Maybe I’ve got Emily Giffin on the brain after attending her talk at the Decatur Book Festival last weekend, or maybe there’s something else, but I’ve been seeing this scene from Something Borrowed in my head all morning [yes, some people get songs stuck in their heads, I get scenes].
And, okay, from this clip it doesn’t look like this scene works out so well for Rachel, but those of us who love this story (and this genre) know it’s the classic beginning of the emotional domino effect and we’re along for the delicious and conflicted ride.
There’s something about a scene in the rain, isn’t there? Confessing your deepest feelings, while making yourself vulnerable to the elements as well as heartache. Rain seems to have the impact of washing away the pretenses of every day existence, leaving us unfettered to make connections that are somehow deeper and more authentic. The scene in the rain near the end of The Marriage Pact was one of my favorites to write because it’s such a powerful turning point (trying to avoid spoilers, but those of you who’ve read it know what I mean).
Even non-romantic scenes seem more powerful in the rain. Who could forget this scene from The Shawshank Redemption, in which the rain not only washes away half a mile of sewer pipe filth, it serves as an iconic symbol of freedom and, well, redemption. It’s also a cue for every guy I’ve ever met to begin crying like a little girl, but I don’t think that’s just the rain. 🙂
These kinds of scenes are powerful for me because of who the characters become when everything else is stripped away. There’s nothing so compelling as raw emotion, expressed without concern (at least temporarily) for future consequences. In those moments, we are truly ourselves and truly free, regardless of the weather.
I encourage you to have your own Rain Scene this weekend, even if there’s not a cloud in the sky where you are. Tell someone you love them in a way that is deep and real and raw — for the first time or the thousandth time. Find a place or a moment in which you can be with your true self, open to whatever life is offering, maybe even open to something divine. Do something that scares you, and in that moment, don’t worry about what will come after. Just feel the surge of your own pulse and the thrill of courageous uncertainty.
While you’re at it, post your favorite book and movie rain scenes in the comments!
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I’m M.J. (Manda) Pullen, an author and mom in the Atlanta, Georgia area. I blog about writing, publishing, motherhood, health, psychology and whatever else strikes me in the moment.
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My current roster of books includes The Marriage Pact series, a trilogy of funny, semi-realistic Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction novels. You can find them for all eBook formats and in paperback here.
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MJ Pullen
How I Met Your Mother – Robin is going camping with her sketchy co-worker, and Ted still has feelings for Robin. Ted asks a Native American Studies major to teach him how to do a rain dance. He does said rain dance for hours until he makes it rain. Camping trip now cancelled due to weather, Ted goes to Robin’s to once again profess his love (in the rain, of course), and thus begins the only period in the show when Ted and Robin actually date. As Barney would say, “nailed it.”
Nicely done! I hadn’t thought about television shows but HIMYM often uses rain (and umbrellas) to great effect.
THE NOTEBOOK, duh!
Duh!