Authored By Joshua Pickard
The Week in Film is a column dedicated to bringing awareness to award-winning films, special movie screenings, rereleases, limited-distribution runs and avant cinema that should be seen in theaters to be properly appreciated. “Rebel Without a Cause” The movie that made Jame Dean a bad boy heartthrob (and a bane to traditionalists everywhere), “Rebel Without a Cause” tells the story of a group of emotionally troubled teenagers from the suburbs who find themselves on the wrong side of the law. In contrast to some of the other rigidly moralistic films of the time which attempted to keep teens on the straight and narrow, “Rebel Without a Cause” was far more interested in moral complexities and internal motivations than bland social platitudes. With an incandescent performance from Dean, the film was a revelation at the time of its release and still holds much of its cinematic fury. When: Sunday, Sept. 23 Where: AMC Chattanooga 18, Regal Hamilton Place 8 Rating: PG-13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnQ5CPEMjPI “The Smallest Show on Earth” Directed by Basil Dearden, “The Smallest Show on Earth” is a British comedy from 1957 which stars Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna, Peter Sellers and Margaret Rutherford. Following the travails of main characters Matt and Jean Spencer—played by real-life husband and wife duo Travers and McKenna—the film is an ode to gentile comedy delivered with class and cleverness. After inheriting a run-down theater located in an old train whistle stop, the two subsequently realize that they’ve also inherited a collection of sometimes outlandish and aging employees who seem determined to make the theater profitable. Sound issues, sub-par film quality and cinematic apathy all plague the decrepit establishment, but they eventually find one last way to turn a profit. A winsome and often hilarious look at the enduring legacy of early film houses, “The Smallest Show on Earth” is a beautifully constructed and resonant piece of film nostalgia. When: Monday, Sept 17 Where: Heritage House Arts & Civic Center Rating: Not rated https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4ZTR3sJeSg “Love, Gilda” “Love, Gilda” documents the life of comedian/actress Gilda Radner and illuminates her rise through the ranks of Saturday Night Live and stand-up comedy in general, as well as revealing intimate details regarding her death in 1989 from ovarian cancer. Directed by Lisa DaPolito, the film was created with the assistance of the Radner estate, a process which unearthed personal diaries and audio and video clips which explore her childhood, her career in comedy and her struggle with that terrible disease. The film is a love letter to a gifted performer whose legacy remains relevant and inspirational to countless people looking to make their mark in comedy. When: Sunday, Sept. 23 Where: Improv Chattanooga Rating: Not rated https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B44XRFotuo “The Princess and the Frog” “The Princess and the Frog” was Disney’s 49th animated feature film and hearkened back to the traditional animation techniques that had been put to use during the Disney Renaissance of 1989-1999, a period of time which gave rise to such classic films as “Beauty and the Beast,” The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin.” Telling the story of a hardworking waitress named Tiana who has dreams of opening her own restaurant, the film is a loose adaptation of the novel “The Frog Princess” by E.D. Baker. An imaginative and visually wondrous piece of cinema magic, it holds its own against the best that Disney has to offer. Featuring captivating vocal performances from Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jennifer Cody and Jim Cummings, “The Princess and the Frog” was a welcome return for Disney after a string of less than stellar offerings. When: Friday-Thursday, Sept. 21- 27 Where: AMC Chattanooga 18, AMC Classic Battlefield 10, AMC Classic Majestic 12, AMC Classic Chattanooga 10, AMC Classic Northgate 14 Rating: G https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQBy6jqbmlU “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1"/"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2” To finish out their run of the entire Harry Potter film franchise, AMC Chattanooga 18 will screen “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1" and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" this Sunday. Following the adventures of “the boy who lived,” these films have amassed over 8.5 billion in revenue, placing them third only behind Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in terms of franchise profits. These last two films explore the complex relationship between Harry Potter and the evil Lord Voldemort and the subsequent battle between Voldemort’s legions of Death Eaters and those wizards committed to keeping his tyranny from covering the earth. The films are entertaining and spectacular pieces of pop culture nourishment and are filled with everything that Potterheads might have hoped to see in Harry’s finale. When: Sunday, Sept. 23 Where: AMC Chattanooga 18 Rating: PG-13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su1LOpjvdZ4 Joshua Pickard covers local and national music, film and other aspects of pop culture. You can contact him on Facebook, Twitter or by email. The opinions expressed in this column belong solely to the author, not Nooga.com or its employees.
