How 'Labyrinth' Helped Shape My Love of Movies

To understand how "Labyrinth" helped shape my love of movies, you need to know that when this beloved Jim Henson film was released in 1986 I was two years old. The movie has a PG rating, and by the time I was six years old I had seen "Labyrinth" enough times to quote any scene or character. The setting takes place in a hybrid of modern reality and a fantasy world-a labyrinth, as the title suggests-and that transition from real to make-belief was keenly appealing to my young mind.

Jennifer Connelly is enchanting in the film as Sarah, the protagonist who ventures into the world of Jareth the Goblin King (David Bowie) to retrieve her toddler brother, Toby. This is the main thread of plot, featuring Sarah's friendships made along her quest to reunite with her brother. Jareth took the child as a favor to the teenager, who was terribly imposed-upon by her parents when asked to babysit the fussy boy. Most children seem apt to play at being teenagers, so Sarah's age-and her rather naïve, immature reactions at the beginning of the "Labyrinth" plot-were easily to relate to for my peers and me in the late 80s.

"Labyrinth" doesn't spoon-feed viewers' mindless fantasy situations and characters without depth, instead building upon Connelly's fantastic leading lady with the creative, impressive puppet-characters which Henson company is so well known for developing. These friends of Sarah became our imaginary friends as children, elaborate and rich and beloved. Ludo is the lovable, hulking protector most children long to have in a friend, and Jareth is a villain who is a curious mix of ally and paramour for Sarah.

Perhaps the most enchanting aspect of "Labyrinth" is the soundtrack, which seamlessly transitions scenes throughout the movie. David Bowie performs most of the tracks, and his timeless appeal as a singer and recording artist infused the film with a magic of its own that young children couldn't quite understand but definitely were able to appreciate, myself included. To this day, the "Labyrinth" soundtrack is one of my all-time favorites; unfortunately, such an outstanding collection of songs and performances set the bar rather high, and a film-especially a fantasy film-which fails to deliver a great score is always a disappointment to me.

As an adult, I am immediately endeared whenever I meet a fan of my favorite fantasy retreat from childhood. My family is apt to quote whole scenes from the film, or at least plug a few favorite phrases into normal conversations. "No good, can't hear you," is repeated in random moments, as is "Nothing? Nothing? Tra la la?" We've been known to leave comments on our social pages, stating that "it's so stimulating being your head."

As a child, "Labyrinth" made me appreciate that a movie world can be full of believable characters, trial with failure, music and complicated relationships. I learned to appreciate a movie which truly left me spellbound, longing to explore the world the "Labyrinth" cast and creators provided for us. Not to mention the lessons of the classic story itself: Take nothing for granted, trust in your friends, known the power within yourself, and be careful what you wish for. "Labyrinth" may have set the bar high for me as a movie fan and fantasy-genre connoisseur, but it certainly made me believe in magic and creativity-and for that, I am eternally grateful.