Next month, for the first time since 2019, Hollywood Boulevard will once again be filled with classic film fans attending the TCM Classic Film Festival. The event is now less than a month away, and announcements from festival organizers are coming fast. My friend Aurora at Once Upon a Screen predicts an official, full schedule tomorrow. It is always an exciting time for festivalgoers, but this year is particularly special. Many of us haven’t seen each other since the last in-person festival, and for niche communities like this one, the separation from kindred spirits can be agonizing.
There are many approaches to the TCM Classic Film Festival–some take the opportunity to see films new to them, others take comfort in old favorites. I tend to fall into the latter camp. Indeed, when I heard that A League of Their Own had been added to the festival lineup, I nearly fell off my chair with excitement.
There has been much debate in recent years about what makes a classic, and according to some philosophies, a film from 1992 is categorically too late to count. But A League of Their Own has been a part of my consciousness for as long as I can remember, and if there ever were a film from this late in movie history to merit the “classic” label, this is it. Set against the backdrop of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, it tells the story of two sisters who join the league, and the effect it has on their relationship and the unity of their teams. It has become a much-loved and oft-quoted cult film for a generation of girls, and I fell under its spell at a young age. So much, in fact, that it singlehandedly inspired me to sign up to play baseball on a girls team (I quickly discovered that I was not cut out to be a Rockford Peach).
In attendance will be several stars of the film, including Lori Petty and Megan Cavanagh (Kit Keller and Marla Hooch, respectively), but the absence of director Penny Marshall, who died in 2018, will surely leave a gaping hole in the event. Due to the large contingent of millennial women who attend the festival, and who grew up with A League of Their Own as a beloved comfort film, I expect this to be one of the more popular screenings of the festival.
Some more festival news–I have a very welcome update from the previous post on Backlots, in which I mused about Drew Barrymore not being at the opening night screening of E.T. It has now been announced that she will indeed be there, as will Henry Thomas. Reflecting on E.T., I am struck by the phenomenal strength of the child actors. Both Drew Barrymore and Henry Thomas give powerhouse performances as the children who bond with an extraterrestrial, with a pathos and emotional maturity far beyond their age. Henry Thomas’ audition is a marvel to watch–he noted later that as he played this scene, he was thinking about his dog who had recently died.
The opening night screening is open to Essential and Spotlight passholders, and attendees will walk the red carpet into Grauman’s Chinese Theater to see the film. It is a fantastic and memorable event for those who have come to the festival for a dream Hollywood experience.
The wonderful Lily Tomlin will also put her hand- and footprints in the forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, a long overdue honor. This ceremony has come to be a TCM Classic Film Festival tradition, and Tomlin joins her 9 to 5 co-star Jane Fonda in being honored with a handprint ceremony by TCM. It is always an extremely popular event, with passholders lining up hours in advance to see it.
For a full schedule of announced movies and events, you can check out the TCM Classic Film Festival website here. If you are planning on attending the festival, passes are selling out fast. Click here for the latest availability, and remember that there are multiple great ways to attend the festival–with a pass or by purchasing individual tickets.
I’ll be back when we get the full schedule!
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