I saw this masterpiece five years ago as part of the TCM Classic Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, a few months after both Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds had passed. Todd Fisher (Debbie’s son and Carrie’s brother) was on hand to introduce the movie, which added gravitas to the event, but it was also significant because this would be my first time watching Singin’ in the Rain on the big screen. And it had a far greater impact on me than I could have ever imagined.

Because after every actor’s introduction and after every song ended, the crowd erupted into applause. It was amazing to witness that the people who worked on Singin’ in the Rain—none of them present and almost all of them dead—were still being celebrated for their efforts nearly 70 years later. These admirers came from a distant future and lived in a brave new world, one that would seem unfathomable to Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, and yet they marveled at the talent and craft in front of them like they were sitting in a theater in 1952.

And that, to me, is what defines cinema: the legacy you leave on the screen. It makes you timeless in an ever-changing world, ensuring you are remembered forever. And that’s goddamn gorgeous.

Happy New Year, everyone.