Diamond Author
Parks are places where people can spend their time in slow motion. A stop at a park bench invites us to take time to wait, to observe, to talk. The enchanting character of park benches enables them to be the place for meetings and for exchange. This characteristic has made them wonderful props in motion pictures.
Consider these movie scenes that take place on park benches:
• In Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks opens with his character sitting on one of the park benches at a Savannah, Georgia bus stop. He ends up telling the story of his life to an assortment of people waiting for buses. And from this bench, Forrest realizes that Jenny, the love of his life, is mere blocks away, and he heads off to knock on her door.
• In Good Will Hunting, while sitting on one of the park benches in the Boston Common, Robin Williams explains to Matt Damon how the love of woman can affect a man for the rest of his life.
• In Notting Hill, a pivotal point in the movie comes when book store owner Hugh Grant walks through his neighborhood with movie star Julia Roberts. Julia Roberts' character breaks the rules about the private communal gardens and climbs the gate to trespass across the leafy square. She is particularly moved by one of the park benches that surround the lawn-the back of the bench was inscribed with a memorial to a wife from her husband. At the end of the movie, she and her husband are seen in midday lounging on that very bench.
• In Maid in Manhattan, Jennifer Lopez walks into Central Park with Ralph Fiennes. It's a case of mistaken identity-she's a hotel maid caught surreptitiously wearing designer outfits belonging to a guest, and he's a high-profile political candidate who is captivated by her. When they take a break on one of Central Park's thousands of park benches, she spreads out a newspaper showing a photo of her new love interest on the seat in an effort to protect the pricey outfit she shouldn't be wearing.
• In Finding Neverland, Johnny Depp, as the writer James Barrie and Freddy Highmore, as the young boy who inspired his character Peter Pan, sit together on a bench in a London park. The writer consoles the boy after his mother died. Their conversation encourages the youngster to keep his mother alive in his memory using his powerful imagination.
• In The Bourne Identify, Matt Damon is sleeping on a park bench when he is roused from his sleep by a pair of police officers. Although he is suffering from amnesia and doesn't know why he is there, Damon's character Jason Bourne allows his espionage training to kick in. He pulls a gun, disarms the police officers, and takes off to avoid possible detainment.
• In Manhattan, Woody Allen and Diane Keaton "canoodle" on one of the park benches in Sutton Place Park while overlooking the Queensborough Bridge.
• In Barefoot in the Park, young bride Jane Fonda searches for her husband Robert Redford throughout Central Park on a chilly winter morning. She finds him barefoot and drunk, passed out behind a park bench. Their roles then reverse-she's sensible and tries to convince him that he needs to get home, and he's rowdy and wants to walk barefoot in the park.
• In You've Got Mail, online friends Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks finally meet-as romantic hopefuls, rather than business competitors--near a bench in Riverside Park.
A park bench invites us to slow down, to reflect, to engage. Its gentle magic hasn't been lost in the movies.
About this Author
Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of numerous niche online stores that offer customers not only products, but information relating to furnishing and decorating indoor and outdoor living spaces. Whether you want to renew your deck or patio with teak furniture or create the ultimate living environment with an indoor bench that is perfect for entertaining, there is a lot of helpful advice to take advantage of to make it happen. Click today and indulge your senses.
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