Ellen events: diverse film screenings, journalist/musician collab & Julius Caesar staging

Downtown Bozeman’s Ellen Theatre kicks off a new month with a screening of critical smash Won’t You Be My Neighbor? on Friday, November 2nd at 7:30pm. For over thirty years, Fred Rogers, an unassuming minister, puppeteer, writer and producer was beamed daily into homes across America. In his beloved television program, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, he and his cast of puppets and friends spoke directly to young children about some of life’s weightiest issues, in a simple, direct fashion.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet from Stardom) looks back on Rogers’ legacy, focusing on his radically kind ideas. While the nation changed around him, Rogers stood firm in his beliefs about the importance of protecting childhood. Neville pays tribute to this legacy with the latest in his series of highly engaging, moving documentary portraits of essential American artists. All seats for this screening are $6.
Spend your Saturday evening with an all-time film classic when Gone with the Wind screens on November 3rd at 7pm. From 1939, this romantic Civil War epic brings to life Margaret Mitchell’s novel of the same name. The film won 10 Academy Awards and is considered one of the greatest masterpieces captured on film.
“A superb example of Hollywood’s art and a time capsule of weathering sentimentality for a Civilization gone with the wind, all right – gone, but not forgotten.” – Roger Ebert
Gone with the Wind stars Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, and Olivia de Havilland and will be screened with an intermission. All seats are $6.
A family matinee closes out the weekend on Sunday, November 4th at 2pm – Little Giants! In the film, brothers Danny (Rick Moranis) and Kevin (Ed O’Neill) coach rival youth football teams. Danny’s group of misfits is determined to prove they are as capable of winning the playoffs as Kevin’s polished lineup. This screening is $2 at the door. No ticket needed, just show up!
On Monday, November 5th at 6pm, American author Caroline Fraser will present “Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Making of an American Icon” as part of the Center for Western Lands and Peoples’ Perspectives on the American West Lecture Series.
Her book Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder was named one of The New York Times’ Ten Best Books of the Year and won the 2018 Pulitzer prize for Biography. Fraser gives talks on Wilder to groups large and small, at schools, public libraries, conferences, and universities. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and the Los Angeles Times Book Review, among other publications.
Doors open at 5:30pm. A book signing in the lobby will follow the lecture. This FREE event is co-sponsored by the Burton K. Wheeler Center for Public Policy.
Then, witness an extraordinary work of art on Friday, November 9th at 7:30pm. Between War & Here with music by Ensemble Galilei is a powerful new collaboration between journalists and musicians, exploring honor, courage, loss, and hope. This special piece is as mesmerizing as it is timely, with music, poetry, and memoir, and featuring two of NPR’s most storied war correspondents – Neal Conan and Anne Garrels. Reserved seats are $24.
Following Saturday, November 10th at 7pm, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks and The Ellen join forces to bring the Bozeman community a night of FREE, professional theater. Join in for Shakespeare in the Schools’ production of Julius Caesar, where power, politics, and betrayal are all on display. This 80-minute production is presented without an intermission. All seats are free and are available on a first come, first serve basis.
It’s another Kids’ Classic on Sunday, November 11th with Chicken Run at 2pm. What happens when the unscrupulous owners of a chicken farm decide to move from selling eggs to chicken pot pies? Fortunately, a smooth-talking Rhode Island Red named Rocky leads the charge for an all-out poultry revolt! Chicken Run is a great treat for kids who weren’t even born when this high-flying comedy adventure was made in 2000. The movie is Rated G. Seats are only $2, with no advance ticket needed!
Friday, November 16th sees the captivating biopic RBG, an intimate portrait of an unlikely rock star: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. With unprecedented access, the filmmakers explore how her early legal battles changed the world for women. The film begins at 7:30pm and is Rated PG. RBG runs 1 hour and 38 minutes. Tickets are $6.
It’s your turn to be the dancing queen with a sing-along screening of Mamma Mia! on Saturday, November 17th at 7:30pm. Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, this film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical assembles an incredible cast and features the catchy melodies of Swedish pop group ABBA. Starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Amanda Seyfried, and Christine Baranski, the film runs 1 hour and 48 minutes. Mamma Mia! is rated PG-13. All seats are $6.
Wine, beer, and other refreshments will be sold in the lobby one hour before all events and showtimes. Ticketing and further information about these and other upcoming events is available at www.theellentheatre.org. For additional inquiries, call (406) 585-5885 or stop into The Ellen box office. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 1–3pm, as well as two hours prior to any event.