Our upcoming launch day got us thinking about memorable firsts, such as movies with a great opening scene or books with a first line that compels you to keep going.
For our money, it's hard to improve on the first scene of Jaws, which begins underwater and then follows a camper who runs carefree into the ocean, much to her regret. There's a largely-forgotten book called I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (made into a movie in 2003), with the first line "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink." Pretty hard to top that, don't you think? And if you've seen "The Lion King" on stage, you know there aren't more thrilling opening numbers than "Circle of Life."
Tell us your picks for best opening scenes, opening numbers, and first lines.
written on Friday Jan 19, 2007
curtain-raisers,
snappy lines,
kick-starts.
