"My grandmother and I saw an average of eight movies a week, double features, second run"
About this Quote
The presence of her grandmother matters as much as the movie count. Burnett often speaks about a difficult home life; this memory reads like refuge and alliance. The grandmother is both chaperone and co-conspirator, turning the theater into a safe public space where intimacy can happen without the pressure of talking about what’s wrong at home. Pop culture becomes a kind of caretaking.
“Double features, second run” is also a class signal, said without self-pity. Second-run theaters were cheaper; double features were value. Burnett isn’t romanticizing deprivation, but she’s acknowledging the practical way working people accessed glamour: not through red carpets, but through discounted seats and sheer repetition. It’s Hollywood as a public utility.
What makes the quote work is its gentle reversal: the future star isn’t born in the spotlight, she’s forged in the dark, watching other people shine. The line celebrates spectatorship as training - and suggests that for Burnett, being funny was first about learning how to look.
Quote Details
| Topic | Grandparents |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Burnett, Carol. (2026, January 16). My grandmother and I saw an average of eight movies a week, double features, second run. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-grandmother-and-i-saw-an-average-of-eight-101538/
Chicago Style
Burnett, Carol. "My grandmother and I saw an average of eight movies a week, double features, second run." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-grandmother-and-i-saw-an-average-of-eight-101538/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My grandmother and I saw an average of eight movies a week, double features, second run." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-grandmother-and-i-saw-an-average-of-eight-101538/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.





