Back to the Drive-In

April Wright's follow-up to her 2013 GOING ATTRACTIONS: THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN DRIVE-IN MOVIE. Like the original, BACK TO THE DRIVE-IN is a mix of sweet nostalgia combined with the sometimes trying reality of running an outdoor cinema.

The big difference between the two Documentaries is, of course, the Pandemic which created a boom and bust cycle which Drive-Ins are still working their way through. On the plus side, Drive-Ins were in many areas, the only place to see a movie at the height of the lock-downs. The downside included the difficulty in hiring - and keeping - workers, supply chain issues, occasionally rowdy attendees and film studios' fickle distribution plans. All of those layered on top of the already existing issues of reliance on good weather and the ever increasing value of real estate (the most sobering quote in the movie is when the Mission Tiki drive-in operator says that he has an offer for land that is worth what he could make in 25 years (!) of running the theaters).

Wright focuses on 11 drive-ins situated all across the country. The owners and operators are a mix of seasoned pros and wide-eyed amateurs just getting into the game. The Doc is truly a tale of Small Business ownership as much as one about the film exhibition business. The ups and the downs. And, lots of uncertainty.

In the end, what comes through in Wright's hands is that running a drive-in is a labor of love. For all the troubles and pains, when these entrepreneurs see the joy of kids playing in the drive-in playground or that glint in the eyes of first-time in their lifetime visitors it makes it all worth-while.

Greetings again from the darkness. As one who spent many evenings in my childhood and teen years lounging in a vehicle as the clunky metal speaker hung from the car window crackling with the dialogue and sound effects from that night's movie, I was anxious for a dose of the nostalgia that April Wright's documentary was sure to inspire. However, rather than a feel-good flashback to better days, Ms. Wright deals head-on with the challenges faced by those devoted few brave souls keeping the drive-in tradition alive.

Covering eleven theaters across eight states, the film allows the owners to use their own words in describing the difficulties in running a drive-in. We hear that the pandemic was a boon for business at many of these venues, as people were desperate to get out of the house for entertainment, yet needed to maintain the required social distancing. Drive-ins became the perfect family outing, and a first-time experience for so many (especially kids).

But will the 'drive-in renaissance' endure? That's really the question at hand, and after two hours of listening to owners bemoan the difficulties, it's hard to hold out much hope. To ensure we get the full picture, the visited drive-ins cover Texas, Ohio, Nebraska, Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, and California. They cover such diverse areas as Cape Cod, rural Texas, the Midwest, and San Bernadino County in California. The oldest was founded in 1952 (and purchased in 1984), while the newest was opened as the pandemic began. Most are family businesses, some handed down from previous generations.

So who wouldn't love to run a theater in the great outdoors where families come to spend time together, kids play, snacks are encouraged, and customers are treated to the joy of movie watching - usually a double feature? Consistently we heard the same issues from each of the owners and manager: proper staffing is nearly impossible, the full parking lots have openings since the pandemic has eased, the availability of first run movies has been negatively impacted by streaming services, maintenance of equipment is always difficult, and too many customers are downright rude these days. If that's not enough, the Cape Cod theater deals with "the F-word" ... no, not that one. Instead, it's the weather - specifically "og" (they refuse to pronounce the F). Yep, poor weather causes visibility issues from inside a vehicle, so even Mother Nature can be an adversary.

Sure, I was often jealous of the families that got to flip down the tailgate on their station wagon or pickup truck, but this movie doesn't focus on the thrill of watching a double feature of THE BIG LEBOWSKI and COOL HAND LUKE (as one of the massive neon marquees advertised). This is about the fading culture of drive-ins. We learn one of the profiled owners has already sold off his theater to a land developer for more than his revenue would be for the next 25 years! While watching, I kept thinking that the piano music was intrusive and the editing was a bit choppy, but I was left with the feeling of a Greek tragedy ... nice folks sadly losing a grip on the last bit of rope holding up an industry. Was it, as one owner says, "nice while it lasted", or is there still hope that future generations will get to hop out of the car and head to the concession stand during intermission?

On digital and On Demand (Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu) beginning March 14, 2023.

I'm in the UK so this was very foreign to me. It was very interesting though. Why and how these people keep these places going. They were all the same but different. I really did enjoy it though.

The only criticism is it seemed to try and feature too many places. It was hard to keep track and care for so many different places. It was obvious that some where more interesting than others. To be honest I only remember about four of them.

It would also have been interesting to hear more from the customers of why they visit in the days of streaming. There was a little bit of it but it seemed like an afterthought.

Well worth a watch though and you really do end up hoping and believe some of these places can survive.