Friday Flicks: Bridge on the River Kwai
7 p.m. Friday, May 24
$7 / $5 students
Doors and Varsity Bar at 6:30
The 1957 film opens in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in Burma in 1943, where a battle of wills rages between camp commander Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) and newly arrived British colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness). Saito insists that Nicholson order his men to build a bridge over the river Kwai, which will be used to transport Japanese munitions. Nicholson refuses, despite all the various "persuasive" devices at Saito's disposal. Finally, Nicholson agrees, not so much to cooperate with his captor as to provide a morale-boosting project for the military engineers under his command. Meanwhile, American POW Shears (William Holden), having escaped from the camp, agrees to save himself from a court martial by leading a group of British soldiers back to the camp to destroy Nicholson's bridge. Filmed in Ceylon, “Bridge on the River Kwai” won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for the legendary British filmmaker Lean, and Best Actor for Guinness. Rated PG
Tickets are not available in advance at the venue but will be available on the day of the show, when doors open at 1:30.
Love, Simon
7 p.m. Friday, May 31
$7 / $5 for students with ID
Doors and Varsity Bar at 6:30
Immediately after the opening reception of SI Pride Weekend at The Varsity, the venue will screen “Love, Simon” on Friday, May 31.
The 2018 movie centers on 17-year-old Simon Spier, who has yet to tell his family or friends that he’s gay; and, he doesn’t actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he’s fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing.
Directed by Greg Berlanti (“Riverdale,” “The Flash,” “Supergirl”), written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger (“This is Us”), and based on Becky Albertalli's acclaimed novel, “Love, Simon” is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.
The movie is a “mainstream-styled teenage rom-com that uses every cliché in the book, wrote critic Sheila O’Malley on rogerebert.com. “There's the nerdy vice principal, the bacchanalian high school party, supportive yet somewhat clueless parents, witty voiceover from the protagonist, public declarations of love in front of the whole school, all held together by a stream of catchy pop tunes. But the use of these clichés represents a huge first, because it is the story of a young closeted gay kid's difficult and often humorous march towards coming out. “
The film stars Nick Robinson as Simon, as well as Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Garner. It’s rated PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual references, language and teen partying.
Tickets are not available in advance at the venue.