On Sunday, February 21st at 3:30 p.m., Darien Library, in co-sponsorship with the League of Women Voters, will present the highly-acclaimed documentary, I.O.U.S.A.

I.O.U.S.A. boldly examines the rapidly growing national debt and its consequences for the United States and its citizens. America is burdened with an ever-expanding government and military, increased international competition, overextended entitlement programs, and debts to foreign countries that are becoming impossible to honor. This documentary utilizes archival footage and economic data to paint a vivid and alarming profile of America's current economic situation. The film also uses candid interviews and featured subjects include Warren Buffett, Alan Greenspan, Paul O'Neill, Robert Rubin, and Paul Volcker. The ultimate power of I.O.U.S.A., however, is that the film moves beyond doomsday rhetoric to proffer potential financial scenarios and propose solutions about how we can recreate a fiscally sound nation for future generations.

Resolutely non-partisan... a documentary everyone should see" – Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times

...may be to the U.S. economy what 'An Inconvenient Truth' was to the environment. -- Reuters 

To learn more about the film, click here.

Please join us in the Library's Community Room for this special film screening.

Admission is free.

Refreshments will be served.

Showing Thursday, February 25th at 7 p.m.

When we think of warming up in the midst of the deep-midwinter, I don't think that many of us would be thinking of Anna Wintour, the distant, icy, ice queen of publishing. But a Girls' Night Out is always warming, no matter what the season!

Girls' Night Out at the Library!

Showing Thursday, February 25th at 7 p.m.

THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE

The September 2007 issue of Vogue magazine weighed nearly five pounds and was the single largest issue of a magazine ever published. With unprecedented access, this documentary film tells the story of legendary Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and her larger-than-life team of editors creating the issue and ruling the world of fashion.

This film is rated PG-13. Running time is 90 minutes.

Here's a preview.

Is Anna Wintour really "satan in disguise" or is she just shy? Is it British reserve or is she just plain rude? Join us and let's find out together!

Refreshments will be served.

Admission is free.

Showing Friday, February 5th at 7:30

Friday Films at the Library!

This Friday, we'll get underway with the first film of our Friday Film Series. We know you've been waiting for the news, so it is with great pleasure that we unveil our selections for Fridays through April. 

(To learn more about the films and watch the trailers, click on the images.)

February 5 at 7:30 p.m.

JULIE & JULIA (2009) Starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci; Rated PG-13; 123 minutes

A woman verging on 30 and frustrated in her temp secretarial job, takes on a year-long culinary quest: cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." She chronicles her trials and tribulations in a blog that catches on with the food crowd. This film follows both women, who, while separated by time and space, discover that with the right combination of passion and fearlessness (and butter!), anything is possible.

February 12 at 7:30 p.m.

AMELIA (2009) Starring Hilary Swank, Richard Gere; Rated PG; 111 minutes

Bound by ambition and love, Amelia Earhart and husband and business partner George Putnam's enduring marriage could not be broken by Amelia's determination to fly, nor her passionate affair with Gene Vidal. Amelia set off on her most daunting mission yet, a solo flight around the world that she and George both anxiously foresaw as destined, whatever the outcome, to become one of the most talked-about journeys in history.

February 19 at 7:30 p.m.

THE HURT LOCKER (2009) Starring Jeremy Renner, Guy Pearce; Rated R; 131 minutes

This film is an intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team, he surprises his two subordinates by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos and James' true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.

February 26 at 7:30

THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE (2009) Starring Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana; Rated PG-13; 107 minutes

A Chicago librarian suffers from a rare genetic disorder that sends him hurtling through time whenever he is under extreme duress. Despite this complication, he attempts to build a stable future with the beautiful young heiress he loves. This romantic comedy shows that love knows no boundaries and transcends time and death.  

March 5 at 7:30 p.m.

THE INFORMANT! (2009) Starring Matt Damon, Scott Bakula; Rated R; 108 minutes

In this drama based on a true story, a high-ranking executive, Mark Whitacre, at Archer Daniels Midland joins forces with the FBI to bring down both his company and the entire food industry. He uncovers a large price-fixing scam and decides to become an informant but ends up doing more jail time than his corrupt bosses.

March 12 at 7:30 p.m.

UP IN THE AIR (2009) Starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Jason Bateman; Rated R; 109 minutes

Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles. Leading an empty life lived out of a suitcase he thinks he may have finally met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams in this quirky comedy.

March 19 at 7:30 p.m.

SERIOUS MOONLIGHT (2009) Starring Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Juston Long; Rated R; 84 minutes

A high-powered female attorney learns that her husband is about to leave her for a much younger woman. Consumed by a dangerous romantic cocktail of love and desperation, she holds him captive until he “promises to stay with her and love her forever.” However, the wife’s plan becomes complicated when the couple’s home is overtaken by a robber.

March 26 at 7:30 p.m.

