Not a movie review per se, just an exercise in observation.
I was fast approaching my teenage years when I first saw the movie Jaws in theaters in the year of our Lord, 1975. Growing up an hour away from the shore in Connecticut. I found it to be my brand of movie, thrilling and a bit scary. The movie poster was compelling enough, a huge set of teeth poised to chomp on a female figure. With a title like Jaws what was one to expect? I should note that this movie did little to dissuade me from subsequent dips in the ocean, albeit still not venturing too far out. We must be mindful of those strong currents, after all. Did you know that a person’s chance of getting attacked by a shark is 1 in 11.5 million, and a person's chance of getting killed by a shark is less than 1 in 264.1 million. I figured the odds were in my favor.
Movie tickets were inexpensive back then and the popcorn even better. VCR’s and cable TV were yet years away. Unlike today’s generation we were at the mercy of our local movie theater schedule. Regardless, I have very fond memories therein along with their sticky floors and crowded concessions. Our local theater was called the Jerry Lewis Cinema. Can you believe that? It’s there where we saw all the exciting James Bond films of that era as well as the comedic Pink Panther series. A truly original establishment and franchise long since abandoned.
Anyway, back to Jaws. I find it interesting that many successful movies/series have a trio (or triumvirate) of main characters. I think of The Three Stooges, Threes Company, Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, and many others. There’s something compelling about observing the interpersonal dynamics of three distinct personalities as they navigate a particular trial or dilemma, each with their own proclivities, humor, and inbred values. In the story of Jaws, they didn’t particularly choose to work together. An imminent threat to public safety and the promise of a handsome reward unexpectedly thrust them together. Isn’t it interesting how during the worse of circumstances an accord between otherwise perfect strangers is able to accomplish a seemingly impossible task. In reality, it was Steven Spielberg’s crew who actually got the mechanical shark to work at the last moment after many a hair was pulled from his scalp. But I digress.
Interestingly, the author of the novel Jaws, Peter Benchley, was quoted as saying he "didn't know how to put the character texture into a screenplay” therefore others were tasked to write it, but subsequently removed much of what he had published focusing on the shark hunt while jettisoning Benchley’s many sub-plots. Books don’t always translate well to film, you see. The encouraging aspect that comes to my mind is that there are writers of all types and genres out there, each deeply nestled within their own wheelhouse. Had Benchley never written any of his book, this particular “shark movie” would not have been made. If it were me, I’d be thrilled have even a third of my book published rather than rejected altogether. But that’s just me, the eternal optimist.
If you are that rare 1% of the populate who have yet to see Jaws, far be it from me to spoil any plot lines for you. Rest assured it’s very entertaining to watch how a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old drunken seafarer hunt down a pesky beast of massive proportions in a boat not much larger than their intended target.
Kinda makes me think about what can be accomplished by folks united together in fellowship and cause.
Two (or three) are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. Ecclesiastes 4:9
Jim