# Going to the Movies Alone **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 26, 2001, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798 "2001-10-26T16:25:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/21 "2001-10-27T00:46:03Z")
Being as I am a single female, I go to a lot of movies by myself. Sometimes when family is visiting, I’ll go to a movie with them. I go alone for the reasons listed above, but also because I like to see a variety of movies and I’ve seen some that I even questioned later on. The last movie I saw was “The Last Castle” with Robert Redford. Sweet Baby Jesus, that man is still as handsome as ever. I might have to see that movie again; even though I didn’t really like the movie without Robert Redford. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/22 "2001-10-27T00:50:32Z")
I don’t mind going to the movies alone. Mr. Grace won’t go without me so sometimes I’m forced to see movies that I don’t really want to see. Once I went to the movies with a friend of mine and we were the only people in the entire theater until a man came in by himself. I invited him to sit with us and he did! We had a great time. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/23 "2001-10-27T01:00:35Z")
I always go alone, mostly due to not having anybody to invite. Since I always see the first afternoon showing, once or twice I was even the only person in the theater! Kind of takes a lot away from the experience, not having audience reaction around you. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/24 "2001-10-27T01:42:47Z")
I almost always go alone. But I live with my 87 year old grandmother who’s house bound and all my family is far away and I don’t really have any friends being a loner. Although I do enjoy myself. When I do go it’s always a spur of the moment kind of thing. If it’s a really good movie I’ll then take my mom, watch it a second time (on her tab) and then we discuss it afterwards. P.S. If you’re really ashamed to go alone you can take a notepad and pen and pretend to be a movie critic. If you do that you can then write your own critques and save them on your computer to read years later, which is neat. ---
**Author:** ![bafaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@bafaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bafaa)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/25 "2001-10-27T01:58:44Z")
I go alone all the time but only to matinees because there are no crowds. If I’m lucky I sometimes get the whole place to myself which is great! ---
**Author:** ![spheric\_thor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@spheric\_thor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spheric_thor)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/26 "2001-10-27T02:14:08Z")
I pretty much have went by myself for the last 2 years.Ahhh the lonliness of being single.Atleast i get to sit up front with both armreasts.Plus i can actually make it to a movie on time. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/27 "2001-10-27T02:28:01Z")
I almost always go alone. I’ve never noticed anyone pointing and whispering. It didn’t occur to me that anyone would. I can’t imagine anyone cares about harmless lil’ ol’ me and my moviegoing habits. I eat alone in a nice restaurant afterwards, too. I bring a book. Never noticed that anyone cared there, either. In fact, I usually get seated faster, and walk right past those groups of three or four. ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/28 "2001-10-27T02:48:59Z")
I used to go alone often, but not so much anymore since I got married. Once, I was actually the only person in the entire theatre because it was a mid-afternoon matinee during the middle of the week, and the movie had already been out for awhile. I didn’t like that because the movie was a comedy (_Hot Shots_) and I felt I missed out on the audience reaction thing. ---
**Author:** ![DarkWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee59a6/32.png) [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/29 "2001-10-27T04:19:13Z")
I enjoy going to movies alone sometimes, usually horror movies. Sometimes there’s a movie I badly want to see, but we can’t get a sitter. If hubby isn’t as keen on seeing it, he doesn’t mind if I go out alone to see it. Plus it’s nice to have complete solitude sometimes, when you’re with kids 24/7. Sheri ---
**Author:** ![JessEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cdc98d/32.png) [@JessEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessEnigma)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/30 "2001-10-27T05:57:07Z")
I go alone to quite a few movies. I don’t have a boyfriend and it can be difficult to get friends together to catch a movie. I don’t mind going alone, though it is more fun to have someone to talk with before the movie starts. I’m glad my local theaters started playing music and showing those interesting factoids before movies. Now I don’t have to bring a book and desperately hunt for light to see by. My parents, especially my mom, used to worry when I went to movies by myself. (I don’t think my mom quite got the whole solitary entertainment concept.), but they’re over it now. jessica ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/31 "2001-10-27T07:18:28Z")
Done it a couple times, didn’t think too much of it. But as for eating, I _hate_ eating in any kind of public place (mall food court, fast food joint, college dining hall) by myself. If I can’t eat with someone I _have_ to be reading something. I’ve purchased magazines at the mall right before eating solely for this purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Drake\_Christensen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/96bed5/32.png) [@Drake\_Christensen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drake_Christensen)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/32 "2001-10-27T11:12:29Z")
I used to go to movies by myself fairly regularly. Kind of got out of the habit. When I’m with friends I rarely notice loners, so I figure most other people ignore me, too. As for resteraunts, I carry my geek box (Palm PDA) with me all the time, so I often skim the news or play a game while waiting for my food. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/33 "2001-10-27T12:15:47Z")
I always eat alone, but most restaurant tables are too small to put the book beside my plate so I can read as I eat. Usually finish my meal in ten minutes or less anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Kbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Kbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kbean)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/34 "2001-10-27T15:53:54Z")
I almost always go by myself. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798/35 "2001-10-27T23:36:37Z")
When I was still on the sauce, I used to go to films alone all the time, bring in something to drink, and slowly get wasted while watching it. If I went in the middle of the afternoon, there were usually hardly any people there, other than some seniors, so it wasn’t an issue. I always found this more fun because I could be 100% spontaneous, and not have to justify movie choices. If I saw a film which I hated, I could just laugh about it, and think “Oh well, it was only a few dollars”. I got to see lots of kids movies this way which friends would have thought were too stupid, and also see movies I especially enjoyed multiple times (eg Shreck; The Dish). Since I stopped imbibing, I haven’t gone on my own, and I think it would feel a bit lonely. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-to-the-movies-alone/89798.md?page=1)