Welcome to The Dish where Drew DeMaree serves up a healthy dose of reality each month.  This blog is about keeping it real ~ real challenges, real distractions, real life getting in the way of, well…virtually everything.  How we view our realities depends on individual mindset, and we want to discuss WHY MINDSET MATTERS.

Today I want to talk about a new rating for movies; this may make you wonder what movies have to do with mindset.  First,  please allow me to provide a little background.  As many of you know, my wife, Kim, has been battling cancer for several months.  She was diagnosed Inflammatory Breast Cancer which is rare and very aggressive, and I would like to provide a short PSA before I connect movies to mindset.  Inflammatory Breast Cancer DOES NOT show up on a mammogram, so PLEASE do not ignore breast changes just because you have a clean mammogram.  The signs of this disease are most often seen as irregularities on the outside of the breast; if you detect any visible, physical change, please see a doctor ASAP.

Kim is a WARRIOR; she has continued working and acting as activity director for our large and crazy family since her diagnosis.  She is truly a superhero who should be able to escape the realities of chemo, radiation, a mastectomy, gamma knife radiation and more by watching a movie occasionally. But, DAMN, we just discovered movies should come with a content WARNING!  When you are ACTUALLY living the scenario on the screen, it is not just sad; it is distressing watching the illness unfold. Therefore, I propose a C Rating which warns that the subject matter of the movie is CANCER. I posted on my Facebook page about this subject, and Kim’s comment on my post sums it up, “I mean we just sitting here watching a damn movie and BAM!! CANCER. BAAM SHE DEAD!!”  While the comment has a hint of humor and sarcasm (as do most of the things Kim says), this was more than just a downer. It really made me think that a system to provide a choice to families like ours BEFORE they decide to watch a movie would be much appreciated.

In the meantime, I have done a little research and want to debut my first C WARNING MOVIE LIST! Mindset definitely matters when you are selecting a movie that is supposed to help you escape your current reality. While this list is not comprehensive, it is a start. WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK; YOU HAVE NOW BEEN WARNED!!

Same Kind of Different as Me​                                                             Miss You Already

The Fault in Our Stars                                                                          PS I Love You

Dark Waters                                                                                         Dying Young

Life in a Year                                                                                        Autumn in New York

The Friend                                                                                            Irreplaceable You

A Walk to Remember                                                                           Now is Not Good

Marvin’s Room                                                                                      Keith

My Sister’s Keeper                                                                                Life as a House

50/50                                                                                                     The Last Song

Stepmom                                                                                               My Life Without Me

Sweet November                                                                                   Wit

Forever and Beyond                                                                             The Book of Henry