The Ice Storm

Hey do you guys remember that movie, The Ice storm? It was great, I mean I know it didn't do well in the box office, but I thought it was really poignant. Remember when the dad comes home, and no one even realizes he was gone? That scene really stuck with me.

I remember when I first watched that movie. I was 18 and it was winter of 2000. Someone had rented the DVD. It was really cold and I remember my friends and I were all huddled up together under this ratty old blanket in the basement. I went upstairs to make some popcorn. None of the lights were on and there was only this cool gray light coming in from the blizzard outside. I heard a creak from the basement stairs and then I saw that this girl I had a crush on had followed me up.

I was a little nervous. Neither of us were wearing shoes and I could feel the icy tile under my feet through my socks. We made small talk and hugged ourselves, shivering in the cold, listening to the rhythmic popping. We talked about the movie for a little bit and I remember I made some joke about how I thought it was going to be an action flick. As I went to go take the popcorn out, and she grabbed my arm and said “Wait. Just wait a second.” I never told her this, but that was my first kiss.

Do you have any stories about the first time you watched The Ice Storm?
Maybe you can just retell some stories from the film?

The Ice Storm

We here at FunBox feel for all those trapped in the bitter Ice Storms plaguing the Midwest and would like to dedicate this entry to them. Irony abounds in the fact that those who actually are victims of the storm won’t be able to read this blog because none of them have power. But for the rest of you out there who are still basking in the warm glow and gentle buzz of electricity, enjoy (you might want to open a window and let some cold air in as a show of solidarity).

One winter when I was ten years old, my family had gone out to get groceries, but sometime during the hour or so, a storm hit. Our trip back home became a struggle. Everything was starting to turn to ice, the rain freezing as it hit the ground. It was a grueling one mile per hour race to safety. The last couple turns were especially scary as the car began to fishtail. Well scary for my parents, my sister and I were thrilled… thrilled to death! After what seemed like way to long , we finally made it home. The next challenge loomed before us: getting up the driveway.

I had never thought of our driveway as steep until that day. Things that normally don’t seem that daunting become so when covered in a thick layer of ice. As the tires spun around in vain, my father realized that his first attempt was not going to work. He made all of us pile out into the cold to try again without us holding him back (this is the same argument he would use later after the divorce), but still no luck. His eyes passed over my sister and I considering if our tiny arms would be good for pushing. Thankfully I was a small child and he resigned to park on the street like a commoner.

With the driveway clear we began our slippery ascent. My footing failed and since we had began the climb without the proper tethering equipment, I quickly slipped down the slope. Revelation! Sliding down something is fun! The rest of the day was spent using the doormat as a bobsled while my parents sat inside quietly waiting for the pipes to freeze.

What's your best storm story? (Note: people retelling scenes from the film The Ice Storm will be removed.)