Once the gifts are unwrapped and the leftovers are stacked in the fridge, the wait for New Year’s Eve begins.
To help occupy the last few days, especially if you’re not into facing the crowds returning gifts, the Park City Library has a treat for you — free Winter Break movie screenings.
“The library has screening rights through a licensing company, and we picked what we think are the best family films of the year that would appeal to all ages,” said Kate Mapp, Park City Library adult services librarian.
The films, which start at 3 p.m. from Wednesday, Dec. 27, through Saturday, Dec. 30, at the Park City Library’s Jim Santy Auditorium, are “Barbie,” “Elemental,” “The Little Mermaid” and “The Super Mario Brothers Movie,” according to Mapp. (See schedule and plot summaries below.)
“They are for all ages, although ‘Barbie’ does have some more adult themes,” she said. “The rest are animated or live-action films geared toward youths and teens.”
All the films were released in 2023, Mapp said.
“So, if you didn’t get a chance to see them in the theater, this is a great opportunity to do that,” she said.
Mapp collaborated with Katrina Kmak, youth services librarian, to select the films.
“We looked at the list, and these were our top four,” Mapp said.
These screenings will also help the Park City Library staff check out the auditorium’s new equipment, Mapp said.
“We just received an upgrade a few months ago, and we haven’t been able to screen films on our own for a couple of years,” she said. “So, we’re super excited to utilize the Santy Auditorium the way we did pre-pandemic. (Before 2020), we were able to program and show more films in that space.”
The Winter Break screenings are open to anyone, Mapp said.
“They are ideal for people who live here and for people who are visiting for the season and are looking for something to do after they’re done skiing,” she said. “We know it’s busy at this time of the year, but this is a fun, relaxing thing to do at the library before dinner.”
Offering free events like the screenings also give families a financial break during the season, Mapp said.
“The holidays can be kind of expensive, so finding free things to occupy the kids and families can be difficult,” she said. “And not only is admission free. The popcorn is also free. So people can bring a bowl, or they can pick up some bags of popcorn when they’re here.”
Although libraries are mostly known for providing access to books and other reading material, they are also now known to provide access to film, Mapp said.
“We have great digital resources for movies on our website, but there is also something to be said about getting out of the house and getting together as a community to watch movies.”
The list of films and IMDB.com summaries for the Park City Library’s free Winter Break screenings
- Wednesday, Dec. 27 — Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” rated PG-13
Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.
- Thursday, Dec. 28 — Peter Sohn’s animated film, “Elemental,” rated PG
“Elemental” follows Ember and Wade, in a city where fire-, water-, earth- and air-residents live together.
- Friday, Dec. 29 — Rob Marshall’s live action version of “The Little Mermaid,” rated PG
A young mermaid makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress a prince.
- Saturday, Dec. 30 — Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic’s animated film, “Super Mario Bros. Movie,” rated PG (Co-directed by Pierre Leduc and Fabien Polack).
A plumber named Mario travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother Luigi, trying to save Peach, a captured princess.