Cried my eyes out while watching The Lucky One
By courtknee525
@courtknee525 (3742)
United States
September 17, 2012 5:38pm CST
Last weekend I rented The Lucky One on my tv's on-demand feature. I watched it alone because I didn't think my boyfriend would watch it with me while he's here..lol turns out I was wrong because he was sad I watched it without him because it was something he wanted to watch with me. I should've known he would want to see it..he's the one that had the idea of watching Dear John, The Notebook, and The Vow together lol.
So anyways, I started this movie and within minutes tears were rolling down my face. The first 10 minutes take place in Iraq and the main character is in the Marines. He has a few close calls and when he comes home he has post traumatic stress and is really jumpy and freaks out when he hears gunshots in a video game. Seeing all that just made me feel for our military, and especially since my boyfriend is in the army, I thought of him the entire time and I thought of how sad and scared I'd be if he ever was under enemy fire, God forbid. So right from the start the movie had a wreck and as it slowly went on I saw my boyfriend in the main character so much. There would be times when they would kiss and I'd see the same gentle look my boyfriend gets and the same soft look in his eyes.
I guess I was just really missing him and watching a movie about the military didn't help much. While watching that movie all I wanted to do was be able to talk to my boyfriend because I was just so sad. I told him about the movie and he looked up the trailer on his phone and said he wanted to watch it with me when he comes home. I think the next time I see it when I watch it with him I won't be as sad because if I do end up getting sad, I'll have him there with me to make me feel better.
2 people like this
5 responses
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
18 Sep 12
I can't watch movies like that. My ex has PTSD, my est friends husband has it as well, and we know people with issues just from going through basic training. I just get mad at messed up the training system is, how bad the military health care system is and how people are willing to sacrifice and just get spit on when injured,
1 person likes this
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
18 Sep 12
I had no idea that the character would have PTSD, I probably wouldn't have wanted to watch it if I knew ahead of time. It just made me realize all over again what my boyfriend could be exposed to and it also made me hurt for those who have already gone through it and are suffering.
Whenever I see anything involving the aftermath of being in the military, it's like my heart is being squeezed, it just makes me so sad. ONe time I was watching Private Practice and one of the patients was depressed and it turns out he was raped by a sergeant in the army. This was before my boyfriend left so of course many thoughts raced through my head. And actually, what scares me even more is that a few weeks ago a guy in my boyfriend's platoon was raped by another guy. Luckily the guy was arrested and kicked out of the army.
But it really is sad to know what our military goes through and I've become a lot more aware of things since my boyfriend joined. I'm a psych major so even before my bf even thought of joining I've always been interested in PTSD and I've done a lot of papers on it. I know a Vietnam veteran who suffers from it and it's just sad to think of what happens when wars are over and our military comes home. It's like they work so hard to save us and our country but then there's no one to save them. Even though my boyfriend is doing well, I still make sure I'm supportive and act kind of like his escape from the military world when he talks on the phone. I try to steer our convos away from military and just talk about everyday things and I try to make him laugh so he's not so stressed. I know how tough it can be and I try my best to make things a little easier for him.
1 person likes this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
19 Sep 12
Problem is - especially in the Marines it seems - the quality of people has just gone down. Since recruiters for the longest time had to meet really high numbers they were taking anyone. One of the recruiters my husband spoke with about 2 years before he enlisted admitted to camping out at the court house and cutting deals for kids who should have gone to jail, but could enlist instead. I wish I could remember the exact number, but last year a report was released in the Army Times regarding waivers being on the rise. A very high percentage of waivers to get into service were crime related. I remember when my ex was in the first time (he got out in early 2001) there was a problem with gangs with gangs and hate crimes in the Army. There a all of these rules and regs, people do not adhere to them and will push their limits with the lower enlisted who are totally clueless. If I had a dollar for every time my husband had to fight for something and was told no until he pulled up the regulation, I would be rich. Even the people who should know the rules and regs do not. if they do, many choose to ignore them unless they work in their favor. Fhere are some really good, solid people in the military, but I really believe they are the exception, not the rule
1 person likes this
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
20 Sep 12
Oh wow, I had always thought of the military as being kind of like an elite group and the people had to have clean records and be decent people. I feel like sometimes they choose to follow rules and other times they try to just bypass them. Before leaving for basic, my boyfriend had a few speeding tickets that he had to get dismissed. His recruiter was pretty upset and almost didn't let him leave. Then another time, he was real strict on the rules too. In order to go up a rank before leaving for basic, my boyfriend did all these online army classes and went to physical training every week for months. I helped him pass all the online tests and he passed all of his physical tests but on the final one he missed the sit-ups only by 1. Everything else he passed but the sergeant wouldn't promote him because of one situp.
