Award winning romantic drama explores love, connection, and serendipity.
June 11, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m. (doors open at 3:45)
801 Magnolia Ave, Piedmont
One of the rewarding pleasures of movies is seeing one with friends, and then chatting about it when the lights come up. The 2nd ThursdayFlix Fest meets on the second Thursday of each month, and offers a great movie in a comfortable setting, with a lively discussion to follow.
The Flix Fest June selection is “Before Sunrise,” a beautifully scripted 1995 romantic drama written and directed by Richard Linklater. It is a film driven by conversation and the chemistry between the two youthful actors. It achieved a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score through critical acclaim for its realistic dialogue, a magnetic chemistry between the leads, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and for Linklater’s naturalistic direction. It is considered by many to be one of the most romantic films ever made.
The romantic dialogue begins on a train headed to Vienna, when Jesse, played by Ethan Hawke, engages Celine, played by Julie Delpy, in a cross-aisle conversation that is both playful and thought provoking. Jesse is returning to the States on a flight leaving from Vienna the next day, while Julie is returning to Paris, after a visit with her grandmother in Budapest.
The early exchange is one we all might wish to have had with someone we found intriguing, but were too shy to initiate. The realism and spontaneity of the conversation suggests improvisation by the actors, but actually reflects the quality of Linklater’s script. As the train pulls into the Vienna station, Jesse impulsively asks Celine to get off with him to allow them to continue getting to know each other better, albeit within the time frame of a single evening.
Interestingly, the first place visited by the couple is a cemetery, where the premature passing of a 13-year old girl was noticed during a previous visit by Celine, when she was the same age, causing a poignant reflection on the effect of passing time in her life 10 years later. Visits to other locations allow for their dialogue to deepen their understanding of each other, while enjoying such varied locations as the Prater Ferris wheel at sunset, and an all-night pinball machine arcade.
One scene that is particularly powerful finds the couple in a vintage record shop, where they decide to listen to an unknown artist singing lyrics that have separate meanings for each of them. The tight space of the booth enhances their intimacy, which is shared in glances rather than dialogue, as the music is playing. While we are always aware of the time limit imposed on this developing relationship, the scenes are not rushed, and culminate at the train station the next morning, when Celine leaves for Paris and Jesse departs for the airport.
“Before Sunrise” will be screened on Thursday, June 11 at the Piedmont Center for the Arts, 801 Magnolia Avenue. Doors will open at 3:45 PM, and the movie is free to anyone over 18 years of age. Participants are invited on a drop-in basis, and can bring snacks. The next movie will be “American Graffiti”, a 1973 coming-of-age comedy drama to be shown on July 9 at 4 PM, rather than our normal time.