“This is the technicolor musical to put all technicolor musicals to shame.” - Jack Karr, Toronto Star
“An unmissable big-screen experience.” - Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
Beginning at the start of the 1904 World’s Fair, this beloved MGM classic follows a year in the life of the Smith family and their four daughters—Esther (a luminous Judy Garland), Rose, Agnes, and Tootie—in St. Louis, Missouri. As the seasons change, the Smiths navigate the joys and challenges of the everyday, including love, heartbreak, and the inevitable passing of time. Shot in glorious Technicolor, the Smith’s home is warmly realized: a plush parlor, the inviting dining room, and the busy kitchen become the backdrop for this nostalgic, but never saccharine, celebration of the bonds of family. Kick off the holiday season with this exhilarating classic—if you don’t get misty-eyed when Garland achingly sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” you might be Ebenezer Scrooge.
Awards & Nominations
Nominee - Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture, Best Music, Original Song (“The Trolley Song”), Academy Awards
Winner - Juvenile Award (Margaret O'Brien), Academy Awards
Heartland: Flyover country, the third coast, the rust belt. The American Midwest has plenty of nicknames, and is arguably more difficult to outline on a map than the east or west coasts. Despite its ambiguous footprint, the Midwest is often defined by its people: hard working, sympathetic, and “nice.” With Heartland, we search for the Midwest's cinematic definition—how is middle America defined by big screen style and story, and when the lights go down, do we like what we see of our cinematic selves (however realistic or fantastical) reflected back at us? Read more
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu