A couple nights ago, S and I were watching one of the X-men movies, and as Patrick Stewart stood up, I commented, “He is so graceful and elegant. He could be a dancer.” And then, because bourbon had come to visit, I made S stand up so that I could perfect his port de bras in second position. This, by the way, was hysterically funny to watch, as S, like most guys, isn’t exactly the most graceful fellow, and his shoulders were practically making out with his ears. Anyway, the next day, S, for no real reason, Googled Patrick Stewart* and discovered that he was in a movie called Match, which is in limited release in theatres now, and which was playing in Raleigh through today. Patrick Stewart plays an ex-ballet dancer. So we grabbed tickets for the second to last show, and I played hooky from work today and we went to see it. There are several scenes that revolve around standing in second position and letting life wash over you, including one where Patrick Stewart is showing a non-dancer how to hold her arms perfectly, basically reenacting the scene that S and I played out the other night. Yes, universe? I’m listening.

This movie was, what’s the word? Stunning. Riveting. Perfection. The acting was, what’s the word? Stunning. Riveting. Perfection. The script was, what’s the word? I think you already know the answer to that. This is the best movie I’ve seen in ages. Truly honest, and human, and funny, and heartbreaking. It embraced our flaws and hoped for more. It celebrated connection. It was art on a screen. And when my dad dies, I want Patrick Stewart to be my new dad. My Oscar winning new dad. Get thee to a theatre and see this movie. Now. I’ll wait.

* which reminds me, how fucked up is it that when you start typing Patrick Stewart into Google, Patrick Schwarzenegger is the first suggestion. Are more people really Googling him than Patrick Stewart, or hell, even Patrick Swayze? That’s wrong, people, just wrong. I’m adding Patrick Schwarzenegger to the tags of this post so that maybe some poor, lost soul will stumble across this blog and I can educate them on someone really worth knowing about.