The seventh annual TCM Big Screen Classics series continues on Sun., April 18, Wed., April 21 & Thurs., April 22 as Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events bring Golden Globe nominee for Best Picture La Bamba to select cinemas nationwide.
La Bamba is the story of the emergence in the late 1950s of a 17-year-old Mexican American Ritchie Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips), from the migrant camps and fruit groves of California’s San Joaquin Valley to the front lines of rock. Fusing Latin sounds and rhythms with a rock and roll beat that changed music history, Valens had a string of chart-topping hits including “La Bamba,” “Donna” and “Come On Let’s Go” when his career was tragically cut short by the 1959 airplane crash that also killed Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. With his dreams mostly misunderstood by his family, including mother (Rosana De Soto) and half-brother Bob (Esai Morales), Ritchie struggles to negotiate a path to show business success uncharted up to that point by Latino performers.
Dance your way to the movie theater for this special event that includes exclusive insights from Turner Classic Movies.
View the event trailer here: https://youtu.be/vRYObh38NUM
Tickets are available now at www.fathomevents.com/events/
The lineup for the 2021 TCM Big Screen Classics series is:
- La Bamba
- Fried Green Tomatoes 30th Anniversary
- The Birdcage 25th Anniversary
- The African Queen 70th Anniversary
- Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 50th Anniversary
- Citizen Kane 80th Anniversary
- The Silence of the Lambs 30th Anniversary
- West Side Story 60th Anniversary
- On Golden Pond 40th Anniversary
Since its start in 2015, the TCM Big Screen Classics series has proved to be an annual fan favorite. Many events in the series achieved rave reviews and were top performers at the box office.
“Year after year, the TCM Big Screen Classics series proves to be among our most requested programming,” said Fathom Events Vice President of Studio Relations, Tom Lucas. “We are excited to bring another exciting line-up of films across a variety of genres – from comedies to musicals to award-winning dramas, there is something for everyone.”
“This year has shown us that watching movies on the big screen is not an experience to take for granted, and 2021’s lineup of films has something for every movie lover,” said Genevieve McGillicuddy, vice president of enterprises and strategic partnerships, TCM. “We are prouder than ever to continue this partnership with Fathom Events to bring the TCM Big Screen Classics series to audiences around the country.”
La Bamba (1987)
DATE: Sun., April 18, Wed., April 21 & Thurs. April 22
CAST: Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto, Elizabeth Peña, Joe Pantoliano and Lou Diamond Phillips.
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY: Luis Valdez
The life of Mexican American rock & roll legend Richie Valens bursts across the screen in this celebrated, music-filled movie with star-making performances by Phillips as Richie and Morales as his half-brother, Bob. La Bamba, written and directred by Luis Valdez, depicts the 17-year-old’s rocket rise to fame, as he fights family problems and bigotry, to become a recording star with a string of hit singles and a date with destiny. Fueled by Valens’ hit songs performed by the Grammy®-winning Los Lobos, as well as classic ’50s tunes, La Bamba recreates the thrilling early days of rock and pays homage to the enduring legacy of a remarkable talent whose music crossed all borders.Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) 30th Anniversary
DATE: Sun., May 9 & Wed., May 12
CAST: Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker, and Cicely Tyson.SCREENPLAY BY: Fannie Flagg (novel) and Carol Sobieski (screenplay)
DIRECTED BY: Jon Avnet
This inspiring drama was adapted from Fannie Flagg’s best-selling novel “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.” When an unhappy housewife befriends a lady in a nursing home, she hears a remarkable tale of laughter, devotion, and a special friendship that defies all obstacles in this heart-warming film from acclaimed director Jon Avnet.
The Birdcage (1996) 25th Anniversary
DATE: June
CAST: Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Dianne Wiest.SCREENPLAY BY: Elaine May
DIRECTED BY: Mike Nichols
A hugely entertaining remake of the 1978 film La Cage aux Folles, The Birdcage follows the tale of a drag club owner and his partner as they deal with their son’s engagement to a conservative politician’s daughter.
The African Queen (1951) 70th Anniversary
DATE: July
CAST: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, and Robert Morley.
