Feb 5

Feb 5 An Affair to Remember Month

By Jacey Eckhart

You might not be a fan of old movies, but if you are working on a Next Door project, nothing is more motivating on a day of despair than An Affair to Remember—the greatest Cary Grant movie of all time. (And popcorn. Popcorn is very, very motivating.)

Lucky for us, February is An Affair to Remember month, and the movie happens to be a great example of the Next Door Project in action. Here are some Next Door lessons from this fab film:

1. Every major life change begins with an event.

Everything is going yippity skippity for Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr as they set out from Europe for America on a luxury liner (note how there are only about 30 people on the entire ship and no buffet line). Cary Grant is an internationally notorious playboy recently engaged to an heiress. Deborah Kerr is the kept woman of a handsome businessman who sends her off on cruises when he is too busy to take her out to dinner. Then they meet. Kapow.

2. Once the life change has come, there is no going back.

Getting all dramatic and romantic about it helps a lot, according to these two. Try to avoid getting any motivating quotes on tattoos at this time.

3. First you have to have an ending before you have a beginning.

Before they can be officially together, they have to end their relationships with the heiress and the business guy. No blood is drawn, and she gets to keep the fur. I would have liked to keep the Viking refrigerator.

4. There is a lot of empty time in the hallway before the Next Door opens.

Grant and Kerr have to figure out how to make money themselves now that they got rid of their meal tickets. They decide to do this by taking the surefire route of painting portraits of beautiful women and singing in a nightclub. Cuz creative people always have a super easy time finding themselves.

5. (Spoiler alert!!) The hallway can be treacherous.

Just because you are a nice person and totally reformed from your wicked ways, another major change can plow you down at the moment you think all is going to work out for you.

6. Don’t be tempted by your Ex-Door.

Once things get rough, Grant and Kerr both are tempted to go hook up with their exes. Bring a priest to help you smite the devil and pay for your own dresses—and surgery.

7. (Spoiler alert!!) The new beginning, when it finally rolls around, can come outta nowhere.

Just when you thought you and your shriveled legs would celebrate Christmas with a cold plate, an afghan, and a bronchial infection, new information comes to get you started through your Next Door.