Snapshots of Society

  • Date(s): Wednesday, March 28th 2007 - Saturday, June 30th 2007
  • Time: 6 p.m.
  • Location: Niobrara County Library

A program, “Faces of Family” offered this past fall will be continued at the Niobrara County Library beginning Wednesday, January 31. The new series, “Snapshots of Society” will feature a popular film, light meal and an opportunity to discuss social issues in today’s society.

The series will once again use audio technology to connect library participants with inmates at the Wyoming Women’s Center for a shared discussion of the films.

Snapshots of Society begins with “Immediate Family” on Wednesday, January 31, 2007. This 1990 film starring Glenn Close, James Wood and Mary Stuart Masterson provides a humorous, poignant look at the relationship between a couple yearning for a child of their own and a young pregnant girl who may provide the key to their happiness.

February 28 will feature “Smoke Signals.” This 1998 release features Thomas, a skinny, toothsome kid wearing oversized glasses and plaid shirts under three-piece suits and Victor who is a brooding loner. These Coeur d’Alene Indians trek from their Idaho reservation to Phoenix to retrieve the ashes of Victor’s estranged father. Based on Sherman Alexie’s The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, this is the first film written, directed, and acted completely by American Indians, this film addresses several social issues.

“Stand and Deliver” on March 28 will enthuse. This 1988 film stars Edward James Olmos and Lou Diamond Phillips and is the compelling true-life story of East Los Angeles calculus high school teacher Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos). Escalante surmounted overwhelming odds in his efforts to inspire and educate his students. All of his students went on to pass the Advance Placement Test in calculus.

Wednesday, April 25 will feature “Billy Elliot” starring Julie Walters, Jamie Bell, Jamie Driven and Gary Lewis. Against the will of his father young Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) exchanges his boxing gloves for ballet slippers. When he gets the chance to audition for the Royal Ballet School he must decide whether or not he can defy his macho father’s (Gary Lewis) wishes. This historical drama takes place in England during the tumultuous miners’ strike of 1984.

“Spitfire Grill” will be featured on May 30. When Percy Talbot (Alison Elliott) is released from prison she has no family or home to go back to. She decides to make a fresh start in the small Maine town. In return for a room, Percy begins work for Hannah Ferguson (Ellen Burstyn), the indomitable owner of The Spitfire Grill. Percy is treated with both scorn and suspicion by some but compassion by Shelby Goddard (Marcia Gay Harden), who helps Percy run the grill after Hannah has an accident. Together, they forge a friendship that transforms both their lives.

The June 27 film, “When a Man Loves a Woman” is the story of an airline pilot and his wife who are forced to face the consequences of her alcoholism when her addictions threaten her life and their daughter’s safety. While the woman enters detox, her husband must face the truth of his enabling behavior. Strength and commitment unfold as a determined family embarks on a courageous battle. This 1994 film stars Andy Garcia, Meg Ryan, Ellen Burstyn.

Each program includes a light meal, followed by the movie and audience discussion. The series will be held at the Niobrara County Library at 6 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month beginning in January and concluding in June. For more information contact Debbie Sturman at 334-3490.