Three well-known film critics will add commentary to the 1940 movie based on John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, during a screening of the film tomorrow.
The film, The Grapes of Wrath, which was directed by John Ford, will be shown at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 28 at the Norman Public Library, 225 N.Webster.
Registration for this Big Read event is required and is limited to only 100 participants.
Because of the nature of the discussion, this event is not recommended for children, library spokesman Gary Karmer said.
David Kipen, considered a leading American book and movie critic, will be the featured commentator.
Kipen is visiting Norman as part of The Big Read sponsored by the Pioneer Library System through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Kipen has written for The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Boxoffice, The Atlantic Monthly and many others. He was the editor of Buzz Magazine and books editor of The San Francisco Chronicle. In September 2005, he became Director of the Literature program at the National Endowment for the Arts.
Kipen is also the author of The Schreiber Theory: A Radical Rewrite of American Film History (Melville House). The book aims to take down the idea that film directors are the key authors of movies.
"Schreiber", Kipen said, means "writer" in Yiddish. With his title Kipen pays tribute to the background of many classic Hollywood writers and pokes fun at the director-oriented auteur theory.
Kipen will be joined by Norman Transcript movie reviewer Mary Anne Hempe and the Transcript’s POP editor, Adam Scott.
The event will begin with a Depression-Era soup line catered by Legend’s Restaurant and Catering in Norman. During the movie, bowls of popcorn and Milk Duds will replace the soup.
“Because so many of us have seen this movie a number of times, we wanted to add something special to the screening,” said Norman Public Library Branch Manager Susan Gregory. “We took our cue from the commentaries that are part of almost every DVD and decided to add a running commentary as the movie plays.”
Gregory said library staff “are thrilled” to have such a distinguished panel of movie buffs participating.
The screening is one of several Big Read events taking place this week. Kipen will also introduce a stage production at the Norman High School Theatre, located at 911 West Main, at 1 p.m. on March 28.
The show, Truckin’ With the Joads, will feature The Red Dust Players presenting scenes from the novel with musical interludes provided by KC Mathey performing as Woody Guthrie. Junior English students at NHS will attend the presentation and the public is invited to attend as well, although seating will be limited.
A second performance is set for 1 p.m.March 29, in the Nancy O’Brian Center for the Performing Arts on the Campus of Norman North High School, 1809 Stubbeman Avenue.
High school juniors will attend this presentation but the venue is spacious enough to accommodate a large number of guests. No registration or tickets are required at either location.
Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath has been the focus of Big Read activities in all of the communities served by the Pioneer Library System.
Nationally, the Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. Locally, the Big Read is sponsored by the Pioneer Library System, Friends of the Norman Library, and dozens of organizations and individuals who are hosting Big Read activities.