THE BLIND SIDE (2009) Starring Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates, Tim McGraw; Rated PG-13; 128 minutes

This film is the remarkable true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home. Michael was taken in by a wealthy white family who helped him fulfill his potential as a person and as an athlete. He worked hard on the field and in the classroom and became an All-American in college and was picked in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft, changing his life and the lives of the loving family who were there to watch him succeed.

April 2 at 7:30 p.m.

SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009) Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams; Rated PG-13; 128 minutes

In a dynamic new portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, Holmes and Watson are sent on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

April 9 at 7:30 p.m.

AN EDUCATION (2009) Starring Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina; Rated PG-13; 100 minutes

In the early 1960s, 16-year-old Jenny Mellor lives with her parents in a London suburb. She is smart, pretty, and working toward her goal of being accepted into Oxford. Her life will take a big turn when she meets David, a man twice her age. Now she must decide if she will pursue an education at Oxford, or if she will choose to learn all that a charismatic, older man can teach her.

April 16 at 7:30

THE STONING OF SORAYA M. (2009) Starring Shoreh Aghdashloo, James Caviezel; Rated R; 116 minutes

A world of secrecy, corruption and injustice lies at the heart of the emotionally charged experience of this film. Based on an incredible true story, this powerful tale of an Iranian village’s persecution of an innocent woman becomes both a daring act of witness and a compelling parable about mob rule. When Soraya’s husband brings false charges that end in tragedy, her aunt Zahra tells a reporter to try to get word to the outside world to fight injustice against women in her country.

April 23 at 7 p.m. (A One Book, One Community Event)

PLEASE NOTE THE EARLY SCREENING TIME OF 7 P.M. FOR THIS FILM EVENT

NO IMPACT MAN: A DOCUMENTARY (2008) Not rated; 93 minutes

Colin Beavan, a New York City writer and self-proclaimed liberal, has big plans for his new book. He decides on a grand experiment: to live one year with as little impact on the environment as possible. The problem is, the project requires his wife Michelle, an espresso-guzzling, Prada-worshipping business writer, and their young daughter to be fully on board. The family embarks on a year of no electricity, television, cars, toilet paper, elevators, or newspapers.

April 30 at 7:30 p.m.

PIRATE RADIO (2009) Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifams; Rated R; 135 minutes

Celebrated filmmaker Richard Curtis brings audiences his most personal comedy to date. Writing and directing the story of a band of rogue deejays who captivated British radio listeners in the ’60s, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that, incomprehensibly, preferred jazz, Curtis welcomes us aboard The Boat That Rocked.

All films are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Showing Wednesday, February 3rd at 2 p.m.

We're keeping our word and continuing to mix it up on Wednesday afternoons. Our Wednesday Matinee Film Series continues every Wednesday at 2 p.m. with a great mix of films.

February 3rd at 2 p.m.

BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1946) Starring Trevor Howard, Celia Johnson; Not Rated; 86 minutes

From Noël Coward's play "Still Life," legendary filmmaker David Lean explores the thrill, pain, and tenderness of an illicit romance in the dour, gray Britain of 1945. From a chance meeting on a train platform, a middle-aged married doctor (Trevor Howard) and a suburban housewife (Celia Johnson) enter into a quietly passionate, ultimately doomed love affair, set to a swirling Rachmaninoff score.

February 10th at 2 p.m. - CANCELED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER

JULIE & JULIA (2009) Starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci; Rated PG-13; 123 minutes

A woman verging on 30 and frustrated in her temp secretarial job, takes on a year-long culinary quest: cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." She chronicles her trials and tribulations in a blog that catches on with the food crowd. This film follows both women, who, while separated by time and space, discover that with the right combination of passion and fearlessness (and butter!), anything is possible.

February 17th at 2 p.m.

GOODBYE SOLO (2009) Starring Souleymane Sy Savane, Red West; Rated R; 91 minutes

Solo is a Senegalese cab driver working to provide a better life for his young family. William is a tough, Southern, good ol' boy with a lifetime of regrets. Despite their differences, both men soon realize they need each other more than either is willing to admit. This film explores the passing of a generation as well as the rapidly changing face of America.

February 24th at 2 p.m.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006) Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt; Rated PG-13; 109 minutes

 Andy, a young assistant to an impossibly demanding New York fashion magazine editor, has a job that every girl would dream of. Unfortunately, her heaven-sent appointment as a personal whipping girl just might be the death of her! Based on the best-selling book by Lauren Weisberger, who did once work for Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue magazine, we're showing this not only because it's a great movie (featuring an Oscar-worthy performance by Streep), but because the following evening, Thursday, February 25th at 7 p.m., we'll be showing The September Issue, a documentary about Wintour and Vogue, for a special mid-winter Girls Night Out. We thought it would be fun to revisit this very likeable movie featuring a not very likeable character.

Admission is free. Please join us!

Friday, January 29th at 7:30 p.m.

This Friday at 7:30 p.m., we will conclude our first-ever Independent Film Series. From the attendance, the applause, and the smiles, I think we can safely say that it will definitely not be our last! (Wasn't it fun???) 

