In “Moonrise Kingdom”, director Wes Anderson tells a story about two 12-year-olds that fall in love, make a secret pact and run away together in the wilderness. Anderson, a two-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, is known for quirky films such as “The Royal Tenenbaums”, “”Rushmore” and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou”.
A free screening of “Moonrise Kingdom” will show at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 20 at Star Hall. The movie is made available through the Utah Film Circuit: Moab, an initiative of the Grand County Public Library and the Utah FilmCenter.
Utah Film Circuit: Moab screenings are made possible with support from Zions Bank, George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, AARP Utah, My Good Fund and the Moab Sun News.
“Moonrise Kingdom” is set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965. As various authorities try to hunt the two young lovers down, a violent storm is brewing offshore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in every which way.
“Wes makes movies that are so particular to his sensibilities,” said Bob Balaban, who serves as the narrator for the film. “Everything about this movie springs out of his mind.”
Anderson said the movie isn’t autobiographical at all.
“It is sort of the fantasy that I remember. The fantasy I never acted out as a 12-year-old,” Anderson said.
The film won 23 awards at different festivals from around the world. It was nominated for Best Writing-Original Screenplay at the 2013 Academy Awards and Best Motion Picture at the 2013 Golden Globes.
“You don’t improvise when you have an amazing script like this,” said Tilda Swanson, who has a small role in the film.
It was a story idea Anderson had for years. He worked on the script for about a year before having Roman Coppola help him. He said that Coppola helped him “sort it out.”
“It’s certainly a love story,” Coppola said. “Young love, that first love is a wonderful subject for a movie story.”
Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff, Captain Sharp. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader, Scout Master Ward. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop.
The boy and girl, Sam and Suzy, are portrayed by newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward.
“This delightful and charming film serves as a great counterbalance to some of the more serious films we’ve shown,” said Jessie Magleby from the Grand County Public Library. “We feel it is imperative to screen films that educate us about the important but often distressing issues of our times, but we also want to present joy, beauty and just plain fun. ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ is whimsical, tender, absurd and funny: classic Wes Anderson.”
Christopher Orr of ‘The Atlantic’wrote that ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ “captures the texture of childhood summers, the sense of having a limited amount of time in which to do unlimited things”
“Come join us for the perfect summer-movie and be prepared to be delighted and refreshed,” Magleby said.
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