The Night the Neighborhood Watched a Movie on a Sheet

In July, my neighbor hung a white bedsheet between two trees in her backyard and set up a projector borrowed from the school. She put a sign on the sidewalk: "Movie night! 9 p.m. Bring a chair."

About forty people came. Kids in pajamas sat cross-legged on blankets in front. Grandparents in lawn chairs in the back. Somebody brought a popcorn machine. Somebody else brought a cooler of juice boxes and lemonade.

We watched "The Princess Bride." The sheet flapped in the breeze, so the actors' faces occasionally rippled. Fireflies flew through the projector beam. A dog wandered in front of the screen during the sword fight and got a standing ovation.

When it was over, nobody wanted to leave. We sat in the dark talking until midnight. My neighbor has done it every month since. The sheet is getting a little worn. Nobody cares.