Cinema Society

Season Opener! THE GIRLS IN THE BAND

Average
Rating

3.5

Tuesday, September 04, 2012, AMC La Jolla 12 Theatres

Our 29th Season Opener!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

On Screen: 4:30pm or 7:30pm (You Pick!)

AMC La Jolla 12 Theatres (Auditorium #9)

Cinema Chat and Introduction begins 15 minutes prior to screenings

Discussion follows screenings

Our Season Opener

THE GIRLS IN THE BAND

They wiggled, they jiggled, they wore low cut gowns and short shorts, they kow-towed to the club owners and smiled at the customers…and they did it all, just to play the music they loved.

THE GIRLS IN THE BAND tells the poignant, untold stories of female jazz and big band instrumentalists and their fascinating, groundbreaking journeys from the late 30′s to the present day.

These incredibly talented women endured sexism, racism and diminished opportunities for decades, yet continued to persevere, inspire and elevate their talents in a field that seldom welcomed them. Today a new breed of gifted young women are taking their rightful place in the world of jazz which can no longer deny their talents.

Running Time: 83 Minutes Not Rated

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12-Sep-12: Mroe - Rating: 4

Great start to the Season 29 (my 13th)….Always like the opportunity to learn something new and be exposed to a untold story. As much as I personally tend to fantasize about how great and wonderful the era in this film is documenting (30’s & 40’s), I tend to fall into the nostalgic trap much like “Gil” (Own Wilson) in “Midnight in Paris” and according to that film “Nostalgia is denial - denial of the painful present... the name for this denial is golden age thinking - the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one ones living in – it’s a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present” (yep, that’s me). Not that this film depicts is depicting life for these women to be perfect and wonderful, in fact it brings things into focus our black-eye in history (one of many black-eyes previous and since, unfortunately) . This documentary was well made and keeps one interest. I will recommend to family and friends.

10-Sep-12: Sioux - Rating: 3

A very enjoyable story that was worth telling. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I been a bigger fan of jazz. I liked the music from the 30s and 40s much moreso than the more recent styling. The recreation of the picture at the end was a fantastic tribute.

As one of the other reviewers said, it's good to know how far we've come! When one of the interviewers told Marian McPartland that she was decorative, we gasped. In another age, that comment would not have seemed so shocking.

5-Sep-12: Jim - Rating: 4

Very good treatment of an era that many older film and jazz lovers were unfamiliar with. The bridge between the earlier women musicians and the younger was treated quite well. Especially enjoyed seeing the new generation showing appreciation and respect for what was accomplished earlier. The use of the photo album as a method of carrying the story from the past to present was a great idea to build into the film. Extraordinary how World War II opened up opportunities for women jazz musicians. The bias by some and support by other male musicians was treated well. Hope many others get to see this documentary.

5-Sep-12: jh - Rating: 3

Director Judy Chaikin milked about all the entertainment she could from this obscure subject. Particularly entertaining were the comments of these marginalized musicians. Their comments were thoughtful, insightful, and charming and showed they bore little resentment despite the prevalent prejudice.

4-Sep-12: Georgi - Rating: 4

This combined with Michelle Obama's speech made tonight a perfect evening. An entertaining and informative piece with a terrific sound track. Yes indeed. A study on how the world has changed for the better.

4-Sep-12: RichG - Rating: 3

What a great way to begin our 29th year. Andy has an ability to find small gems which provide us with an opportunity to see films not available to others.

This documentary was amazing for the archival footage. It was put together in an interesting fashion. It dragged on a bit too long once it hit the current batch of female performers. It's sad how few actually knew the struggles of the previous generations. The pioneers interviewed obviously loved what they did and appreciated their accomplishments.

4-Sep-12: Margaret Downing - Rating: 4

I really enjoyed this documentary; found myself smiling throughout. Made me sorry I took accordian lessons instead of the trombone! The film dragged for me at times -- too many characters to keep straight, and some of the interviews were repetitive. I think the recut/one hour version planned for schools will be an improvement. One very cool thing about The Girls in the Band is that it demonstrates how we've come a long way, baby, on so many dimensions.