Our intention was to arrive well in advance of the 4:30 showing in order to insure optimal seating. We ended up arriving a mere 10 minutes before the film was to start. I rushed to the box office and said "Fandango". The cashier took my credit card, swiped it and the machine cranked out 4 tickets. An amazing transaction that took 10 seconds and one single word. Moments later the gate-guard tore our tickets while adding an additional word: "Seventeen", accompanied by a gesture directed down the hall.
We rushed down the empty hall and into the door marked seventeen. It was equally empty. Finding a good seat was not difficult given that only 20 of the 600 seats were filled. Five minutes later, the number of newcomers could be counted on one hand and I began to second guess myself. This theater should be full. Did Fandango issued the wrong tickets? Did I purchase tickets for the wrong movie? I rummaged around in my pocket for a ticket stub and this is what I found:
Panic flooded my veins. I just paid good money to bring my wife kids to an R-Rated movie auspiciously titled "The Passion of Chris". Worst-case scenarios passed before my eyes. I decided we needed to leave the theater but before I could act, the lights dimmed and the pre-feature festivities began. The previews did very little to allay my fears; but it all turned out just fine. We actually were in the correct empty theater.
Final Notes: As we exited the theater, the line for the next showing trailed down the hall and completely encircled the snack bar. I am not sure if all those in line actually made it into the theater. I highly recommend the 4:30pm showing for cheaper tickets and seating flexibility. My kids handled the movie just as I expected them to. All of us were greatly moved by this portrayal of the sacrifice of Jesus.
