2010 SPRING CINEMA SERIES
January 27: THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO
Woody Allen, 1985, USA
The Spring Cinema Series opens with the Woody Allen Classic The Purple Rose of Cairo about a fanatical moviegoer who falls in love with a character from her favorite film. As the realms of fact and fantasy become increasingly blurred, the town is thrown into a dramatic upheaval. Starring Jeff Daniels and Mia Farrow, this film is a charming fable about our enduring love affair with the movies. 82 minutes.
February 3: THE ICE STORM
Ang Lee, 1997, USA
When a severe ice storm descends on the inhabitants of New Canaan, Connecticut during Thanksgiving of 1973 it changes their lives forever. This moody and highly stylized family drama exploring social mores in a changing America features a spectacular ensemble cast including Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Allison Janney, and Elijah Wood. 112 minutes.
February 10: BAMBOOZLED
Spike Lee, 2000, USA
When an embittered television writer can’t get his wholesome family comedy produced, he petulantly pitches a minstrel show revival that unexpectedly becomes a runaway hit. Spike Lee’s meta-critique of the Black image in film & television is a sharp and searing satire of race, ratings, and the pursuit of power. Co-presented by SRJC History Professor and 2009 Tauzer lecturer Andre LaRue. 135 minutes.
February 17: ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
Milos Forman, 1975, USA
Milos Forman’s masterful adaptation of Ken Kesey’s acclaimed novel follows R. P. McMurphy, a psych ward rebel who inspires his fellow inmates to rise up and challenge the social order of the tyrannical Nurse Ratched. Shot in a real Oregon mental hospital, the film explores conformity, sanity, and the freedom of the human spirit. Winner of the “Big Five” academy awards. 133 minutes.
February 24: NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
Charles Laughton, 1955, USA
Robert Mitchum delivers one of the most impressive performances of his career as a preacher hunting down two innocent children for the secrets that they hold about their father’s hidden treasure. With stunning cinematography and incredible visual design, The Night of the Hunter has become a film noir classic – a film years ahead of its time. 92 minutes.
March 3: MOTHERLAND
Jennifer Steinman, 2009, USA
In honor of Women’s History Month, this extraordinary new documentary chronicles the story of six American women who have all lost a child as they embark on a journey to South Africa to improve the lives of children to whom tragedy is no stranger. What follows is an intensely moving examination of loss and discovery inspired by the majesty of the African motherland and the hope and resilience of its children. New York filmmaker Jennifer Steinman and special guests from the film will be in conversation at the screening. 80 minutes.
March 10: AFTER THE WEDDING
Susanne Bier, 2006, Denmark
When the manager of an orphanage in India travels to Copenhagen to pursue a new financial partnership, he learns a life-altering family secret. Recently nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of 2006, Susanne Bier’s riveting family drama exemplifies the best of New Danish Cinema. 120 minutes.
March 24: WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?
Robert Aldrich, 1962, USA
Golden Age icons Bette Davis and Joan Crawford team up in one of the most thrilling and disturbing rivalries in the history of cinema. When “Baby Jane” is left to care for her celebrated older sibling, now confined to a wheelchair, it provides the perfect opportunity for the revenge she has always dreamed of. Nominated for five Oscars. 132 minutes.
March 31: RUN LOLA RUN
Tom Tykwer, 1999, Germany
Tom Tykwer directs this internationally acclaimed sensation about two star-crossed lovers who have only minutes to change their lives. Run Lola Run is a cinematic roller coaster ride about the ability to alter one’s fate. Winner of the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, the film marked the beginning of a renaissance in New German Cinema. 81 minutes.
April 7: REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
Darren Aronofsky, 2000, USA
Darren Aronofsky’s bleak portrait of addiction and despair follows four interconnected characters whose hopes and dreams are left shattered and unfulfilled. This aesthetically brilliant achievement features exceptional rhythmic editing, absorbing soundscapes, and an amazing Oscar-nominated performance by Ellen Burstyn. 102 minutes.
April 14: THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY?
Sydney Pollack, 1969, USA
This fascinating, dark comedy-drama, based on real events that took place during the Depression, vividly recreates the hardships endured by contestants hoping to win a $1500 cash prize in a 1200-hour dance marathon. The film earned 9 academy award nominations, including one for director Sydney Pollack and Jane Fonda in her leading role. 120 minutes.
April 21: HERO
Zhang Yimou, 2002, China
In his quest to free China from its oppressive emperor, a nameless master assassin must journey through dire battlefields, barren landscapes, and emotional turmoil to finally discover the true meaning of heroism. Jet Li Stars in this beautifully choreographed and designed martial art masterpiece that was the highest-grossing film in Chinese history. 99 minutes.
April 28: MY SUICIDE
David Lee Miller, 2009, USA
Petaluma native Gabriel Sunday plays 17-year old loner Archie Williams whose world is radically transformed after announcing to his high school film class that he is going to kill himself on camera for his final project. At times hilarious and heart-wrenching, the film’s hyper-stylized animation/live action mash-up paints a brutally honest portrait of teenage existence in a media-saturated wasteland of hypocrisy and superficiality. Local writer and producer Eric J. Adams will be in conversation following the screening. 105 minutes.
May 5: 3 WOMEN
Robert Altman, 1977, USA
Inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s arthouse classic Persona, Altman creates a dreamy and enigmatic portrait of three women living in the California desert whose identities blur, shift, and merge together. Beautiful and daring, the film challenges the audience to draw their own conclusions on the film’s existential implications. Shelley Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and Janice Rule star. 124 minutes.
May 12: ELECTION
Alexander Payne, 1999, USA
When admired high school instructor Jim McAllister must deal with a ferocious overachiever’s run for class president, he sacrifices his professional reputation to do whatever it takes to keep her from winning. This Oscar-nominated comedy, which features hilarious performances by Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, examines revenge and sexual frustration in suburban high school life. 103 minutes.