My first indie

Way back, a long time ago, I was working at the newspaper in Emporia, Kan.
One of my managers there was a movie buff, as was I. I don't know the genesis of his love of movies, but mine was borne of years of watching movies with my dad. When we first got a video cassette recorder, my dad would spend weekends taping old movies and musicals off the local UHF station, so I knew a lot about old movies, and this manager and I bonded quite handily over the escapist entertainment.
However, most of my knowledge and likes were circled around blockbuster movies. Sure, I'd rent the odd movie here and there, if I needed to fill out a "rent three for the price of two" deal or whatever, but mostly, I stuck to blockbusters, even if they were older movies.
One day, though, this manager recommended to me a movie that would change my life: "Strictly Ballroom."
I don't know precisely what it is about this movie that drew me in: the idea that the "ugly duckling" becomes the swan, the thought that the unconventional bucks the system and wins, the dancing, the costumes, the whimsy!
It's one of my guaranteed mood-changing movies. If I'm in a foul mood, I watch it. If I'm in a great mood, this enhances it. I love it!