EDWARDSVILLE — A Chris Farley comedy, a 1950s Humphrey Bogart classic and a film co-starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise are among the $3 Tuesday movies for May at the Wildey Theatre.
The movie calendar for the month kicks off on May 2 with “Tommy Boy,” the 1995 buddy adventure comedy starring Chris Farley and David Spade.
Directed by Peter Segal and produced by longtime “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels, “Tommy Boy” features SNL castmates and close friends Farley and Spade. This was the first of many films that Segal has filmed with former SNL castmates.
It tells the story of a socially and emotionally immature man (Farley) who learns lessons about friendship and self-worth following the sudden death of his industrialist father.
“Tommy Boy” grossed $32.7 million on a budget of $20 million, making it a financial success. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Since its release, “Tommy Boy” has become a cult favorite and has also been successful on home video.
“Chris Farley died a couple years after that (in 1997), but it’s one of those whenever anyone mentions it, they talk about how funny it was,” Wildey manager Al Canal said. “People still love it 28 years later.”
Up next, on May 9, is “Sabrina,” the 1954 romantic comedy-drama starring Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn and William Holden.
In 2002, the film, which was directed by Billy Wilder, was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
“We always like to show at least one classic every month and this film is definitely a classic with an all-star cast,” Canal said.
The Tuesday movie for May 16, meanwhile, was pre-empted by live music, as the classic rock band Zebra is playing at the Wildey for a second night after its May 17 show sold out.
Movies return to the Wildey on May 23 with the 1988 road comedy-drama “Rain Man” starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.
Directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass, “Rain Man” tells the story of abrasive, selfish young wheeler-dealer Charlie Babbitt (Cruise), who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed virtually all his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond (Hoffman), an autistic savant, of whose existence Charlie was unaware.
Charlie is left with only his father’s beloved vintage car and rosebushes. Valeria Galino also stars as Charlie’s girlfriend Susanna. Morrow created the character of Raymond after meeting Kim Peek, a real-life savant; his characterization was based on both Peek and Bill Sackter, a good friend of Morrow who was the subject of “Bill” (1981), an earlier film that Morrow wrote.
The film grossed between $354.8 million and 412.8 million, on a $25 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1988, and received a leading eight nominations at the 61st Academy Awards, winning four (more than any other film nominated): Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for Hoffman) and Best Original Screenplay.
“It’s one of those movies that people always enjoy,” Canal said. “When it comes on the TV, I’ve always got to sit down and watch it. Dustin Hoffman plays the role so well.”
The last movie of the month, on May 30, is “Up,” a 2009 computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures.
“Up” stars the voices of Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai and Bob Peterson. The film centers on Carl Fredricksen (Asner), an elderly widower who travels to South America with wilderness explorer Russell (Nagai) to fulfill a promise that Carl made to his late wife Ellie. Along the way, they meet a talking dog named Dug (Peterson) and encounter a giant bird named Kevin, who is being hunted by the explorer Charles Muntz (Plummer), whom Carl had idolized in childhood.
The film earned $735.1 million worldwide, finishing its theatrical run as the sixth-highest grossing film of 2009. “Up” was nominated for five awards at the 82nd Academy Awards, winning two, and received numerous other accolades. Among these, it became the second animated film in history to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture, ultimately losing to “The Hurt Locker.”
“It’s the last Tuesday of May and the kids are out of school, and we want to have something for them and their parents to do,” Canal said. “It’s a movie that was made for kids, but adults find it enjoyable as well.”
In addition to the usual 7 p.m. showing, there will also be a matinee showing of “Up” on May 30, with a starting time to be announced.
“Once a month during the summer, we’re looking to show a family/kids movie for a matinee so parents can bring their younger children to a show in the afternoon,” Canal said.
For more information on any event at the Wildey Theatre, 252 N. Main St. in Edwardsville, call 618-307-1750 or go to wildeytheatre.com.