Thurs. Aug. 6, 7pm, BELLE

Thurs, August 7, 7pm
Admission $6.00
SMG Chatham 14
210 W 87th St
Chicago, IL 60620
FREE PARKING

Yeah, we know it’s on DVD and online at Netflix. But this is the kind of film you want to see on the big screen for the beautiful production design and costuming. A wonderful historic romance and history leading up to the British abolishing and outlawing slavery. Come out and see Belle with us, participate and engage in compelling conversation.
Guest Host to be announced. This is going to be really good! Since BlueRays of the film are available we might just give one or two away. You have to show up to find out! 🙂

Set in 18th century England and based on a real story, Amma Asante’s Belle stars relative Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the title character – full name, Dido Elizabeth Belle. She is the illegitimate, mixed-race daughter of British Admiral Sir John Lindsay and a black woman he had an affair with while serving overseas. Lindsay brings her to his uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) who along with his wife Lady Mansfield (mily Watson) are already raising Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon), another niece the same age as Dido. Though Lady Mansfield fears scandal having a dark-skinned child as part of the home, Dido’s father reminds them that his daughter does have the right to live there because of her lineage, and Lord Mansfield, a Lord Chief Justice of Britain, agrees. Belle and Elizabeth quickly become best friends, and when they come of age each begins courting suitors. Elizabeth is pursued by James Ashford (Tom Felton), a smarmy and racist manipulator who wants to marry her in order to please his equally conniving mother (Miranda Richardson) by increasing his own family’s wealth and standing, while Dido proves alluring to James’ brother Oliver (James Norton). However Dido’s deepest affections are for John Davinier (Sam Reid), an idealistic young lawyer who is trying to sway Lord Mansfield on a crucial case before the high court that will have profound implications for Britain’s slave trade. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi