May We All Live Like Helen Shaw

A mid-week dose of inspiration.

Like most kids who came of age in the ’80s, I was exposed to adult-oriented pop culture at way, way too young an age. I was 7 when I saw Cujo and Flashdance in the theater, and by 13 could quote Heathers (still one of my favorite movies of all time) from start to finish.

So it should be no surprise that I have vivid memories of watching both Twilight Zone: The Movie (with its racist, sexist, masochistic first segment) and Parenthood (a cute film, but maybe not the best for a 13-year-old to see while sitting next to her dad). The films are wildly different—a dark, four-story ode to a classic horror TV series, and a poignant Steve Martin comedy—and yet I loved them both. What stood out to me the most? The delightful Helen Shaw.