Every first Tuesday of the month mamas, little ones, and strollers are reserved a theater in select AMC locations to watch a popular film without the pressures of worrying if your child will be disruptive. This Bring Your Baby Matinee concept is a partnership with AMC and the popular TheBump website. In Colorado these theaters are the AMC Flatirons Crossing 14 and Highlands Ranch 24.
I took my 2 year-old to the AMC in Broomfield this week to see “Rock of Ages” with Tom Cruise. Luckily I am not here to review the movie for you but the experience of the matinee.
The concept for these movies promotes a few needed mama/child highlights:
- Breastfeeding-friendly atmosphere
- Brighter lights and lower volume
- Stress-free environment
- Stroller parking
- Crying babies allowed!
All five were noticeable and I can attest to each one. For example see the stroller parking lot in the back hall of our theater.
Arriving in true mama fashion I was running late to the theater. When I arrived at the ticket window the trailers were already showing. Running up to the box office behind me was a mama with an infant, infant car seat, pillow, nursing pillow, giant diaper bag, and her purse.
I jokingly asked if she was headed to the Baby Matinee when in reality it looked as if she was moving in there. She mentioned she almost did not come because she was late and being late was a stress as a new mother she was still having a hard time with.
I am glad she made it to the theater. She would be amongst friends.
Inside the theater the lights were up and there were about 25 moms who also looked like they were moving in with their young children. I did not realize the movie sound would be reduced because it was hard to hear some of Tom Cruise’s whispered dialogue in between the sounds of babes cooing and moms shuffling in bags. There really wasn’t much crying for the show I went to.
What the movie did was give my child the opportunity to be more interactive than if he had been at a conventional showing. He proudly screamed “ROCK” when a character was prompting his concert crowd to chant at a show. My little guy also felt a need to clap and dance with a good many of the musical numbers. It was not crying but a little one who just turned two can be disruptive as well. To his credit his dancing mimicked the moms who were standing and rocking their babies in the aisles.
I am familiar with this movie concept from more independent theaters over the years and am happy to see a mainstream theater embrace it. Moms get a chance to be “normal” and get out of the house to do something fun with their babies and baby comforts in tow. Enjoy it. Simply do not take advantage of getting to bring your refrigerator in with all your baby swag – the concession stand will miss you otherwise.
Kia Ruiz is a mom, wellness advocate, and yoga instructor. She loves to work with corporate, mixed level and new mom clients. You can find her at Bodhi Bear.
More information on when/where you can find additional showings can be found here!
