Film fans have cast their votes, and the final movie of a three-part series in the park has been chosen.
The group Bartlett Movies in the Park will show “Independence Day” at
8 p.m. Friday, June 7, at W. J. Freeman Park as its third and final film of this season. The movie was chosen from a
“We’ve actually gotten a lot of positive comments,” said Jason Sykes, one of the people who spearheaded the idea as a member of the Bartlett Station Commission. “We’d love to n online Facebook poll that closed May 23.
be able to come back in the fall.”
The group showed two movies – both family-based – in May. The first drew about 300 people. The second saw more than double the crowd of the first, said Sykes.
“I expected some growth, but I didn’t expect it to double,” he said. “It’s really amazing to see that kind of a crowd.”
But whether the group is able to make a comeback and show future movies is
yet to be seen. The movies were made possible entirely from funds of corporate sponsors. Sykes said they didn’t cost the city of Bartlett, nor the Bartlett Station Commission, any money. If the movies are a future success, Sykes said the group wants to use that same model.
To pull that off is a lot of work, he said.
“It’s pretty intensive,” said Sykes. “You have to work with codes, parks, the mayor and aldermen, police, fire. They all have a say in the event.”
And the final movie selection has its critics, too. Despite taking the best out of four possible selections and wining 2-1 over the closest vote-getter, “Independence Day” has raised the eyebrows of people who thought the movies should remain kid-friendly.
“We had three movies, two of which were very kid-friendly,” said Sykes. “We wanted a PG-13 movie, something more mature, to see the crowd’s response. We’re testing it out to see what the response is.”
No matter what the response, Sykes said the purpose of the event was to bring people together as a community, and he believes the group has succeeded in doing that.
“It’s a free event,” said Sykes. “We just hope people come out and enjoy the evening.”
