Shared viewing experience

Tonight while watching tele with my parents it dawned on me just how important shared viewing experiences are. Every Sunday me and my parents gather together and watch Strictly Come Dancing from Saturday night before the results show. We all sit there getting frustrated when our favourite dancers don't do as well as we want, or don't get the marks we want. Sometimes we agree and sometimes we don't but what it does mean is we all sit there passionately watching and usually having some kind of debate about why one is better than another. I look forward to these Sunday viewings more than you can imagine, because it is something that we share together. Silly programmes that we can have such different views on, debate but enjoy so immensely, help us grow and bond as a family. These shared viewing experiences are important, yesterday we watched the new Hunger Games, today we've discussed it multiple times, the bits we liked, loathed, loved and disliked. Watching films and programmes together is so much more than sitting in front of the television; its about having an inside joke from a film or an opinion about the story line to discuss later.

Burlesque (Steve Antin, 2010)

I have watched this film more times then I could possibly count, way over 50 times I reckon. I never ever get bored, every single time my favourite part of film gives me goosebumps and every time I sing along to every word of every song. Some film theorists would say that this is all because of escapism. I watch the film often to escape into the world I like in it, that I am envious of the characters and I want to be them. This was brought up briefly last year in one of lectures, and I still wonder if it's true. Do I watch it because I want to be Ali? She is certainly an amazing character, courageous and sexy with a fantastic personality, but am I really jealous and envious? Personally I'm not sure I'm convinced.
So why do I watch it over and over again, is it because when I first watched it I was happy with my mum and sister and the film reminds me of that? Is it because watching the film that really is very different to my life is intriguing? Is it because I am escaping into the film so I'm not in my real life thinking about my job? Or is it simply because I love the songs, the actors, and the story?

I say all of this because I really am not sure I know the answer myself, I have about three films that I repeat view A LOT and it really does intrigue me the reason why, why these three films? The answer why... Well who knows.