Hugh Grant, Britain's beloved actor, was furious on Tuesday after learning his local cinema was set to close.
“94 year old Fulham Road cinema closing. Bizarrely unbearable,” Grant told his followers in a social media post. “Let's all sit at home and watch 'content' on 'streaming'. Scrolling. Miserable face emoji.” I hate to say it but that's exactly what's happening… and it's a big problem.
Consider the fiasco of the first film in Kevin Costner's Horizon: An American Saga series. The film cost an estimated $100 million to make, $38 million of which was Costner's own money. It grossed just $11 million in its opening weekend. The film will be released on a streaming service in the future, and the release of the sequel has been postponed.
Fulham Road Cinema closes after 94 years. Bizarrely unbearable. Let's all sit at home and watch “content” on “streaming”. Scrolling. Sad face emoji. pic.twitter.com/NY2jo9R7TO
— Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) July 9, 2024
When your local cinema closes in the US, it doesn't sound like a big deal, but in perpetually rainy Britain, your only two entertainment options (except for Indian takeaway) are the pub or the cinema.
Sure, pubs allow kids in, but cinemas are still part of family traditions. Cinemas are a third place where friends and family can come together and share something other than Indian takeaways. The loss of these spaces means more and more of us will resort to doom-scrolling. And the more we scroll, the more our “miserable faces” grow.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – FEBRUARY 18: Hugh Grant and Anna Elisabeth Eberstein attend the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall on February 18, 2024 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
IMOLA, ITALY – MAY 19: Actor Hugh Grant on the grid during the Emilia Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit in Imola, Italy on May 19, 2024. (Photo by Kim Illman/Getty Images)
British actor Hugh Grant arrives at the US premiere of the film “Wonka” at the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, California on December 10, 2023. (Photo by Michael Tran/AFP) (Photo by Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images)
I don't know about you, but for me, it's always great to have a day where I can put my phone away and be in a non-digital reality. I love binge-watching just like the next person, but it's never fun if the person sitting next to you is busy reading Twitter while you're trying to indulge in some escapism. (Related article: Stop thinking you're safe. How easy it is for nations and civilizations to collapse.)
For these reasons, and perhaps more, it is hard to argue with Grant's very British view of this very British issue.
