Romantic comedies can feel like comfort food. And that kind of coziness is exactly what makes the genre the perfect place to push society’s buttons—subverting expectations around gender, class, and power.
Case in point: screwball comedies. Born out of the Great Depression, these films deployed a mix of physical comedy and rapid-fire dialogue to give their filmmakers cover as they pushed the limits of what was allowed on screen.
We are celebrating the legacy of the genre all month at The Triplex with our new series “Screwball Valentines.” The series begins in the genre’s 1930s heyday with titles like “It Happened One Night,” “His Girl Friday,” and “The Thin Man”—films defined by the equitable gender dynamics that screwballs are best known for, and by stars like Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, William Powell, and Myrna Loy, who would become synonymous with the form.
We close the series with “What’s Up, Doc?” and “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” two more modern entries that consciously echo the classics while making sharp observations about their own eras.
None of these films are overtly political, but they wield a quiet kind of soft power. Their relentless charm disarms the fear that tackling these issues might provoke if addressed head-on. By smuggling big ideas in between laughs, these movies show how even the silliest stories can reshape how we see the world.
Now Playing
“The Voice of Hind Rajab”
Incorporating real-life elements that are as difficult to hear as they are impossible to forget, “The Voice of Hind Rajab” follows volunteers at the Palestine Red Crescent Society as they stay on the phone with a six-year-old girl who gets trapped in a car in war-torn Gaza. A harrowing docudrama that makes a powerful appeal to humanity, don’t miss “The Voice of Hind Rajab” when it comes to The Triplex.
Academy Award nominee for Best International Film!
“Arco”
In 2075, “Arco,” a mysterious boy in a rainbow jumpsuit, falls from the sky. When he meets 10-year-old Iris, she discovers that Arco is not a normal kid: He is a time traveller from a distant, idyllic future, and he needs her help to return home. Blending together different influences from the history of illustration and animation, “Arco” soars with its clever world-building and lovable characters.
Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature!
“A Private Life”
When renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner learns of the death of one of her patients, she becomes convinced that it was murder and sets out to investigate. An entertaining mix of Hitchcockian suspense and dark humor, “A Private Life” is the perfect showcase for Jodie Foster’s first French-speaking leading role.
“It Happened One Night”
Our new series “Screwball Valentines” kicks off with one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time! The first movie to sweep the “Big Five” categories at the Academy Awards, “It Happened One Night” is Frank Capra’s tale of a spoiled heiress (Claudette Colbert) who hits the road with a cynical newspaper reporter (Clark Gable), who offers to help her reunite with her new husband in exchange for an exclusive story but finds their fighting turning into feelings along the way.
Wednesday, February 11, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, February 21, at 5 p.m.
“The Testament of Ann Lee”
From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (“The World to Come,” “The Brutalist”) comes the extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as Lee, the Shakers’ irrepressible leader who preached gender and social equality while trying to build a utopia—and suffering tremendous personal losses along the way.
“Hamnet”
From Academy Award-winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet” tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, “Hamlet.” Featuring emotional tour-de-force performances from stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, “Hamnet” is an award season juggernaut that will break your heart and heal it before the lights come up.
Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress!
Coming Soon
“Wuthering Heights”
From Emerald Fennell, the Oscar-winning writer-director behind “Promising Young Woman” and “Saltburn,” comes a lurid reimagining of one of the greatest novels ever written. Starring Margot Robbie as Catherine and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and featuring original songs from Charli XCX, “Wuthering Heights” promises to be a thoroughly modern reimagining of the classic romance.
Starts February 13.
“The Choral”
As World War I rages on, the Choral Society in Ramsden, Yorkshire, decides to recruit local young men to replace the men they have lost to war. Under the direction of new chorus master Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes), the group helps the whole community discover that the best response to the chaos laying waste to their lives is to make music together.
Starts January 13.
“GOAT”
Living in an all-animal world, Will, a small goat with big dreams, gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball—a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world. Will’s new teammates are not thrilled about having a little goat on their roster, but he is determined to revolutionize the sport and prove once and for all that “smalls can ball!” in this latest adventure from the studio behind “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse” and executive producer Stephen Curry.
Starts February 13.
“The Alabama Solution”
Alabama has one of the deadliest prison systems in America. “The Alabama Solution” reveals the truth—using footage shot by the incarcerated themselves. Join us for a special free screening of this powerful new film, nominated for Best Documentary at this year’s Academy Awards, and talkback with its producers on February 13, presented by the Scottsboro Boys Museum and the Du Bois Freedom Center.
February 13 at 7 p.m.
“Bridget Jones’s Diary”
At the start of the New Year, 32-year-old Bridget (Renée Zellweger) decides it is time to take control of her life by starting a diary. As she chronicles her new pursuit of adventure—and opinions on every subject under the sun—she finds herself torn between the buttoned-up Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and rakish Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant). A modern take on “Pride and Prejudice” that captures Zellweger, Firth, and Grant at the height of their romcom powers, don’t miss “Bridget Jones’s Diary” when it plays as part of our “Screwball Valentines” series!
February 14 at 5 p.m. and March 11 at 7 p.m.
