The year: 1997. 

The place: The local movie theater in Anytown, USA. 

The scene: A gaggle of teenage girls quietly weeps as Leonardo DiCaprio sinks into the frozen sea and Kate Winslet inexplicably takes up the ENTIRE giant floating piece of wood. A sad flute and Celine Dion begin to wail and a core memory for a generation of ’90s kids is formed. 

You’ve just seen Titanic for the first (*cough* third *cough*) time at the movies, and you will never be the same. Much like playing Oregon Trail defined your childhood, Titanic became a nostalgic touchpoint of your formative years. Everyone at school had a crush on Leo. “My Heart Will Go On” was on one of your mix tapes. You still possess an unnecessary mastery of facts about the sinking of the RMS Titanic. 

WELL GUESS WHAT? 

Titanic is back in theaters. 

I repeat: you can watch Titanic on the big screen while drowning your decades-deep sorrows in an extra-large tub of buttered popcorn with a giant Coke (hold the ice?!) like you’re 16 again. In 3D if you want! To the late show, on a school night!

Paramount Pictures re-released the blockbuster film in honor of its 25-year-anniversary (I suddenly feel old) and just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Like the good ’90s kid I am, I have arranged an entourage of 30-and 40-somethings and their teen daughters to meet up at the local theater this weekend. The moms are talking about making shirts (“There’s a boat, Jack!” and “It’s Been 84 25 Years…” are the frontrunning designs). We’re leaving squealing about it like teenage girls reliving their youth, and our daughters and husbands are mildly terrified of our glee. 

But come on. It’s TITANIC!  

So, are you ready to go back? The new official trailer is 90 seconds that will take you there: 

Just in case you need a refresher, Titanic won a record 11 Oscars after its release, including for Best Picture, Best Original Song, and Best Visual Effects. When it hit theaters in December of 1997, it became the #1 all-time box office earner, and now occupies #3 on the list of highest-grossing films (behind Avatar and Avengers: Endgame). 

According to Paramount Pictures, the 2023 re-release is in remastered 3D 4K HDR—meaning we’re about to see that unsinkable ship plunge into the Atlantic like never before. 

Of course, no matter how great the film looks on screen (won’t it be fun to exclaim, “I’m flying!” during that bow of the ship scene?!) after 194 minutes, Jack STILL won’t climb onto that dang door with Rose and we’ll STILL have to watch him sink to his icy grave.

“I’ll never let go” indeed. Sigh. 

Alas, this time I’m a grown-up, so I’ll obviously handle it better . . . AND I’ll get to bring my own teen daughter to see Titanic for her first time. It’s one of those full-circle moments only the very best ’90s nostalgia makes possible, and it makes my heart just about burst. 

Or go on. I think I feel a song coming on . . . 

See you at the movies, friends! I’ll be the one belting out the ballad with the moms in the back and having the time of my life.