Make Memories Sharing Your All-Time Favorite Classics on the Big Screen

The Lindsay Theater invites you to watch some of Hollywood’s most enduring fan favorites, delivering warm moments and laughs this holiday season. Whether solo or with your friends and family, enjoy the comfort a beloved classic brings starting Friday, Dec. 9, with these special screenings:

Elf (2003, PG). Follow the journey of good-natured Buddy, who was raised at the North Pole among Santa and his elves (“Give a hug, get a hug”), as he heads to New York City during the Christmas season to find his biological father. Endearing and festive, “This is a holiday treat that’s seriously sweet,” says Salon, with “a pitch-perfect ensemble, quotably hilarious script and the romantic delights of Christmas-season New York.” Starring Will Ferrell and James Caan.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989, PG-13). The “glowingly goofy homage to family holidays” brings the Griswolds back to the big screen in a film that “should delight family viewers everywhere,” assures The Hollywood Reporter. Desperate for a “fun, old-fashioned family Christmas,” suburban dad Clark packs the house with too many relatives, too-big presents and too many lights, culminating in a “smooth-sledding comedy.” Starring Chevy Chase, Diane Ladd and Juliette Lewis.

Annie (1982, PG). Based on the 1977 musical and the ’20s-era comic strip that will make the sun come out in Broadway style, this film follows Annie, a lovable orphan, as she sings and dances her way into Daddy Warbucks’ heart. Called a “charming and entertaining family movie that’s full of memorable songs” by Common Sense Media, this musical hits the high notes with all ages. Starring Albert Finney, Carol Burnett and a 9-year-old award-nominated Aileen Quinn as Annie.

Casablanca (1942, PG). We’ll always have Casablanca. Eight decades after its initial release, this bonafide classic earns a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Its endurance rests in being “crafted with the precision, detail and beauty of a Fabergé egg;”  observes the UK Times. “The dialogue is hauntingly memorable and, in Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, it has one of the most magnetic screen pairings in history.” Set in Morocco during World War II, this love story for the ages weaves together themes of right and wrong, patriotism and sacrifice – with just the right amount of well-placed humor.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961, NR). To the drifters off to see the world and their huckleberry friends, this film presents “one of the great New York films, swathing the city in layers of dewy love and glossy chic,” says TV Guide Magazine, adding how Truman Capote’s novel “comes to glorious onscreen life.” Notable: Aliquippa’s Henry Mancini composed the score and popular Moon River signature song (which star Audrey Hepburn fought to keep in the film), winning the film its two Oscars.

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946, PG). This screening, sponsored by Fathom Events, is “the kind of experience movies were invented for,” proclaims Empire. George Bailey learns from an angel-in-training what the world would be like without him, creating “one of the most watchable of all movie classics” known for “consummate mastery, big time laughs, touching sentiment and exuberant charm.” Starring Indiana County native Hollywood’s highest-ranking military actor (US Air Force Brigadier General) James Stewart, who is reminded “No man is a failure who has friends.”

Tickets and showtimes are available now on the Theater’s website, www.thelindsaytheater.org. Days and times will be announced for It’s A Wonderful Life.