Siskel & Ebert at 50: DRUGSTORE COWBOY (1989) with Charles Coleman
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Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert changed the way we watched movies forever. Their show and their style encouraged engagement and discussion about the films we watched, they used their influence to champion films of all sizes and genres, and their magnetic, approachable personalities put Chicago on the map forever as a city for film lovers. In honor of the 50th Anniversary of their groundbreaking show, DCASE and the Chicago Film Office present a FREE weekly screening series in November celebrating and revisiting some of their favorite films from their time together. Each film was hand-selected by a colleague or contemporary of Gene & Roger’s, with a focus on the “hidden gems” that they held in just as high regard as the more canonized classics of the era. We hope you’ll find a new favorite film in the bunch – or at least one that sparks some lively debate.
DRUGSTORE COWBOY (1989, dir. Gus Van Sant, 100min. DCP)
Wednesday, 11/19 at 7:00 P.M.
Selected by FACETS Programming Director Charles Coleman, in attendance for post-screening discussion.
Based on the autobiographical novel by James Fogle, this dreamy and wry drama features an indelible performance by Matt Dillon as the leader of a drug-addled gang drifting their way through the 1970s Pacific Northwest in search of the next drugstore to rob and the next high to hit. The breakout second feature by New Queer Cinema mainstay Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, My Own Private Idaho) showcases his eye for lived-in detail and knack for profiling life on the fringes of society that would define the rest of his filmmaking career, one that Roger placed in the grand tradition of American outlaw road movies like Easy Rider and Bonnie and Clyde, and placed high on both critics’ best-of lists for 1989.
NOTE: Your RSVP does not guarantee entry. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to availability.
For more information about the Chicago Cultural Center, including directions and accessibility resources, visit https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/ccc.html