I Cried At "Pete's Dragon"

I am a professional Disney fanatic. 

I tear up watching Disney trailers. 

I would live at Disney World if I could.

And although I am highly skeptical of re-makes, my mom and I were still thrilled to see "Pete's Dragon." And, to no surprise on my part, I cried. Not exactly at the movie. I started tearing up way before the previews even started. 

You see, mom and I were the first to arrive at the theater for the movie. We thought that it being opening weekend the place would be packed. Nope! We settled into our seats half an hour before the movie started and began chowing down on our candy. Not much later, a man with his wife and two kids showed up laughing because he was so worried about the theater being sold out, too. 

A few more minutes passed. My mom and I were in the middle of a conversation when a young man suddenly bounded into the theater, excitedly glancing around.

"Is this the theater for regular Pete's Dragon?" he asked, waving his ticket around. 

I smiled and between me, my mom, and the family we told the young man that yes, it was the right theater. We watched as he anxiously scanned the multitude of seats.

"I have to save a seat! I have to get my seat!" He worriedly exclaimed.

The father of the family who had gotten there after my mom and I grinned and said "I think you've got plenty of seats to choose from!" 

The young man began mumbling to himself as he searched for the perfect seat, trying out one before moving down a few seats to check out another. When he finally selected his declared seat, he jumped up and began looking around again. Another family or two had made their way into the theater and this seemed to make the young man a little nervous. He leaned forward and tapped the father's shoulder in the isle in front of him. 

"Sir, sir, I need to leave but could you please be sure no one gets my seat? This is my seat here and I don't want anyone to get it. Can you save my seat? Can you watch my seat?" 

The father stood and patted the young man's shoulder. 

"You know what? I'll sit in your seat to be sure no one takes it."

I began tearing up as I watched the young man excitedly point out his place in the empty isle. The gentleman seriously nodded and sat down. The young man hurried away, his seat now safely secured.

I blinked back the remainder of my tears, thanking the gentleman for his kindness.

The young man was autistic. 

The gentleman didn't have to go the extra mile and sit in the seat to "be sure no one would take it." But he did. He went out of his way to reassure and show kindness to the young man, even though the theater was practically empty. 

This small act of kindness made a huge impact on me. Even after "Pete's Dragon" started (and yes, I teared up throughout that, too!) and the credits rolled, I thought about how we all have the opportunity to share kindness. Sometimes in big ways, sometimes in smaller, more subtle ways. But it really doesn't matter. Kindness, no matter how big, makes an impact.

I'm sorry if you came to read a review about "Pete's Dragon," which I did enjoy! It was a bit slow in some parts, but full of the typical Disney magic. If you are expecting it to be anything like the original, I'm sorry, but you'll be disappointed. I believe the writers made a smart move in making their own story out of the title rather than replicating the original. I also am always impressed to see a movie with a simple message that promotes love and family and friendship, which "Pete's Dragon" superbly accomplished.