Movie & a Hockey Game? Sure!

Our local minor league hockey club is honoring its all-decade team. The film making industry is relatively new in town, but already we've rubbed elbows with international superstars. These seemingly unrelated and unlikely circumstances will merge this weekend. The people making a movie starring Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Tom Cruise's wife are looking for local extras, so they will sign you up at the hockey game Saturday night.

Isn't this bizarre? Think about it. We have a hockey team drawing overflow crowds to a magnificent riverfront arena. Also, we see faces around town which are instantly recognizable anywhere in the civilized world. When Cruise, who has proven to be kind of a nut job, decides he needs to keep an eye on his wife while she's making a movie, Shreveport gets attention in print all over the world. Katie's coming to Shreveport and Tom plans to be on the set every day! Whether you think that's a big deal or not, it simply is just because it has generated so much buzz. This movie thing is really taking off. I guess the big question now is whether it will grow roots.

From my personal experience, I can illustrate how we seem to have grown accustomed to having these big productions around. My daughter is involved in an activity that takes her to a downtown facility every Tuesday evening. We have decided that, since she's out anyway, we will go out to dinner on Tuesday nights. A couple of weeks ago, we had chosen a restaurant and I was planning to meet everyone there. I arrived a little early, but couldn't find a place to park.

I called my wife and said, "Hey, they're making a movie over here and the crew has taken up all the parking. Let's choose another restaurant." We did.

A few minutes later, it hit me. I said that matter-of-factly and she responded routinely. They're making a movie and we just blinked at it.

Last Saturday night, we went out with another couple. In discussing our plans, I suggested dinner followed by a hockey game. That's what we did. In Bossier City, Louisiana we joined seven thousand other people at a hockey game and didn't think anything of it. We just had fun.

Tonight, I think we'll have dinner downtown and go to the comedy club.

Things are changing around here. Maybe our cities finally are waking up.

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