So last Sunday we watched part of the Oscars. Yes, just a part. I can only take so much fluff. Time is wasting and it doesn’t interest me that much to hear the answers to such questions as “who are you wearing?”

And apparently I am one of the last few Americans who hasn’t seen “Avatar.”

Attending the movie theater may not be as big of an attraction to a lot of people, for two influential reasons. The first is because good movies (an extremely subjective rating) are hard to come by. For every movie like “Invictus” there are 10 or more like “Hot Tub Time Machine.”

The second reason why theater-going may be on the downward spiral is because of the prices. Many people are reluctant to spend $10 (or more) per person to see a movie that may be a bomb. You can’t totally trust the critics. Many times I love a film the critics hate or dislike a film the critics love.

It is not just the price of the ticket but also the price of the concessions. A popcorn and a drink will hit you for around $10 as well. If sneaking a canned soda and a box of Good and Plenty into a movie theater is a sin, well then, Father forgive me. If you can wait, Netflix is a much cheaper alternative. Even the local library rents movies.

However, in the March issue of Christianity Today, Mark Moring wrote an article about the recent rise in attendance trends at the movies and draws a correlation with the great Depression. “When the economy is down, movie attendance is up,” he wrote.

He states that during the Depression, with unemployment as high as 25 percent, 60 to 80 million Americans went to the movies every week. That is up to two-thirds of the population.

Dan Glickman, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, said, “The movies are great therapy. It’s a lot cheaper than a psychiatrist.” If that is the case, I wonder what conclusions could be drawn from the question as to why dark movies such as “The Road,” “The Book of Eli” and “2012” have been recently released.

Moring added, “While Depression-era moviegoers sought escape, moviegoers today want both to escape and to see films about escape.”

Sure, I like a good movie. But remember, God helps us face life, not escape it.

Tom Rupp can be reached at truppfolsom@ yahoo.com or at thomaswrupp.blogspot.com.