Trying To See Jurassic World When You’re Deaf: The Third Time Was Not The Charm

For a long time I did not go to the movies. I’m deaf, so while I missed seeing certain types of movies in theatres (anything with special effects for example), I would wait for the DVD, so I could try and understand it in the quiet of my own home, with subtitles. But a few years ago that changed and theatres started offering closed captioning. It’s not on the actual screen, it’s this device you put in your cup holder, in your seat, and it shows you the lines much like a teleprompter. It’s not perfect, I mean you have to look at two things at the same time, so it’s not as good of a viewing experience as watching it at home, but when it comes to certain movies – the ones I just can’t wait for, or the ones my husband, Roy, can’t wait for or ones with killer special effects – it’s still worth it to see it in theatres. It’s still better.

Seeing Jurassic World in theatres was a no-brainer. It was a movie I could not wait to see, Roy could not wait to see and had a lot of special effects – the theatre trifecta if you will. But it still hasn’t happened, and it’s for lack of trying, and now I’m not sure if it even will.

We didn’t go right away to see the movie. Our anniversary was just a few days after it first came out in June, but I had it in my back pocket for a surprise day trip I planned to Colorado Springs two weeks later. Since I had lunch and dinner picked out that day, I was afraid I would need something to buffer out our time there after everything else I had planned: a coffee factory tour and trip to a state park, but the park didn’t take up much time because it was pouring. And that wait apparently was the beginning of our downfall.

The first theatre we went to didn’t have the close captioning available, even though their website stated they did. And yes I tried to call ahead of time to be sure, but after three six-minute phone calls that ended in no one answering and just getting cut off, I gave up. They promised to refund the money of our tickets, since free passes to a theatre that doesn’t offer accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing doesn’t really work. We have yet to get that refund.  :/

We booked it to an AMC theatre close by after that happened, because we know AMC has the technology. But even though we asked before we bought the tickets, and again when they programmed the device before buying food ($15 for a soda and popcorn, which I would normally be horrified about, but this was a celebration) it didn’t work. The theatre apologized, but it wasn’t real. I mean they were reading lines and we had to ask for a refund when they simply suggested I watch without the device (that would be like a person with decent hearing watching a movie blindfolded – it just doesn’t work). Then one of the crew members refused to refund our money for our concessions, because a large theatre popcorn makes a great dinner. We didn’t want the stuff we barely touched, it was for the movie. I had to get a little redheady (hey, if it’s not a word it should be, and if you know a redhead you know what I mean) for them to do the right thing, and they did – but probably just to avoid a scene.

Tonight was try number three, and we did everything we were supposed to. We called ahead and was assured it was working. We again confirmed it before buying tickets and then again as soon as we were inside and before we got our food. And then we got what we did the last time (a large soda and popcorn) and took our seats. And then… nothing. The same thing that happened at the other theatre happened at this new one (they claimed they were totally separate issues, but the device was doing the exact same thing, so I’m not sure I completely buy it). I was so disappointed and bummed.

The theatre was great about it, I mean they apologized and seemed to mean it, offered us a refund for the tickets and the food and then gave us two free passes. In their defense, I have gone to this theatre a few times and this is the first problem I’ve had, so unlike the first two, I don’t have a problem with the theatre, but God I want to see Jurassic World on the big screen. I was even going to write a review of it (which made a lot more sense several weeks ago when it first came out and we first tried this) on my new blog dedicated to reviews.

But now I have to face facts that that probably isn’t happening. The movie is only in theatres through next week, and then it’s gone. And the newest explanation we were given was that the smaller theatres within the large theatre complex (you know like one theatre had twenty screens inside it) doesn’t have the technology. I don’t know why they just didn’t tell us that on the phone, so who knows if it’s true, but if it is – why don’t they? If it is true that means all of the other theatres will be the same thing, and I’m SOL for seeing Jurassic World in theatres. This makes me sad and also like, “Damn, when is it coming out on DVD!”

We’re not giving up and we’re going to call the only other theatre still showing it, but I have resigned that attempt number four is not going to yield much different results. Sigh. Sometimes being deaf sucks. Usually there is a silver lining, but in this case it’s just… gone. (Give me some credit, I wanted to say extinct, because I am that cheesy.) 😛

-DMW