O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Have you ever had a song or a movie bring you back to a specific time in your life? A time full of memories all surrounding one particular thing? Growing up, Saturday night pizza was our weekly family tradition. Family and friends gathered each week to share a meal and catch-up on the weekly happenings. These nights are some of my favorite memories. Each week was different, yet exactly the same.

My Grandpa would begin the evening by putting a record on before dinner, usually followed by the Grand Ole Opry on the TV afterwards. But in 2000, O Brother, Where Art Thou? was released, and my Grandpa and Uncle Tom quickly became obsessed with this old, yet modern crime comedy. I remember watching it for the first time one Saturday after dinner. Everyone gathered around the living room, all the kids piled on the rug in front of the TV, enjoying the music and laughing. It quickly became a fan favorite in the Stracqualursi household. It had that old western feel that always drew Grandpa and Uncle Tom in, and that made me love it even more.

To this day, the soundtrack is still one of my absolute favorites. As time has gone on and some of us “kids” have moved further away, our weekly gatherings are less frequent. But the moment I hear one of those songs, it takes me right back to that living room.