I was in limbo during the summer of 1984. My mom had taken a job in Green Bay, and as soon as our house in Appleton sold, we would be moving. It was only 30 miles, but at the time, it felt like we were moving to another continent.
There wasn't a lot of fanfare when The Karate Kid came out that June. I can still vividly remember the first time I heard about it. I was playing Dig Dug at Open Pantry. The kids next to me were playing Joust, and they were talking about this great movie they'd seen, The Karate Kid.
I'm not going to lie, I was obsessed with The Karate Kid that summer and fall. I'm not even sure how many times I saw it in the theater, but it was a lot. It got to the point where my friends started greeting me by asking when I was going to see it again. The Karate Kid wasn't just a movie for me, it was like a sign of things to come. I had no doubt in my mind that a bunch of thugs would routinely attack me upon my arrival in Green Bay. I wasn't very familiar with the demographics of Green Bay, but I was sure there had to be at least one old Japanese guy who could train me in martial arts. Thankfully, I fared a lot better than Daniel LaRusso when we finally moved. I know it sounds ridiculous, but The Karate Kid helped me make the transition, and for that, it remains one of my all-time favorites.
I've watched all the movies with the girls, well, the first three anyway, sorry Hilary Swank. I'm proud to say they love The Karate Kid as much as Dad. Not much makes me happier than watching the girls do the crane. Sharing The Karate Kid with the girls is one of those things that makes being a Dad special.
I loved the Karate Kid, I am sure you would be able to bust out some Karate moves after seeing this movie so many times.
ReplyDeleteI loved that movie! And I refuse to see the remake. Ralph Macchio will always be the Karate Kid. :)
ReplyDeleteI love that movie. I watched the new one too, but the old one is epic!
ReplyDeleteThe Lion King and Finding Nemo are the special movies I watch with my Dad. We both cry every time we do.
Did you care for the Will Smith remake? I didn't really.
ReplyDeleteI didn't hate the remake, but the original is way better. My kids think so too, which makes me extremely proud.
DeleteThis was one of my favorite 80s movies, too. "Wax on, wax off." I wasn't in a state of transition like you were, however I think that all teenagers feel like they are on shifting ground. You simply do not know what will happen at any given time. Everything always feels like it change *like this.* That is actually true for all of us, but in our teen years we never know whether the current will be friendly or not.
ReplyDeleteSometimes a movie just becomes the signpost of a time in your life -- i'm glad you could share it.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really lame that they made a remake. It's touching how this movie and Footloose helped you so much with your move.
ReplyDeleteAh Daniel san. What a movie!
ReplyDeleteI love this movie, but to be honest I can't really remember what happens in each of the 3 movies respectively. Need to do a re-watch. How convenient that I have the collection on DVD!
ReplyDeleteKarate Kid was a favorite in our family also. We even named one of our cats, Daniel! I think movies often teach us life lessons.
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