America is the kind of place where you can shop at Wal-Mart or Whole Foods. You can buy your clothes at Neiman-Marcus or at Target. You can hit the Avon Burger King for lunch or head up the hill to dine in style at Splendido in Beaver Creek.

But for the most part, when it comes to movies, there’s a one-size-fits all model we’ve all gotten rather used to. Whether you’re a band of noisy teenagers or a couple out for a date, chances are you’ll be shoulder-to-shoulder with one another. It’s an egalitarian situation, sure, but not always the best scenario. What, then, would it be like to have an upscale movie theatre where adults could make a movie-going experience something a little different – a little fancier, perhaps more romantic.

That’s what the developers of the new Solaris project in Vail are proposing for the movie theater the complex will have when it opens two years from now. From some comments we’ve received and an online poll showing the majority of respondents think $17 for a movie ticket is too much, we gather that this relatively alien concept will take a little getting used to. But given that the whole Vail experience is built around high-end experiences and creature comforts, we doubt it’ll take long. We may do most of our movie-watching at the regular movie theaters in Edwards and Eagle, but for date night or for particular movies, it’ll be nice to have the “Cinebistro” option.

We think there’s plenty of room in this market for discount, regular and premium priced products and services. Granted, there isn’t as much of the first two for those of us struggling to make a go of it here. But after working our two or three jobs all week, maybe splurging a little at the movies will be a welcome reward.

Besides, we’re not always in the mood for popcorn, Dots and giggling teens behind us.