SCREENPLAY BY: John Huston, James Agee, Peter Viertel, and John Collier
DIRECTED BY: John Huston
SCREENPLAY BY: John Huston, James Agee, Peter Viertel, and John Collier
DIRECTED BY: John Huston
During World War I, the slovenly, drunkard captain of a steamer named The African Queen takes the prim sister of a British missionary to Africa aboard after invading Germans kill her brother. While she can’t tolerate the captain’s drinking and manner, and he can’t stand her judgmental attitude, inevitably, their mismatched relationship turns to one of affection as they traverse treacherous waters.Arguably one of the finest films ever made, The African Queen also features one of the most legendary star pairings with Humphrey Bogart, in the role that earned him his only Academy Award, and Katharine Hepburn in this timeless tale of opposites attracting.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) 50th Anniversary
DATE: August
CAST: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear, Julie Dawn Cole, Leonard Stone, Denise Nickerson, Dodo Denney, and Paris Themmen.SCREENPLAY BY: Roald Dahl
DIRECTED BY: Mel Stuart
This treasured musical is a veritable OSHA “what not to do” lesson…. Based on Roald Dahl’s cherished book, on a whirlwind tour of Willy Wonka’s world of “Pure Imagination,” an incredible, edible realm of chocolate waterfalls, Oompa-Loompas, and industrial-sized confections, a boy named Charlie discovers the sweetest secret of all.
Citizen Kane (1941) 80th Anniversary
DATE: September
CAST: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, Ray Collins, George Coulouris, Agnes Moorehead, Paul Stewart, Ruth Warrick, Erskine Sanford, and William Alland.SCREENPLAY BY: Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
DIRECTED BY: Orson Welles
Orson Welles’s first feature film, the innovative and precedent-setting Citizen Kane is considered by many critics, filmmakers, and fans to be the greatest film ever made. The investigation of a publishing tycoon’s dying words reveals conflicting stories about his scandalous life. “Rosebud….”
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 30th Anniversary
DATE: October
CAST: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, and Ted Levine.
SCREENPLAY BY: Ted Tally
DIRECTED BY: Jonathan Demme
SCREENPLAY BY: Ted Tally
DIRECTED BY: Jonathan Demme
Well, well, well… In The Silence of the Lambs a fledgling FBI agent, Clarice Starling, enlists the help of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, in catching a serial killer named “Buffalo Bill.”Released to great critical acclaim, The Silence of the Lambs became only the third film to win Academy Awards® in the “Big Five” categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
West Side Story (1961) 60th Anniversary
DATE: November
CAST: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, and Russ Tamblyn.SCREENPLAY BY: Ernest Lehman
DIRECTED BY: Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins
With music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics from Stephen Sondheim, this exhilarating ten-time Academy Award®-winning musical sets the timeless Romeo and Juliet tragedy in 1950. Two teenage street gangs, the white working-class Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks, face off in the slums of New York.
On Golden Pond (1981) 40th Anniversary
DATE: December
CAST: Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Doug McKeon, Dabney Coleman, and William Lanteau.
SCREENPLAY BY: Ernest Thompson
DIRECTED BY: Mark Rydell
SCREENPLAY BY: Ernest Thompson
DIRECTED BY: Mark Rydell
One of the 1980s most honored and cherished films, On Golden Pond, follows the story of a prickly retired professor who visits his Maine summer home with his loving wife, their daughter, her fiancé, and his son. The cantankerous professor develops an unlikely bond with his grandson, providing the framework for an emotional summer.On Golden Pond is also one of the few movies to earn the nominations for the Big Five Academy Awards® (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay).
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About Fathom Events:
Fathom is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal Cinemas, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L)., Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all of the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.
Fathom is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal Cinemas, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L)., Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all of the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.About Turner Classic Movies (TCM):
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a two-time Peabody Award-winning network that presents great films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world highlighting the entire spectrum of film history. TCM features the insights from Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz along with hosts Alicia Malone, Dave Karger, Jacqueline Stewart and Eddie Muller, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests and serves as the ultimate movie lover destination. Currently in its 26th year as a leading authority in classic film, TCM offers critically acclaimed series like The Essentials, along with annual programming events like 31 Days of Oscar® in February and Summer Under the Stars in August. TCM also directly connects with movie fans through events as the annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, the TCM Big Screen Classics series in partnership with Fathom Events, as well as through the TCM Classic Film Tour in New York City and Los Angeles. In addition, TCM produces a wide range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs, and hosts a wealth of material online at tcm.com and through the Watch TCM mobile app.