Movie Manners

Make sure you and those around you enjoy a night out

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Going to see a movie is a fun way to escape from everyday life as you enjoy adventure, comedy, romance, or some combination thereof, but be considerate of the other patrons.

Plan Ahead

The goal should be to arrive ready to enjoy the movie, so address potential distractions beforehand. Take traffic into account when you head to the theater to allow plenty of time to get there, buy tickets, choose snacks, and use the restroom before you find your seats. Arriving as the movie is starting, or shortly thereafter, means disturbing the other patrons as you take a seat and get settled in.

Quiet as a Mouse

Movie theaters are designed to allow everyone to hear clearly, which means all sounds travel. “No talking” is the cardinal rule, and whispering can sometimes be even more disturbing than talking normally. Eating and drinking can be noisy, too, so consider your snack choices; the sound of candy bar wrappers rustling or nachos being crunched may disturb those around you, and the sound of someone using a straw to try to suck the last few drops of soda from a cup is most definitely annoying.

Text-Free Zones

Most people know not to take—or even worse, make—a call during a movie; your needs don’t outweigh those of your fellow movie patrons. But just muting the phone isn’t the answer, as the screen will light up when a call or text comes in, distracting those around you. Don’t return a text! Turn the phone off. If you are expecting a call that you simply can’t miss, you shouldn’t be in the theater.

Well-Behaved Children

A movie theater is no substitute for a babysitter, and it’s absolutely not an appropriate place to bring most young children. If you do bring children, choose a movie that will keep them entertained and quiet. If the children are squirming, kicking the seats in front of them, or making noise, you need to quietly escort them to the lobby; they need to learn that misbehaving means no more movies.

Sit Back and Enjoy

Everyone else in the theater shares your reason for being there: to enjoy the movie. This makes it incumbent on everyone to behave politely. Take care to not accidentally kick the seat in front of you, and if you do, apologize quickly. If you are very tall, consider how you might block the view of those behind you as you choose your seat. On a related note, if you arrive wearing an overly tall hat, take it off when you are seated.