After reading what you said, it hardly seems fair to let criminals join the military yet give a hard time to a kid who has a speeding ticket and misses a promotion by one sit-up. I also find that the people in charge will often tell him one thing but then it ends up changing the last minute.
He's supposed to come home next week but as of now he still has no clue how long he'll be here for and when he has to report to Korea. I'm starting to see the military pretty much owns you while you're in and you have to do whatever they want you to do. I might have to start informing myself about rules and regulations just in case something ever happens and I could help my boyfriend out. I don't want them screwing him over for anything
1 person likes this
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
18 Sep 12
I haven't seen the movie but I have read the book. If you've read the book can you tell me if the movie is anything at all like the book?
With that said, I do have to say that I've never really been close to anyone that is/was currently in the military so that has not been something that I've ever really had to deal with. However, I do know that several of my uncles were in the Vietnam war and they did suffer some severe effects from traumatic events that happened while they were in the military.
1 person likes this
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
19 Sep 12
I haven't read the book yet :( I had really wanted to read it before I watched the movie, I hate watching the movie and then going back and reading the book. Today I was in Wal-mart and I almost bought the book but I ended up not getting it :(
I'll most likely read it once my boyfriend gets deployed to Korea and I'll need to keep busy. So far I'm keeping a little list of tv series I'll watch and books I want to read while he's away
1 person likes this
@shaggin (72116)
• United States
9 Dec 12
Oh boy if my boyfriend was in the military I dont think I could watch a movie like that it would scare me and make me worry more. Being a widow and watching this movie makes it hard for me. I didnt realize it was going to be so sad. It was an amazing movie though and I'm glad I watched it. I only watch movies alone if they are going to be sad because I dont like people seeing me cry.
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
13 Dec 12
Having a boyfriend in the military definitely made this movie even more sad for me. Being away from him is really hard and there were parts of the main character that just really reminded me of him and made me sad that he wasn't with me. He ended up visiting a few weeks later and he wanted to watch that movie with me
@freymind (1351)
• Philippines
18 Sep 12
Only the people with military relatives or loved ones could feel this movie. My hubby saw this movie and he was moved and touched by the story.
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
18 Sep 12
I think that those with loved ones in the military experience this movie in a totally different way. Before my bf even joined the army we would watch Dear John together. I always liked the story but after he joined, my view completely changed and when I watch this movie now I cry because I just see myself in this movie when John has to leave or has to write letters. I think people can feel sad or touched by military stories like that but you don't truly understand the whole thing unless you've been with someone in the military as well because you know exactly how they feel. Friends are always trying to make me feel better about my boyfriend being away and I appreciate it but sometimes they really don't understand :( Luckily I have a really close friend who's fiance is also in the army and so she knows exactly what I'm going through just like I know exactly what she's going through. Sometimes we both realize that there's nothing to say to make the other feel better, so we just have to do something fun to sort of take our minds off it for a little while.
1 person likes this
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
18 Sep 12
Our soldiers really sacrifice a lot for our country. And even though they show how brave they are in facing a war, still deep in their heart they are afraid not only for themselves but for the families that they left.
