2 weeks Ago By Ben Elliott
Brash, unapologetically independent, with a shoot-first, ask-questions-later mentality, cowboys embody the self-made mythology at the core of American identity—for better and often for worse. The myth of the cowboy really took hold of the American consciousness when they rode onto the movie screen. From “The Great Train Robbery” and “Stagecoach” to modern entries like “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “The Power of the Dog,” cowboy stories are so iconic that they created their own genre: the Western.
Yet, if you sit with almost any of the great movie Westerns, you will find a genre that wrestles with deep questions of American identity. Films like “Shane,” “The Wild Bunch,” and “The Searchers” all grapple with the legacy of violence that paved the way for American prosperity. And while neo-Westerns like “No Country for Old Men” and “Hell or High Water” continue to wrestle with that moral decay, some filmmakers are using the Western to explore new themes.
“National Anthem,” which opens at The Triplex this week, is based on Director Luke Gilford’s photojournalism work with real-life queer rodeos in the American Southwest. He has adapted that experience into a touching story of love and acceptance, set against a backdrop as stunning and cinematic as any John Ford film. It is a stirring reminder that Westerns don’t have to be stories of isolation.
National Anthem is the story of marginalized people coming together to create a supportive, loving community in the Wild West. It doesn’t get any more American than that. “Between the Temples” A mid-life coming-of-age comedy with Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane.
As a 40-something cantor struggles with losing his voice and failing to meet the expectations of his rabbi, congregation, and not one but two Jewish mothers, his world turns upside down when his grade school music teacher re-enters his life as an adult bat mitzvah student. Powered by the winning chemistry of stars Jason Schwarzman and Carol Kane, “Between the Temples” is a character-driven comedy that explores the complexities of faith, connection, and what it means to be a mensch. Actress Maddie Weinstein joins us for a Q&A Friday, August 30, at 7:15 p.
m.! “Didi” An award-winning coming-of-age comedy from Director Sean Wang. Winner of the audience award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, “Didi” is an authentic ode to coming of age in the internet era.
Director Sean Wang’s semi-autobiographical debut follows a 13-year-old Chris as he learns to skate, flirt, and appreciate everything that his mother (Joan Chen) has done for him over the course of his last summer before high school. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” We are just a few day-ohs away from “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” coming to The Triplex! Director Tim Burton reunites with stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara (and welcomes newcomers Jenna Ortega, Willem Defoe, Monica Bellucci, and Justin Theroux) to dive back into their singular vision of the underworld. Starts September 6.
“Seven Samurai” One of the most influential movies of all time comes to The Triplex in a new restoration! The story of a ragtag team of samurai teaming up to protect a village from bandits, Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” plays from September 6 to 12 as part of The Triplex’s Limited Engagement series..
