It is truly an inspiring movie of how two Cape Town, South African individuals (a record shop owner and a journalist) who both happened to love the haunting guitar songs of an unknown American musician Sixto Rodriguez go on a hunt for information about him. There had been a myth that Rodriguez had committed suicide while on stage, after only producing two record albums, “Cold Fact” in 1970 and “Coming From Reality” in 1971. Rodriguez had been wildly popular back then in South Africa, but his poetic music had not caught on anywhere else including Detroit, Michigan where he had been singing in bars as a young man.

The documentary is interspersed with songs by Rodriguez, and is basically the story of how the two fans found him years later via the internet and one of his 3 daughters, and how they brought him to South Africa in March, 1998 where he is considered a super star. He performed there in six sold-out concerts before thousands of fans. But back in Detroit he lives alone and is not a rich man, doing construction/renovation/demolition work.

What is amazing and heartfelt about this movie is the love of the white South Africans for this mysterious Hispanic male singer, considering their history of apartheid, which was abolished officially in 1990. And despite the sudden fame, Rodriguez remained humble and unassuming.

If you don’t know of Rodriguez (I didn’t) this is an inspiring, unusual movie considering the distance and cultural differences between impoverished Detroit, Michigan and Cape Town, South Africa.

Find out on Feb. 24 if this film wins the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. I’ve also seen two other films in that category, “The Invisible War” (about rape/sexual assault in the U.S. military) and “Five Broken Cameras” (about the Israeli border wall on the West Bank, and non violent Palestinian demonstrations against it over a 5 year period).

UPDATE: Save the date for April 19, as Rodriguez is coming to the AVA Amphitheater due to popular demand (no longer at the Rialto Theater, which was too small for the large # of fans):
http://www.rialtotheatre.com/news/archives/2013/02/rodriguez_at_av.html

UPDATE 2/24/13: “Searching for Sugar Man” wins Best Documentary Feature Oscar at 2013 Academy Awards. See this movie, still playing at the Crossroads Festival movie theater, though only once a day right now.

“Liberal Arts” has opened at the Crossroads Grand Cinema, 4811 E. Grant Rd. Call 520-327-7067 or log onto www.movievalue.com for showtimes. The theater is located behind the Fry’s super market at the Crossroads Festival shopping center, with lots of free parking.

This movie theater usually shows a wide selection of 2nd-run movies at only $3.25/adult with discount prices lowered to only $1.50 on Tuesdays. Plus they serve edamame (salted soy beans) as an alternative snack to candy, what a terrific idea.

I viewed a screener version of this film recently, and really enjoyed the existential story and its clever dialogue.

“Liberal Arts” is about 35 year old Jesse who goes back to his college alma mater in Ohio to attend the retirement party of one of his favorite professors Peter. While there he meets 19 year old college student Elizabeth (“Zibby”). An intellectual attraction develops between them since Jesse is lonely having recently broken up with a girlfriend, and Zibby is looking for someone more mature to connect to.

This movie is more than a romantic comedy, because it is a coming of age story about a college girl, another depressed college student Dean, as well as Jesse (who is a college admissions counselor in New York City). But it is also about aging liberal arts college professors. Since my husband is a 25 year veteran literature professor at the University of AZ, this movie was very relevant to us. But it also reminded me of my own college days at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the lifestyle then: roommates, parties, quest for knowledge, the wondering & worrying about what Life would be like afterwards.

There are lots of very clever dialogue in this movie between the characters. Actor Zac Efron plays “Nat” a young wise guy (sage) just visiting the campus. Nat tells Jesse that “Fortune never smiles on those who say no” in order to convince him to go to explore a nearby party. Character actor Richard Jenkins plays retiring professor Peter very well, as a man who misses his classroom teaching and wonders what impact he had on all those students over 37 years of teaching. Mentor Peter tells Jesse that he still feels like 19 years old despite his older age, as “No one feels like an adult”.

This is a somewhat predictable movie as the viewer expects romance to bloom and it does, but it takes several interesting turns (including an epistolary relationship, unusual nowadays with cell phones, Skype, etc.) and a happy ending which I won’t disclose. Jesse tells depressed/suicidal student Dean to find contentment & grow old, since a lot of the stuff happening to him as a college student is just a “footnote”.

At one point Zibby (a Drama major) enthusiastically says “Everything in life is basically improvised”. How true, coming from a young person. See this movie and find out more about Life, Love, Literature, expectations, change, getting old. Life does happen after college, believe me.

“Liberal Arts” is a witty movie, so don’t miss it and don’t miss out on life either.

Free for kids 10 and under, all others just $2, at both Crossroads Festival (4811 E. Grant Rd.) and Oracle View Grand Cinemas (4690 N Oracle Rd.)

Schedule is online (click here) and here’s the listing of the movies for this summer movie club:

Curious George movie poster

Aliens in the Attic
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Astro Boy
Bedtime Stories
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Charlotte’s Web
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Curious George
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Monsters vs. Aliens
The Muppets Take Manhattan
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Pete’s Dragon
Planet 51
Shorts
The Tale of Despereaux
Tooth Fairy
Underdog

What a great way to stay cool and enjoy the summer in Tucson with the kids.