It’s my husband’s turn to pick a movie for our weekly movie date night (at home). He has an incredibly short attention span, so he usually goes for action movies or raunchy comedies.

Husband: “Let’s watch [Fantasy Movie].”

Me: “…Really?”

Husband: “Yeah. Don’t you like it?”

It’s one of my favorite books adapted to a three-hour movie.

Me: “Yeah, but you don’t.”

Husband: “No, I do! Remember there’s the dragon and the mountain trolls, and they want to eat everyone and—”

Me: “—and you fell asleep at the midnight screening five years ago.”

Husband: “That doesn’t count. It was midnight.”

Me: “And you’ve fallen asleep or lost interest about halfway through every time we tried to watch it since.”

Husband: “No, I do like it. I want to watch again.”

Me: “Okay…”

We are about halfway through the movie – nearly the exact same moment he fell asleep during the midnight premiere and every other time we have tried to watch this movie – when I look over and see [Husband] staring at the TV with a blank expression, his head propped up in his hand.

Me: “You bored?”

Husband: “Nope.”

Me: “You lying?”

Husband: “Yup.”

Me: “Okay, let’s pick—”

Husband: “—Thank you! I have been checked out for at least half an hour, but I didn’t want to say anything.”

We switched to something more his speed, and though I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first movie, it was [Husband]’s turn to pick. Fast forward to 2025 (a little under ten years after this), and it’s time for our weekly movie date night again.

Husband: “We haven’t watched [Fantasy Movie] in a long time!”

Me: “I know…”