SUMMER Friday Film Club

We ended our regular Friday Film Series with the 50th Anniversary documentary honoring one of mankind’s greatest achievements: Apollo 11’s First Man on the Moon mission.

We will continue towards the stars with the goal mining rocket boys blasting off on June 28th with October Sky, travel on July 26th to Carl Sagan’s Contact, and end on August 23rd with Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar.
As we ponder the saving of the planet on film, and with our adult summer read:
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber.

Films are shown Friday Afternoon at 1 PM in our upstairs theater for adults 18 & up.
Hot Tea, Pastries & Popcorn served and discussion after all movies.

June 28 @ 1 PM: October Sky

In Coalwood, West Virginia, all the boys grow up to be coal miners and Homer Hickam has no reason to think he’ll be any different. Too small to earn a football scholarship, Homer has no way out of his predetermined life — until the soviet satellite Sputnik flies over the October sky and changes everything. It’s 1957 and Homer’s world just got a lot bigger. Though his father is mine superintendent and has no greater wish than to see his sons follow in his footsteps, Homer embarks on a mission to build and launch his own homemade rockets with the help of his loyal band of friends. Though their frequent mistakes nearly get them shut down, their successes inspire the whole town to believe that miracles can happen even in Coalwood, and there’s nothing wrong with shooting for the stars.

Also, this film is at the top of my inspiring feel-good best movies list!

 

July 26 @ 1 PM: Contact (Book available at the front desk)

Roger Ebert revisited the movie Contact and gave it 5 Stars. Here is an excerpt from his article:

“Contact” is a film that takes place at the intersection of science, politics and faith. 
Watching the film again after 14 years, I was startled by how bold it is. Its heroine is a radio astronomer named Dr. Eleanor Arroway (Jodie Foster), who is an atheist. In the film she forms a cautious relationship with Palmer Joss (Matthew McConaughey), a believer in God who writes about science. 
The movie is based on a novel by Carl Sagan, who told us with such joy that there are “billions and billions of stars up there.” As a child fascinated by the stars, Ellie asks her father (David Morse) if there are humans on other planets, and he tells her: “If we are alone in the Universe, it sure seems like an awful waste of space.” The quote is often attributed to Sagan.

I selected Contact, even though released in July 1997, because it is still relevant in July 2019.

 

August 23 @ 1 PM: Interstellar

From director Christopher Nolan comes the story of ex-pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), who must leave his family and Earth behind to lead an expedition beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars.

This film blends in very well with our Summer Read:
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber.
Book available at the front desk and discussion on Thursday, August 22 at 7 pm.

 

At every Adult Summer Reading Program participants will receive a raffle ticket for a $10 Trader Joe’s gift card (drawing after each program).