The restaurant is one of our favorites. The same can be said of the movie - It's a Wonderful Life. And the couple are good friends we don't see often enough. So I was looking forward to a pleasant evening.
What I didn't expect was the experience of watching a movie at the Artcraft Theatre.
The Artcraft is a 101-year-old theater that seats 625. Saturday night nearly every seat was taken for a showing of a 76-year-old movie.
A little after the advertised showtime, a relentlessly upbeat emcee with a flawless NPR voice entered the stage with his microphone to thank all the volunteers and sponsors who keep the doors open.
Then he proceeded to give away a few door prizes before searching through the audience to find the individual who came the furthest to see the movie. A woman from Serbia was invited to come forward and place a thumb tack in a map of the world. She also won a lightbulb-shaped cup filled with Indiana-raised popcorn kernels.
At one point, the emcee asked how many in the crowd had never seen It's a Wonderful Life. When about 75 hands went up, the rest of the crowd applauded and smiled, confident the movie would be gaining 75 new devotees.
And then - get this - before the lights went down, the audience was asked to stand and join voices in singing the National Anthem. Which we did - enthusiastically and unironically!
Finally, the emcee introduced the projectionist, a position which apparently brings the privilege of choosing the pre-feature cartoon. This projectionist chose classic Bugs Bunny: The Rabbit of Seville.
Chef's kiss!
When the movie ended, well after 10 o'clock, the crowd broke into applause.
I'm not sure if it was in appreciation for the movie or for the unexpected and much-needed lift in cultural optimism.
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