly went to 'message' movies," Ireland said. "I couldn't convince the crowd."
Now that he is out of college, he can view the movies he wants to see, but usually on his own.
Another benefit to being out of college is not having to worry about the cost of seeing movies when they come out, which he said can cost around $9. Having a job takes away the financial problem of movies.
It is not always the thought-provoking movies that make it to local movie theaters, but with technology, he can research and find the movies he wants to see online.
"Five years ago, 10 years ago, that would have been a problem," Ireland said.
