Movie theatre a permitted environment
As many of you know, our city is now on the watch list for enhanced public safety measures. Currently that means limiting social and family gatherings to 15 persons.
A lot of confusion has arisen with this order, and one needs to read a little deeper to see that this does not apply to structured indoor events such as movie theatres. We can accommodate crowds up to 35 per cent in each of our seven auditoriums — leaving ample room to socially distance. Along with our staggered showtimes, rarely will you encounter any size of group. As you are seated (six feet apart), and as you are not typically moving around or talking (unless you are one of those who talk back to the screen!), you are in a permitted environment.
Now on to better things to discuss — new movies! We are proud to premiere two brand new movies to the city starting this Friday. The first is what we term an “exclusive premium” offering (meaning all seats, all days will be $5, and no passes accepted — this is far lower than the $8-$12 charged elsewhere for this opening).
“Hillbilly Elegy” is rated 14A and is 116 minutes in length. It will play daily at 12, 3, 6 and
8:40 p.m.
“J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale law student, is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget. J.D. must navigate the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother Bev (Amy Adams), who is struggling with addiction. Fuelled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), the resilient and whipsmart woman who raised him, J.D. comes to embrace his family’s indelible imprint on his own personal journey.
“Based on J.D.
Vance’s #1 New York Times Bestseller, directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard and produced by Academy Award winner Brian Grazer, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ is a powerful personal memoir that offers a window into one family’s personal journey of survival and triumph. By following three colourful generations through their unique struggles, J.D.’s family story explores the highs and lows that define his family’s experience.” — Netflix.
The other premiere film opening is titled “The Last Shift.” It is rated 14A and runs 90 minutes in length. It will show daily at 3:30 and 6:40 p.m.
“‘The Last Shift’ is an American story about two men struggling in the same town, while worlds apart. Stanley (two-time Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins: Best Actor,
‘The Visitor,’ 2009; Best Supporting Actor, ‘The Shape of Water,’ 2017), an aging fast-food worker, plans to call it quits after 38 years on the graveyard shift at Oscar’s Chicken and Fish. His last weekend takes a turn while training his replacement, Jevon (Shane Paul McGhie), a talented but stalled young writer whose provocative politics keep landing him in trouble. These two who share little in common are brought together through circumstance. Stanley, a high school dropout who has watched life pass by his drive-through window, proudly details the nuances of the job. While Jevon, a columnist who is too smart to be flipping patties, contends their labour is being exploited. A flicker of comradery sparks during the long overnight hours in a quiet kitchen.” — Sony Pictures.
Hope to see you at the movie theatre!
Leonard Binning operates the Movie Mill and is a past president of the Motion Picture Theatre Association of Alberta. His column appears Thursdays.