Westport, Connecticut is not Anarene, Texas.
The closure of the last of four movie theaters more than 20 years ago did not kill our town, the way it did the fictional community in “The Last Picture Show.”
But losing our last “picture show” made more of an impact downtown than anyone imagined at the time.
The Fine Arts Theaters - two on the Post Road (now Barnes & Noble), one on Jesup Green (today, Basso restaurant) and a fourth around the corner at the current site of Da Tapas - had been nighttime magnets. Restaurants filled before shows; bars and ice cream shops were busy afterward. Without the draw of movies, it’s a lot tougher to attract people after dark for a meal or gelato.
Yet whatever is old is new again. Tie-dye is back; martinis roo. And - on a much larger scale - so are drive-in movies.
If not everywhere, at least in Westport.
The Remarkable Theater traces its roots to the early years of the 21st century. While downtown Westport felt empty at night, neighboring Fairfield thrived. The once-shuttered Community Theater reopened as a second-run movie house. Restaurants and bars popped up nearby. Westporters wondered why we couldn’t do something similar.
Doug Tirola was one of them. A 1984 Staples High School graduate, he’d worked in a variety of roles, from production assistant to writer and director, on dozens of feature and documentary films. His producing partner at the company he founded, 4th Row Films, was fellow Staples alum Susan Bedusa. She shared his passion for movies. She too felt the gaping hole in her hometown, once all those theaters were gone.
The mother of another Staples grad, Nancy Lefkowitz, had run the Westport Youth Film Festival. One more Staples alum, state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, shared their common interest in bringing a theater back to town.
They formed the Westport Cinema Initiative. The public was excited. But real-world challenges - finding an appropriate space, raising money - were daunting. To keep interest alive, the WCI sponsored pop-up events. They showed a few movies wherever they could: Staples High, Town Hall, Branson Hall, Toquet Hall.
It was slow going. After a decade, they paused.
Around that time, Stacie Curran - one more 1984 Staples graduate - and her friend Marina Derman had an idea. Both had children with disabilities. They’d heard about Ridgefield’s Prospector Theater, where two-thirds of the employees had disabilities. Could Westport replicate that model?
They decided that creating a temporary drive-in would be a good way to revive interest, and raise money, for their main idea: a first-run art house, like Garden Cinema. A $50,000 state grant helped them hire people with disabilities. They planned 20 films for spring and summer 2020, at places like the Imperial Avenue parking lot, Compo Beach and Veterans Green. The series would kick off with Westport’s own Paul Newman in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
Then came a major plot twist. A couple of months before opening night, COVID struck.
In a pivot worthy of the best action film, organizers asked the town for regular use of the Imperial Avenue lot. Cars would park social distanced apart; strict safety protocols would be followed. With few other entertainment options available for cabin fever-struck Westporters, town officials gave the green light.
The first season was a success. The newly christened Remarkable Theater - a nod to the former and beloved Main Street bookstore, as well as the amazing story behind the drive-in - screened 70 films through the fall. It was one of the few feel-good stories of the pandemic.
Last year’s second season included 50 more. The schedule was less full, in deference to other organizations that were restarting their own events.
Now in its third year. the Remarkable Theater has a become a new Westport institution. Along the way, it helped downtown regain its mojo.
Gates open an hour before showtime, for tailgating. Many movie-goers pick up takeout from downtown restaurants. Some of the feasts are elaborate. Afterward, it’s a short hop to one of two gelato shops.
Tirola has integrated his own movie-making passion into the project. Prior to each feature, the Remarkable Theater shows a relevant short. Before “Butch Cassidy,” it was an old Dick Cavett interview with Newman. Often though, it’s a special film created by Tirola. For a couple of Japanese-themed movies, for example, he interviewed members of Westport’s Asian American community. “Caddyshack” was preceded by a short with pros from local golf clubs.
The Remarkable schedule is remarkably eclectic. Suggestions come from the public (elementary school students pick the Halloween films), and Tirola’s board. He’s excited about upcoming features like “Stand By Me,” “Dirty Dancing,” and “Goodbye, Columbus.” (Visit RemarkableTheater.com for the full schedule.)
Tirola is proud of his employees with disabilities, his many volunteers, and the many families and individuals who love watching movies. “We want to be welcoming to everyone,” he says. “Together, we can be remarkable.”
Dan Woog is a Westport writer. His new column ‘Calendar Close-up’ appears each Friday and dives into one of the upcoming community events in Westport. He can be reached at dwoog@optonline.net. His personal blog is danwoog06880.com.
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