Before I Fall PG-13
February 12 is just another day in the life of popular high school student Sam Kingston (Zoey Deutch)—except that it ends with she and her friends in a fatal car crash. Astonishingly, Sam awakens the following morning to discover she’s reliving that fateful day, again and again—presumably until she has sufficiently changed events. Is her clique’s “mean girl” behavior the catalyst, or is there something else Sam has overlooked? A teen-centric version of Groundhog Day, throughout the day, Sam makes new observations each time it replays. Adapted from Lauren Oliver’s YA novel, the film contrasts the desperate feelings of being an outcast with the arrogance that frequently accompanies “having it all.” (Lisa Miller)
Little Bang Theory—Laugh, Clown, Laugh
Lon Chaney was known as the master of mute horror for silent movie classics such as The Phantom of the Opera. The son of deaf-mute parents, he was adept at communicating through gesture and facial expression—and much of what he expressed was agony of one sort or another. In one of his last movies before his death in 1930, Laugh, Clown, Laugh, Chaney plays a traveling circus clown who adopts an abandoned girl. Years later, he begins to fall in love with her. Detroit’s Little Bang Theory, one of several contemporary ensembles known for composing original music to accompany silent films, will perform alongside a screening of Laugh, Clown, Laugh presented by Theatre Gigante. (David Luhrssen)
7:30 p.m., March 3-4, Kenilworth 508 Theatre, 1925 E. Kenilworth Place.
The Shack PG-13
Based on the Christian-themed novel by William P. Young, this adaptation depicts a father’s inconsolable state following his young daughter’s senseless murder. Four years have passed, when a depressed Mack Phillips (Sam Worthington) opens his mailbox to find an invitation to meet the mysterious “Papa” (Octavia Spencer) at the crime scene, an Oregon shack. In addition to Papa, he’s greeted by Jesus (Avraham Aviv Alush) and the Holy Spirit (Sumire Matsubara). The three entities share another perspective on his daughter's death, and magically transform the terrible scene into a place of captivating beauty. Originally written in 2007 as a gift for his own six children, Young and his supporters self-published his tome and were pleasantly surprised when, in 2008, the book hit number one on New York Times Bestseller list. (L.M.)
