Dream Diary: Classic Movie

OK, this dream took place mostly entirely in black and white. The impression I am getting is that I am watching a classic film that I never really cared for, something that everyone says is brilliant, but that I, for one reason or another, never ended up watching all the way through.

So I'm watching the action of the movie happen all around me, I'm not sitting in a theatre, or watching it on television, it's just happening around me. Kind of like the idea in Pleasantville, actually. Except that I am definitely an observer of pre-destined actions rather than the main participant.

Not sure what movie plot I was actually dreaming about. It involved a young lady and a young man who seem to accidentally come to be in a relationship both are hesitant about, but they both attempt to make a great deal of importance out of the courtship, seemingly because they want to impress older relatives, or show them up, in the case of the young man, to show that he's made something of himself by being able to buy this young lady expensive gifts and take her on trips around the world.

The young lady is also living with a middle-aged man and some children. I think she is employed as a nanny or teacher to the kids. Whenever the wife isn't in the house, she sits at the dinner table with the rest of the family, and looks very happy. But when the wife is at the table, she young lady (no one has names) only appears to be a servant, bringing food to the table, and then not knowing what to do with herself.

I miss the plot climax of the movie because I go to the video store to look at other movies to rent. This part takes place in colour. The store has one shelf of dusty videos I've never heard of, and two obnoxious comic-book D&D type kids complaining that the store clerk doesn't like them. So I say 'screw this' and go back to the movie I was watching.

When I get back, I'm sitting at a table in a fancy restaurant with the young lady. She is explaining how relieved she is that this whole misguided story is finishing up, and I look over and notice the young man talking to someone else at the next table. Then the woman leans in and whispers to me (the observer) "see, in this scene we never actually speak to each other." and I think "wow, that's an interesting technique, especially for such an old film." I say "what are you going to do with the fancy ring he bought you." and she says "Well, he doesn't want it back, and it's not much good to me to wear, would look too out of place. Perhaps I'll sell it and use the money to go to school myself and not have to wait for the next dashing young man to come along and want to marry, that doesn't seem to work out as well as I'd like."

And I still wish that I had seen the plot's turning point. Sounds like it would have been a good movie.