By Jeanni Ritchie
Free and discounted summer movies have been around ever since I became a grandmother. I’ve sat in darkened theaters on weekday summer mornings in Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Louisiana for over 20 years.
Sometimes revisiting beloved classics, sometimes catching a show we’d missed during its initial run, the family friendly flicks were also a fun outing. And usually packed!
A favorite for daycares, summer camps, and moms fighting cries of boredom and the summer heat, free/discounted summer movies are a true gift to the community.
The Grand in Alexandria has offered free summer movies (and $5 popcorn boxes) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 AM for the last two years. Last month I attended my first one.
History had taught me to arrive early- seating is limited and its first come, first serve- but we were the first ones in the door at 9:30. The theater did almost fill up by the time the movie started but no one was turned away. Most guests arrived around 9:50.
We’d gone to see Migration, the 2023 animated film about a family of ducks who decide to leave the safety of a New England pond for an adventurous trip to Jamaica. The experience soon inspires them to expand their horizons, open themselves up to new friends, and accomplish more than they ever thought possible.
Guess who wrote it? School of Rock’s Ned Schneebly!
That’s right! Actor/Screenwriter/Upcoming Returning Survivor Contestant Mike White wrote the screenplay that made ME wish I could write a kids’ script that good. It had all the elements for a great family friendly hit!
White wrote, as well as starred in, School of Rock as well as The Emoji Movie, Pitch Perfect 3, White Lotus, Despicable Me 4, and Nacho Libre to name a few. I love that his writing is so diverse! He is incredibly talented.
I visited with several families as well as a group from a local daycare. Most had been to at least three other summer movies already.
I wouldn’t be in town for the final two movies being shown but there were plenty of new releases coming out that I was excited for.
The top of my list was Freakier Friday, the long-awaited sequel to the 2003 Lindsay Lohan-Jamie Lee Curtis film. It comes out August 8.
Other movies on my radar include: Bad Guys 2, Good Fortune, Now You See Me 3, Zootopia 2, and Wicked: For Good. I’ll see that on an IMAX somewhere in Nashville when it opens this Thanksgiving!
Next summer’s free movie line-up will likely be announced next May. Mark your calendars for your favorites!
Jeanni Ritchie is a movie-loving journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
