One of the generational markers is if you’ve been to a drive-in movie. Boomers most certainly have — in large and small towns, the drive-in was the place to be for dramas, both on the big screen and in the cars parked in neat rows. By the time the Gen Xers came around, the drive-in was past its prime, and youngsters were hanging out in malls and visiting the cineplexes that were cropping up in suburbia. Millenials watched their movies at home on DVDs, and now on their phones or their computers, and who knows what the Zers are going to do to amuse themselves — perhaps they’ll have the movies played directly into contact lenses or zapped directly into their brains.
Heartland International Film Festival this year has gone “hybrid,” offering movies to stream online at your convenience, and on the really big screen of drive-ins. The opening night gala was a parade of cars stopping on a red carpet of sorts at Tibbs Drive-In on the near southwest side of Indy (480 S. Tibbs). Open since 1967, the drive-in is the last remaining drive-in in the city. New owners bought the place in 2019, and have done a spectacular job of upgrading the property and the experience. Tickets can be purchased online, and the admission lines move fast. Inside, big clean concessions greet patrons, and restrooms are big and very clean. Management has done a fantastic job programming a good mix of popular flicks and special events, like the recent showing of Little Shop of Horrors with a special sing-along with the Indianapolis Men’s Choir. To see their schedule, visit tibbsdriveintheatre.com — there are lots of classic horror movies in the next few week’s line-up.
Heartland partnered with Tibbs and Conner Prairie to provide a shared movie experience this year. Opening night’s Eat Wheaties starring Tony Hale (of “Arrested Development” and “Veep” TV show fame) follows the story of sad Sid, who tries to increase his social status at work and among his few friends through his school association with film star Elizabeth Banks. He reaches out to her on social media to get her to come to the class reunion through her agent, who becomes alarmed by the frequency of his calls and gets a restraining order against him. He begins to write to her Facebook page (thinking he’s direct messaging her, but all his writing is on her public page), revealing his innermost thoughts and ending every message with her college days “Eat Wheaties!” tag line. He engages a not-quite-licensed lawyer to get the case dropped. He loses his job and his few friends, but finally overcomes. Hale’s signature clueless Everyman performance is great, as is a Paul Walter Hauser as the lawyer (Richard Jewell, I, Tonya).
The real star of the show is the drive-in experience. Gone are the hissing, tinny-sounding speakers clamped to car windows, replaced with your own car’s sound system. At entry, you’re given a handout that tells you what FM station to tune to for audio, and it is crisp and clear (depending on how good your car speakers are). You can bring your own snacks and beverages, if you like — but remember that concessions sales are how places like Tibbs stay open. The concession stand has a wide selection of food, including pizza, burgers, popcorn, ice cream, Pepsi products, and candy. Boomers will love the nostalgia of Tibbs, while Xers and Millenials will get to see what all the fuss is about.
The management at Heartland should be commended for thinking creatively about the festival this year. Movies are an art form best shared, and in a pandemic, it simply isn’t safe to go into a traditional movie theater and plop down next to total stranger. The drive-in and streaming experiences allows us to experience some great films within our healthy “pods.” I hope that next year, if there is a return to normal, that Heartland will have at least one showing at Tibbs or some other outdoor venue.
Heartland International Film Festival continues through Oct. 18, with upcoming features at Tibbs including showings of Stardust on Friday, Oct. 16, Dear Santa and Hum on Saturday, Oct. 17, and the Closing Night showing of Blithe Spirit. Visit heartlandfilm.org for more information and to order tickets.