Fight the Hate- Watch a Movie!

After the horrible events of a couple weeks ago, you may be saying to yourself, "What can I do to fight hatred and bigotry?" Well, if you're Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League, you throw a film festival. League announced that the Charlottesville Alamo Drafthouse along with other locations, will be hosting Intolerable: Reflections of Bigotry and Hatred in the Cinema . Starting September 5th, they will be screening an assortment of films that shine Hollywood's spotlight on bigotry.

Classics like Cabaret (1972), The Battle of Algiers (1966), 12 Angry Men (1957), Blazing Saddles (1974), and Hairspray (1988) explore how insidious hatred is in our culture and how the movies can play a vital part in exposing it. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Southern Poverty Law Center and voter registration and talkbacks will be available after the showings- so it's a movie festival with a vital mission- beyond just selling popcorn.

Mr. League didn't ask me, but there are a few classics I would add to the lineup:

Gentleman's Agreement (1947)

Antisemitism doesn't always come with torches and hand salutes. When a reporter Philip Schuyler Green (Gregory Peck) goes undercover for a story on antisemitism, he (and his family) discover what good, clean Americans really think of Jews. Elia Kazan directs this Oscar-winner with knockout performances by John Garfield, Celeste Holm (Best Supporting Actress winner), and a heartbreaking, young Dean Stockwell.

A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

Lorraine Hansberry also takes a homegrown approach to racism in Raisin. Raisin tells the story of the Youngers, a Black family who earn a piece of the American Dream only to discover that dream is not colorblind. It's a brutal lesson about how racism poisons whole generations of families and communities in the quiet shade of our finest neighborhoods. Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee star.

The Children's Hour (1961)

The same year that Raisin was made, William Wyler directed the film version of Lillian Hellman's stageplay The Children's Hour. Martha and Karen (Shirley MacLaine and Audrey Hepburn) are a couple of teachers at a girls' school who become the target of a lesbian witchhunt, instigated by a finger-pointing girl who might as well be yelling, "The yellow bird! The yellow bird!"

There are critics that feel the portrayal of the tragic lesbian is hackneyed and unhelpful. But any lesbian story to make it to the big screen in 1961 that wasn't set in a women's prison feels like a win. More importantly The Children's Hour rates highly on the "Lance Cried Like a Baby Meter."

So if you can't make it to an Alamo Theater- rent a couple of these classics and donate your money and/or time to a cause that helps this world be a little less hateful.

Your Birth- Your Movie!

Writers Scott Beggs and Matt Patches have taken on a wonderful project- listing the movies for each year that made the most money, earned the Best Picture Oscar, and which ones are actually the best of the year according to Beggs and Patches (whose names should be switched to Patches and Beggs for maximum vaudeville effect).

Sure this makes for good "The Movies the Year You Were Born" clickbait- but take a longer look. It's interesting to see what put butts in the seat vs. what made the Academy swoon. Sometimes it's the same movie. Sometimes (especially in the early 20's and 30's) you've never heard of the film. The last category is totally arguable. I mean, I love Pink Flamingos, but it ain't better than Cabaret or The Poseidon Adventure.