Ladies and Gentlemen take my advice...

Welcome back to me to my blog.  Seems like a minimum of once a year post is appropriate.  If you haven’t hear, a lot has been happening in my life.  I am eagerly anticipating what is sure to be one of the most life changing events of my life.  That’s right.  Man of Steel comes out tomorrow at midnight!   The early reviews are in and the movie is already being described as the greatest superhero movie of all time.  That is so very appropriate since Superman is the greatest superhero not to mention the first of all the superheroes.  I’m very excited to be attending a midnight showing with some of my best friends with high expectations which are almost sure to be met! 

Last night I posted a Facebook status about how I have been waiting for this movie for a long time.  In fact longer than I have been waiting for the birth of my son.  That’s right!  We are having a baby boy!  Woohoo!  This is of course the true life changing event I’m eagerly awaiting for in early July.  This status got me reflecting on how waiting for this movie to come out has been a lot like waiting for our son to be born.  So here goes a comparison to waiting for a summer blockbuster movie about the last Son of Krypton to the waiting for the birth of one’s own first born. 

Let’s look at the various stages of waiting for both the movie and the child. 

Rumor stage:

Superman

This is the phase of the movie’s development where it hasn’t yet been green lighted but there are rumors on the internet about who might be involved.  For Man of Steel this phase started almost 3 years ago when it was announced that Christopher Nolan (Dark Knight Trilogy) would be producing the next Superman movie.  This was fantastic news to Superman fans like myself.  While being completely blown away by Nolan’s treatment of Batman in the most realistic and genre defining movie series of all time, I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed that Superman wasn’t getting the same respect or treatment.  Superman Returns was a bit disappointing at the time.  I remember my roommate turning to me at the end of the 10pm showing we went to and asking when the real movie would start.  I recognize now that it was a fine film and a worthy tribute to the Richard Donner and Christopher Reeves films but it would not be a franchise builder like Batman Begins.  So Christopher Nolan and Superman was a match made in geek heaven. 

Baby

This is the point where you are not aware that your wife is pregnant but things are starting to get suspicious.  For us we had actually been in the middle of praying and discerning when would be a good time to start our family.  This time was also marked by bodily symptoms that started to make us think, hmm Kayln might be pregnant.  I won’t go into those unless you really want me to but be assured the suspicion was there. 

Announcement/Confirmation Stage:

Superman

For a movie as early awaited as Man of Steel, this would be when the big announcements come out.  The first I recall was the announcement of Zack Snyder as Director followed quickly by the announcement of Henry Cavil as the new Superman.  This was as always a crazy fun day to be a fan on the internet.  How accurate are these internet reports?  Once you realize they are accurate you immediately start to look into the past of the actor and director.  What could you expect from a director like this?  What other movies has this new Superman been in?  What will the suit look like?  Who will be the villain?  The speculation truly begins! 

Baby

Shortly after we began detecting some physical signs we purchased some at home pregnancy tests.  Kayln took 3 of them in the course of 12 hours just to be absolutely sure.  Upon seeing the positive confirmation there was hugging and tears (not all that different from the reaction comic book geeks everywhere might have been experiencing with the movie news).  I also immediately got on the internet to research how accurate the at home tests are.  They are pretty accurate when it comes to being positive it turns out (also learned that from Jack on LOST). We immediately began trying to figure out when the baby would come out.   The speculation began.  Is it a boy or a girl?  Will it look more like me or Christopher Reeve?  What else can I expect now that we are expecting!? 

First peak stage:

Superman:

This is the stage where some speculation ends and even more begins.  I remember the day they released the official first look at Henry Cavil as Superman.  He was standing in front of a smashed bank vault of sometime.  As usual the internet exploded.  Look at what the suit looks like! I like the cape!  The cape is too long! Is he wearing the red underwear!?  Seriously I personally remember staring at that first image of Cavil’s Superman for way longer than anyone should stare at another man’s crotch trying to decide if I saw the underwear or not.  Being a traditionalist Superman costume fan, I was pretty sure I did(I was wrong).  I decided I liked what I saw and was getting even more excited to seeing the finished product. 

Baby:

This is the day you figure out if you haven’t already that this is really happening.  I’m of course talking about the first official image of the baby, the ultrasound.  I believe we got our first ultrasound at 12 weeks into the pregnancy.  Yup.  That’s a baby.  Even though the baby looked a bit like a turtle with a human head at the time I stared at it a long time trying to discern if the baby was a boy or girl.  I was pretty sure it was a boy.  (I was right!)  I decided I liked what I saw and was getting even more excited to seeing the finished product or in this case, child. 

Set Visits and Media Campaign:

Superman

This is where things start to get real.  You see the first trailer for the movie.  You suddenly realize if you haven’t already that there is in fact going to be a new Superman movie and it looks awesome in the trailers.  I was the most excited when they released the trailer with the new score attached to it.  I loved it!  Now all of a sudden everyone is aware that there is a new Superman movie coming whether they follow the movie news sites or not.  You start to read interviews with the cast and crew about the movie and you begin to anticipate opening night.  You may even buy your ticket in advance (I did)! 

Baby

If things haven’t gotten real yet when you announce to your friends and family that you are having a baby things get very real.  All of sudden everyone is aware that this little bundle of joy is coming into your lives.  Friends and family with kids of their own start to give you a sneak peak at what you might expect.  For me hearing my son’s heartbeat at every doctor appointment was comparable to the excitement I had when the soundtrack for Man of Steel was released.  As you get closer and closer to opening night (no labor pun entirely intended) you begin to anticipate the big day.  You even have to start buying lots of stuff in preparation.  I would be remiss not to mention all the Superman gear my currently unborn son already owns. 

So here we are one night away from Superman and 3 weeks or so away from the birth of my son.  In the long run the two experiences really can’t be compared.  My son’s birth will change my life in ways I can’t even begin to fathom and I am so excited for it.  Man of Steel will be an awesome movie as well as a fun fellowship time with friends but it will not define my life.  Fatherhood is now part of my vocation and there is not a day that goes by that I will be able to not think about that awesome responsibility. 

I guess the ultimate similarity comes down to if Man of Steel is received well, it could spawn a sequel as well as a whole new universe of DC Superhero movies. 

If my first born son is received well I suppose we could start conceiving the idea of sequels and a whole new universe of tiny Superman fans. 

Ladies and gentlemen take my advice, if you sit next to Mike Gutzwiller at Man of Steel and it is as good as we are expecting it to be, he may turn to you at the conclusion of the movie and kiss you, even if his girlfriend were to be sitting on the other side of him.* Aaron Morey do you want to trade seats with me? 

*This happened at Batman Begins and nowadays Mike is happily engaged and will be viewing Man of Steel at his bachelor party.  So there is no way he could possibly ignore his fiancée in favor of kissing a dude.