The Hope College Knickerbocker Free Family Film Series will return with four films running on Thursdays, from July 27 to August 17, at 7:30 p.m. This year, all the films are based on classic children’s books.
Admission is free, and no ticket is required. In addition, the showings coincide with the Holland downtown street performers, creating a full night of entertainment for the entire family.
The series will open with “The Tale of Despereaux,” from the bestselling book by Kate DeCamillo, on July 27. The action/adventure film features Despereaux Tilling, a small, fearless mouse who is banished from his home to the dungeon for being a nonconforming mouse with lofty ambitions. Despereaux sets off on a noble quest to rescue an endangered princess and save an entire kingdom from darkness. This film is rated G.
“Where the Wild Things Are,” based on Maurice Sendak’s book, will be featured next, on August 3. This film follows the adventures of a misunderstood, lonely boy named Max as he runs away from home to the land of the wild things, where majestic creatures inhabit the island and a point him as king. With a cast including Max Records, James Gandolfini and Lauren Ambrose, the film is rated PG.
On August 10, the series will feature the film “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” based on a story by Roald Dahl. George Clooney stars as Mr. Fox, an impulsive fox who gives in to his animal instincts and raids the farm of three powerful men. These men seek revenge against Mr. Fox and hunt him and any other raiders. Endangering his family and the community, Mr. Fox and his team must outwit the three farmers in order to take back their home. The film is rated PG.
The series will close on August 17 with the most recent film version of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book.” The fantasy/drama film features Mowgli, a young boy raised by a pack of wolves in the jungle. But now he must leave the only place he knows as “home” for the sake of his life and the life of his wolf pack. Accompanied by a panther and a bear, Mowgli must make a journey to the human village in order to save himself from the fearsome tiger Shere Khan. The film is rated PG.
The doors open at 7 p.m. The Knickerbocker Theatre is located at 86 E. Eighth St.