WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Missouri State University-West Plains’ annual film series will continue at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, with the showing of the critically-acclaimed and award-winning feature film “Born on the Fourth of July”at the West Plains Civic Center theater.
In addition, “American Graffiti,” originally scheduled for Feb. 1, will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, in the civic center theater. The film was rescheduled due to inclement weather.
The free showings are part of this year’s “Flashback Film Series: The 60s” sponsored by the University/Community Programs (U/CP) Department.
Released in 1989, “Born on the Fourth of July” stars Tom Cruise as Vietnam veteran and anti-war activist Ron Kovic, who voluntarily went to war to serve the country he loved but came back a broken and dissolusioned soldier after a battlefield mistake and a bullet wound left him physically and emotionally scarred. In his battle to regain his life, Kovic becomes one of the most vocal and prolific anti-war activists and a leader among the members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
The film, directed by Oliver Stone and based on Kovic’s memoir of the same name, reveals many of the struggles America and its soldiers faced as a result of their involvement in the southeast Asian conflict. The movie received eight Academy Award nominations, including a Best Actor nod for Cruise’s seminal performance as Kovic, and won two Oscars, including a statuette for Stone for Best Director. It is rated R.
The showing will be followed with a discussion session led Veronica Mays, coordinator of academic advisement and veterans services, and Clayton Grigsby, a veteran of the Iraq War and a student attending classes on campus through the Veterans Administration.
Released in 1973, “American Graffiti” is a study of the cruising and rock n’ roll cultures popular among post-World War II Baby Boomers. Set in 1962, the film tells the story of four California teenagers who are unsure of their futures after high school graduation, so they spend their summer nights cruisin’ and hangin’ out before going off to college to face the political and cultural upheaval that would later mark the decade.
Written and directed by George Lucas, the film was inspired by his teenage days cruising the Modesto, Calif., strip and listening to popular DJ Wolfman Jack on the radio. The film stars some very familiar names from television and the movies, including Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, Paul Le Mat, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford. It is rated PG.
“American Graffiti” was nominated for five Academy Awards in 1974, including best picture, best director and best original screenplay. It also has been selected by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest 100 movies ever made.
The showing will be followed with a discussion session led by Dr. Gary Phillips, assistant professor of communications, and Judy Carr, assistant professor of psychology and sociology.
For more information about the annual film series, call the U/CP Department office at 417-255-7966 or visit the department’s website, http://wp.missouristate.edu/ucp/.