Barefoot in the Park

Of all the romantic comedies I have seen, Barefoot in the Park, is the one movie that connects so much with me. I love the writing, the acting, and the scenes. More than those, I love the characters. 

Corrie and Paul Bratter are newly weds. Corrie is an eccentric, free spirited, dramatic, all or nothing girl. She loves to walk barefoot in the park, loves to experience new people and things, and loves to be wildly in love. Paul is a logical, sarcastic, organized, uptight,  and motivated guy. They have a quick engagement and fall deeply in love. When they get married they don't know what it really means to be married. They have a need for each other that they can't understand, but haven't learned to respect each other or to fight for their love. At the first sign of trouble, when their differences loose appeal and become an issue, they give up. 

I remembering watching the movie years ago, when things were not going well in our marriage and I wanted to give up, and I was thinking how nice it would be to have that happy ending. It seemed so impossible and unlikely, but a small piece of me still glimmered with hope.

When my hubby and I had a similar story... actually almost exactly what they were like. When we were engaged I would make him run through the sprinklers at night. I would dance in the rain. He was a little quieter. He would plan and dream about the things he wanted to accomplish. We were complete opposites. The things that had once drawn us so closely to each other, like a drug, ended up pulling us apart. The drama and the tension would build. Arguments would escalate and became wounds that took a long time for both of us to heal from. As a counselor once said to us, "You must remember that the things that drive you crazy were the things that made you fall in love with each other." It took several years to learn how to appreciate each other for who they are. We bring out the best in each other. I bring him out of his shell and get him to experience new things, and he help me to stay controlled and more focused. In being opposites, there can be this heated passion that can easily become unhealthy if not maintained. We also had to grow and mature, in Christ. We are learning to control our tongues, to be self sacrificial, to love in a godly way (not a worldly way). 

Sitting down and watching this movie several years later, I am finding a new connection to it. We are on the other side of it. We have and are continuing to create our happy ending. Sometimes it can be difficult but it is never boring. 

"Even when I didn't like you, I loved you."- Paul Bratter, Barefoot in the Park


What's you favorite chick flick? Why do you love it?