--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What happened was that sometimes I was…" description: "\"“What happened was that sometimes I was, from a young age, put in the theater to watch movies because they kept me quiet and they kept me entertained, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d1/donald-richie-26818_life_what-happened-was-that-sometimes-i-was-f_1263520.jpg" --- # What happened was that sometimes I was, from a young age… ![“What happened was that sometimes I was, from a young age, put in the theater to watch movies because they kept me quiet and they kept me entertained, and they got me out from under the feet of my parents. So from a very early age, I went to the movies and I soon grew to prefer the life of the…” quote by Donald Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d1/donald-richie-26818_life_what-happened-was-that-sometimes-i-was-f_1263520.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d1/donald-richie-26818_life_what-happened-was-that-sometimes-i-was-f_1263520.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d1/donald-richie-26818_life_what-happened-was-that-sometimes-i-was-f_1263520.jpg) > ““What happened was that sometimes I was, from a young age, put in the theater to watch movies because they kept me quiet and they kept me entertained, and they got me out from under the feet of my parents. So from a very early age, I went to the movies and I soon grew to prefer the life of the movies to my own life. The reality that the movies offered was preferable to the reality that I was experiencing. I became a child movie addict. I would go in with great pleasure and I'd never look at what was playing -- what was playing was unimportant. The fact was that I was entering a new world, an environment where not only was it much more attractive than my life was ordinarily, but also I could manipulate it to an extent by coming and going, and by looking at scenes or not, which I could not in my own life. I was subjected to my own domestic life. But I discovered a kind of power at the movies.”” [Donald Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-richie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child uses movies as escape, finding control and power absent in home life. **In simple terms:** Escaping reality through movies gives a sense of control. Key Takeaway Seek healthy outlets for agency. Themes escape control addiction family dynamics Mood nostalgic reflective Type personal psychological When to use this quote - childhood coping - media influence - family conflict - personal empowerment Key Concepts cinema as sanctuary psychological coping power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you seek control outside of media? - What healthier outlets can replace escapism? A Different Perspective Movies cannot replace real relationships or responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing from the heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-from-the-heart/) [Young age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-age/) ## Related quotes > [I think anyone who knows me at all knows that I have been a movie addict all my life. I grew up in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-think-anyone-who-knows-me-at-all-knows-that-i-have-been-a-movie/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I loved movies growing up. I went to the movies with my uncle all the time. But being an actor? 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