Meet Cute

60 seconds -- Zoe

Standing in line at the ticket counter, Zoe's thoughts traveled back to the many evenings watching black and white movies with her Grandad. He was always amazed that she, a true Gen-Zer in every way, felt such a connection to the old films. Over their shared popcorn, he often told her how they felt more "crisp" and "real" than today's options. He introduced her to the stories, taught her about old Hollywood actors and actresses, and shared memories of the movie houses of his younger days.

Their favorite movie was "It Happened One Night" starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. They must have watched it twenty times together--the first time when Zoe was 8 and her Grandad deemed her mature enough to appreciate the romance between the characters.

And tonight? The movie capped off the Lyric Theatre's 1930s film festival. She came alone, venturing out for the first time to a theatre since her grandfather's death a month ago.

60 seconds -- James

He couldn't believe--and neither had his professor--that he'd never seen "It Happened One Night." As an assignment for the last Film Studies class of his college career, James and other students had been given the assignment to find three movies they "should have seen already."

He now stood in line to get his ticket, excited to see the movie that Professor Watts called the finest of romantic comedies.

Not that James was into romance these days. His girlfriend since freshman year had broken up with him two months ago, and while his friends kept encouraging him to go out with them, he didn't want to put forth the effort.

He laughed, thinking that he might just become a confirmed bachelor. He could sit in his sweat pants all weekend and watch science fiction movies (if they were in black and white, even better).

30 seconds - - Zoe

The line was creeping along steadily, and Zoe took a few seconds to look at the crowd around her. It was a good mix of people her grandfather's age and young people like herself; the Lyric was a perfect blend of old-world nostalgia and trendy nightspot.

She turned behind her to see a guy her age reading a brochure about the film festival. He studied it, his eyebrows furrowed, then looked up briefly and caught her eye. She liked his disheveled look--like he cared, but not too much.

30 seconds -- James

He'd never been to the Lyric before, but its brochure piqued his interest; there was an upcoming symposium on mid-century B-movies, and he stored it in his mental calendar.

He folded the brochure and looked up to see a girl directly in front of him in line. She pushed her sleek black hair behind her ears, a look of concentration on her face.

They both inched forward, reaching the front of the line.

20 seconds-- Zoe

She pulled out the cash she'd put in her back pocket, ready to pay for her ticket.

"Are you two together?" the ticket cashier asked, pointing to a poster above him. It showed a couple in profile, sharing a box of popcorn.

"Friday Night Special: First 10 Couples Get in Free" it proclaimed.

"Ya'll are number 10," the teenage cashier said.

Zoe looked back to the cute, disheveled guy.

"Want to be my boyfriend for the night?"

20 seconds -- James

He'd reached the front of the line, and both the cashier and the girl were looking at him expectantly. The girl laughed a little awkwardly, and pointed at a promotional sign.

His professor would love it; the theatre was really getting into the spirit of the romantic comedy.

"Want to be my boyfriend for the night?"

That wasn't a question you heard every day, and James laughed at it.

0 seconds --

James: "A girlfriend and a free movie. Why not?"

Zoe: "Great. Popcorn's on me, though."