Please join us on Friday for the last film of the series. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and support!

Friday, January 29 - 7:30 p.m.

BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN (2009) Starring John Krasinski, Timothy Hutton, and Julianne Nicholson; Not rated; 80 minutes

After her boyfriend mysteriously leaves her with little explanation, a doctoral candidate in anthropology at a prestigious East Coast university, Sara Quinn is left looking for answers as to what went wrong. Directing all her energies into her anthropological dissertation, Sara conducts a series of interviews with men in an effort to uncover the secret thoughts that drive their behavior. She thinks she can remedy both her heartache and her academic challenges with a new research project and begins conducting a series of interviews with men. As she records the astonishing and disquieting experiences of various subjects, Sara discovers much more about men and herself than she bargained for. (Based on the book by David Foster Wallace.)

Admission is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Showing Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Please join us on Wednesdays at 2 pm. for our Wednesday Matinee Series!

January 27 at 2 p.m.

The Cove (2009) A documentary; Rated PG-13; 92 minutes

This film begins in Taiji, Japan, where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has come to set things right. In the 1960s, it was O’Barry who captured and trained the dolphins that played the title character in the television show “Flipper.” He has now discovered a terrifying secret in a secluded cove where thousands of dolphins are hunted for meat and underhanded dealing to the entertainment industry. 

Click on the image at right to view the film trailer.

Single? You’re in good company.

Our Independent Film Series Continues!

Friday, January 22nd at 7:30 p.m. -- A Special Meet the Filmmakers Event! 

Written, produced, and directed by Richard Atkinson and Jane Scandurra, who will introduce the film and answer audience questions at the conclusion of the film.

SINGLE: A DOCUMENTARY  (2008) Not rated; 97 minutes

100 million adults in America are single and for the first time ever, the majority of US households are now headed by an unmarried person. "Single" - a documentary film, explores the growth of the unmarried population and the complexities of finding and maintaining a lasting relationship in today's crazy world. The game has dramatically changed.

 
To learn more about the film, click here. To watch the trailer, click here.

To watch the film and meet the filmmakers, meet here, at Darien Library - Friday, at  7:30 p.m.

For more information about our Independent Film Series, click here.

Showing Wednesday, January 20 at 2 p.m.

January 20, 2 p.m.  - BIG FISH

Our Wednesday Matinee Series continues with Big Fish. All I have to say about Big Fish is that it's one of my all-time favorite movies - mostly because it was such a cinematic and delightful surprise.

Here's what the critics have to say about this fabulous fable from director, Tim Burton:

A modern day "Wizard of Oz." - Scott Patrick, STARZ!/ENCORE

"Amazing! 'BIG FISH' is an incredible cinematic journey that is as wonderfully magical as it is visually dazzling." - Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV

“'BIG FISH' is Tim Burton's masterpiece." -Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Daily News

The details: Big Fish - (2003) Starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, and Jessica Lange; Rated PG-13; 125 minutes

Edward Bloom has always been a teller of tall tales especially about his own life.  He has created a past for himself that has taken him from a small Alabama town on journeys around the work.  His stories found him encountering giants, blizzards, witches and he even had a run-in with conjoined-twin lounge singers.  Now that he is dying, his estranged son Will just wants to get a glimpse of what his father is really like.

Our Independent Film Series Continues!

January 15 - 7:30 p.m.

HUMBLE PIE  (2007) Starring William Baldwin, Bruce McGill, Kathleen Quinlan, Hubbel Palmer, and Mary Lynn Raiskub; Rated PG-13; 84 minutes

At nearly 400 pounds, Tracy Orbison (Hubbel Palmer) is a wide target. When he sets out to pursue his dream of acting, the grocery clerk finds an assortment of people waiting to dash his dreams: his acting coach, who has designs on his sister Peggy; his juvenile-delinquent friends, who suck him into their petty crimes; and his God-fearing, self-loathing mother. Through it all, Tracy remains irrepressibly upbeat, convinced he's destined for something big.

To read more about the film and watch the trailer, click here.

For more information about our Independent Film Series, click here.

Friday, January 8th at 7:30 p.m.

"More films, please."

"M o r e  f i l m s,  p l e a s e."

'MORE FILMS, PLEASE."

We've been listening.

And that's why we are ever-so-happy to respond (answer) with the announcement of the start (this Friday!) of our first-ever Independent Film Series. We proudly present, on Friday, January 8th at 7:30 p.m....

THE ANSWER MAN 

(2009) Starring Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, Tony Hale, and Kat Dennings; Rated R; 97 minutes

Arlen Faber is the reclusive author of "Me and God," a book that has redefined spirituality for an entire generation and has been translated into over 100 languages. On the eve of the 20th anniversary of his wildly popular book, Arlen is still sought after as the man who has all the answers, but the truth is, he hasn't got a clue.

Click on the image at right to watch the trailer from the film.

Click here for all the details about our Independent Film Series.