Ultimately, this event and my post-event examination of it is all a part of a broader goal: I'm working on a way to make grassroots screenings of overlooked films a feasible thing for anyone with a lot of friends and a passion for film. So far, I'm learning it's doable. With our very first try, we sold over 120 tickets and broke even with the money spent to rent the theater and promote the event. Even though the event wasn't flawless, it was a definite success. Here are a few of the lessons I learned:

High tech promises a lot; low-tech is reliable
Skype is a great service. But for our Q&A after the film with Doug Block, nothing was more reliable than a speakerphone and an old PA system. Likewise, we would have avoided technical difficulties with the projection had we gone with Beta SP format (for you non-geeks, that's analog tape).

Even with embarrassing technical difficulties, a crowd doesn't leave a good film
I've seen people pop out of their seat like a snake crawled in their pants at the first sign of technical difficulties at the multiplex. Nobody wanted to leave 51 Birch Street until it was over.

A serious film can be fun if you're there with friends
I'll go on the record and say Hollywood has got it backward. They're gun-shy when it comes to films that make you feel something. But what they don't get is this: not only are these films not as intimidating when we watch them with friends, but they can actually be more "fun" than something like Employee of the Month (opening this weekend).

Free T-shirts can't go wrong
No need for explanation.

It's truly rewarding to see people of all ages start a dialogue
This is where I tear up a bit, and you either you get it or you don't. Bringing a film that probably won't otherwise be seen (in this town, at least) to a theater full of people, and then watching them start talking afterward in ways they normally wouldn't is worth far more than the time and sweat that went in to pulling the event together.

Friends are essential
This one seems obvious, but it's not. When you truly have to depend on friends--especially those in the projection booth saving you from total humiliation--it's nothing less than nauseating. It isn't easy to be totally out of control and dependent on somebody else, but it's good medicine.

This month and next, 51 Birch Street will have a limited U.S. theatrical release via Truly Indie, with one-week runs beginning on the following dates in these cities:

Oct 18 - New York City (Cinema Village)
Oct 20 - Los Angeles (West Side Pavillion)
Nov 3 - Huntington, Long Island (Cinema Arts Center)
Nov 3 - Highland Park, Chicago (Rennaisance)
Nov 3 - San Francisco (Opera Plaza)
Nov 3 - Minneapolis (Lagoon)
Nov 24 - Boston (Museum of Fine Arts)

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There's really no better place to highlight our imperfect, human condition than at a screening of 51 Birch Street. The filmmaker, Doug Block, has created a documentary around his journey to understand his parents as people, not just parents, and to understand their marriage in that light. In addition to many conversations with family members, the film includes insight drawn from years of his mother's journals, which were discovered after her death. (The journals include all kinds of information most adults would rather not know about their mothers).

I think the most moving part of the film, for me, is an interview Doug has with his mother's best friend of many years, Natasha. He asks her if she thinks his mother would have wanted him to read her journals. Natasha goes through a long process of thinking and making a string of "difficult thinking" expressions before she answers emphatically "Yes!" I love how sure she is after taking the time to think about the issue from many different angles. I also love what she says to back up her response: What a relief for someone to really know us, and still love us.

The film held many similar moments for me--moments of articulation that left me feeling that I was understood, not alone. When I talked after the show to several of the 125 people in attendance, it became clear that I was not the only one to be moved in that way. We all have our own, unique stories, yet we are all connected. Films like this simply bring that connection into the light.

That's why we love filmmakers who realize they have a story, right under their nose, and decide to tell it. If you have your own story about making a breakthrough with your parents, Doug Block wants you to share it at the 51 Birch Street website. (You can also see where the film is scheduled to play in October and November.)

The fact that we're handing out drink discounts for the Cottage should help get a crowd to participate in the follow up. But from what I've heard about the film, I think people will feel compelled to be together and have opportunities to talk about the issues the film presents. That's ultimately what's exciting to me about this event, and about film festivals and any community film watching experience, really: the possibility to connect with others and parts of ourselves in new ways, around ideas sparked by films. And that's why we're testing this event--to find out how we can help individuals anywhere put together an event like this. We'll let you know how it goes.

Over the last several weeks I've been showing the film around to friends--by now I've probably watched 51 Birch Street half a dozen times. But I love showing it. I may know what happens next, but every time it ends I get to connect with people on a deeper level than what typically happens in everyday conversation. The film addresses the two most fundamental relationships we have: the one with our parents and the one with our wife/husband. What I've found is 51 Birch Street scratches an itch we all have, because, let's face it, some part of our consciousness is always preoccupied with these relationships. It feels good to talk about them every once in a while.

There's also something I've been thinking about around the idea of watching films in crowds. Snakes on a Plane was a blast because I saw it with a bunch of people willing to waste two hours on guaranteed good trash. 51 Birch Street isn't as rowdy, but it's also a film that gets better depending on who you watch it with. Although it's airing on HBO next year, part of the reason we're hosting this Spout event is I really want to bring it to a theater where people can watch it together, then walk across the street to the local watering hole and dig into some good conversation with each other. At Spout, we've always talked about bringing this type of experience to people. I think 51 Birch Street is the perfect film to start with, and there'll be more to come. Join the 51 Birch Street Group for updates.

51 Birch Street will be showing at 8:00 Thursday, September 28th.
UICA Theater
41 Sheldon Boulevard SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503