Family Classics Picture Show returns for a 2nd Year of Family Fun at the Movies

The Family Classics Picture Show introduces the magic of cinema to parents and kids with a year-long series of 10 fun and affordable Sunday matinees. The program finishes its 2nd year on Sunday, December 18th at 2pm with a screening of It’s a Wonderful Life.

To get families excited about the magic of the movies, each matinee will feature an introduction by actor, magician, and movie buff David Moreland and will include custom enrichment guides to help continue the conversation after the credits roll. Discounted tickets for these special Sunday events are just $3 for adults, $2 for kids, or $10 for an entire family. The Family Classics Picture Show at Cinemapolis is made possible by lead sponsor Wells Fargo Advisors, with additional support from Mama Goose.

The series is the brainchild of Ithaca City School District teacher Allison Andersen. After developing an educational series of similar screenings at Cinemapolis for the K-5 classes at Fall Creek Elementary, Anderson wanted to open up the concept for the entire community.

“As a teacher and parent, I’ve long been interested in the idea of growing literacy,” says Andersen. “The understanding of timeless themes and characters’ motivations are critical to understanding both film and literature, but these ideas are perhaps more easily introduced to children through the visual power of films. Our Family Classics Picture Show develops literacy by presenting classic films that express universal themes such as friendship, adversity, and family loyalty– themes which students will visit time and again in literature as well as film.”Working with Cinemapolis staff and a dedicated committee of volunteers, Andersen has crafted a line-up of films that will lead families through American cinema’s exciting early years and into the modern age:

January 24th – Wizard of Oz (1939)
February 21st – Roman Holiday (1953)
March 20th – Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)
April 17th – Born Free (1966)
May 15th – The In-Laws (1979)
June 19th – Abbott & Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
September (date TBA) – A Night at the Opera (1935)
October 23rd – The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) – BUY TICKETS
SPECIAL ELECTION SEASON ADDITION – November 6th – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) – BUY TICKETS
November 20th – Rear Window (1954) – BUY TICKETS
December 18th – It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – BUY TICKETS

All shows will begin at 2 pm and will conclude with the distribution of guides that highlight facts about the film, feature excellent books that explore similar themes, and provide a list of additional movies that families can enjoy.

As emcee of the Family Classics Picture Show, David Moreland brings his own family’s love of cinema along with his experience in the movie business. Before moving to Ithaca in 2002, Moreland worked as a character actor in Hollywood and appeared in dozens of television shows and the films Legally Blonde, Donnie Darko, One Hour Photo, and City of Angels. “I don’t think classic films are inherently better than the best of current Hollywood releases, but today’s kids see the current releases over and over, and if we don’t make a special time for the classics, young people will never see them. That’s what the Family Classics Picture Show is all about,” says Moreland. “I’ve shown many of the films in this year’s line-up to my daughters. They’ve asked to see them again and again, and have even chosen them as their birthday party movie, so their friends could see them too.”

The Family Classics Picture Show at Cinemapolis is presented by Wells Fargo Advisors, While staff and committee members have vetted the films in the Family Classics Picture Show, only parents can decide which films are the right fit for their family. Cinemapolis encourages parents to read about each film at CommonSenseMedia.org before deciding to attend.