Movies & Screenings
Special Film Event - "The Color of Fear"
Written by Barbara T. on 03/27/2010
We invite you to join us tonight for a special Stand Against Racism* event, co-sponsored by the YWCA Darien/Norwalk.
Wednesday, March 31 at 7 p.m.
THE COLOR OF FEAR
The Color of Fear is an insightful, groundbreaking film about the state of race relations in America as seen through the eyes of eight North American men of Asian, European, Latino and African descent. In a series of intelligent, emotional and dramatic confrontations the men reveal the pain and scars that racism has caused them. What emerges is a deeper sense of understanding and trust. This is the dialogue most of us fear, but hope will happen sometime in our lifetime. (Running time: 90 minutes)
"What is presented to me as an American does not look like me. Does not think like me, does not smell like me, does not cry like me."-- Mexican-American participant featured in the film
"I won't trust you until you're as affected by my experience as I am everyday by yours." -- African-American participant featured in the film.
To view the trailer, click here.
*The Stand Against Racism is a movement of the YWCA with the goal of bringing people together from all walks of life - across the country - to raise awareness that racism still exists. “Stand Against Racism” day is Friday, April 30, 2010,The YWCA Darien/Norwalk, along with 60 YWCA's and approximately 1,500 organizations will celebrate diversity and raise awareness that racism still exists and should not be tolerated.
Please join us for this important film event.
Wednesday Matinee Forecast - "Storm" at 2 p.m.
Written by Barbara T. on 03/27/2010
Our Wednesday Matinee Series continues on Wednesday, March 31 at 2 p.m. with an international thriller.
STORM (2009) Starring Anamaria Marinca and Kerry Fox; Not rated; 105 minutes (In English, German, Bosnian, and Serbian with English subtitles.)
Hannah Maynard, prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague, is leading a trial against a former commander of the Yugoslavian National Army who is accused of the deportation and later killing of dozens of Bosnian-Muslim civilians. When a key witness commits suicide, it looks like the case will unravel, however Hannah refuses to give in.
Hoping to uncover new findings, she travels to the witness' burial in Sarajevo and meets his sister Mira who she senses has much more to say than she is willing to admit. Despite threats of violence, Mira reluctantly agrees to testify at The Hague. However, she and Hannah must both risk life and limb to make it to the court, only to discover that there are traitors among their own ranks.
This an an edge-of-your-seat thriller, with a great story and wonderful performances. Click here to learn more and to watch the trailer.
Friday's Film - "The Blind Side"
Written by Barbara T. on 03/20/2010
This Friday, March 26th at 7:30 p.m., we are pleased to present The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates, Tim McGraw, and Quinton Aaron. Sandra Bullock won the Oscar and the Golden Globe for her performance in this film. The Oscar-nominated film has won a place in many hearts and memories. Please join us as our Friday Film Series continues.
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.
To learn more about the film and view the trailer, click here.
This film is rated PG-13. Running time is 128 minutes.
Refreshments will be served.
Admission is free.
For more information about our Friday Film Series, please click here.
Friday's Film ~ "Serious Moonlight"
Written by Barbara T. on 03/17/2010
Our Friday Film Series continues with a dark (very dark) comedy starring Meg Ryan. We hope that you'll join us at 7:30 p.m. on Friday...and every Friday.
Friday, March 19th 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.
"Amusing black comedy about an avenging wife features a strong cast directed by Cheryl Hines." -- Hollywood Reporter
Click on the image at left to watch the trailer.
Refreshments will be served. Admission is free.
Friday's Film ~ "Up in the Air"
Written by Barbara T. on 03/10/2010
We are not up-in-the-air (or undecided, uncertain, wishy-washy, or ambivalent) IN THE LEAST with our Friday Film Series selection for this Friday! We know that you will enjoy every moment of this excellent Oscar-nominated film with its Oscar-nominated cast.
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.
"A smart, alert, supremely entertaining movie." -- The Washington Post
"One-word reaction: bravo." -- Rolling Stone
"Timeliness can be tricky to pull off convincingly in movies. It's tough to capture an era while it's still happening, yet Up in the Air does so brilliantly, with wit and humanity." -- USA Today
...and my favorite review...from The Philadelphia Inquirer...well, um, just because...
"Ryan may not be admirable, but Clooney makes him relatable. It's his deepest and nakedest performance."
Please join us. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Wednesday Matinee ~ The Grapes of Wrath
Written by Barbara T. on 03/08/2010
Wednesday Matinees continue with a special film screening!
Wednesday, March 10 at 2 p.m. - A One Book, One Community Event
THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940) - Starring Henry Fonda and John Carradine; Not rated; 129 minutes
A poor Midwestern family is forced off their land and travels to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression. (Wow. Get a load of this early film trailer!)
"The Grapes of Wrath is just about as good as any picture has a right to be; if it were any better, we just wouldn't believe our eyes." - Frank S. Nugent - The New York Times
"There is a rigorous purity in [Ford's] visual style that serves the subject well. The Grapes of Wrath contains not a single shot that seems careless or routine." - Roger Ebert
To learn more about our One Book, One Community town-wide read, please click here.
Oscar-worthy March!
Written by Barbara T. on 02/26/2010
Our Friday Film Series continues throughout March with these fun, interesting, and thought-provoking films. Two are nominated for Oscars. Up in the Air and The Blind Side are both up for Best Picture, George Clooney is up for Best Actor, and Sandra Bullock may take home the Oscar for Best Actress. The Oscars will be presented on March 7th, so by the time we show these movies...we'll KNOW the truth (according to Oscar). The real truth is, we're looking forward to this entire series...week by week...month by month. Welcome to March's Movies! To view the trailers from the selected films, please click on the images. To see the lineup for our entire Friday Film Series, please click here.
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.
All films are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Film screening on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.: " I.O.U.S.A."
Written by Barbara T. on 02/20/2010
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.
It's Girls' Night Out!
Written by Barbara T. on 02/19/2010
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 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.
Friday Film Series - February, March, April
Written by Barbara T. on 02/01/2010
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.
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