Laura Dern is best known for her role as Ellie Sattler, the highly capable paleobotanist in Jurassic Park (1993). Ellie is a uniquely multifaceted Hollywood heroine: warm and analytical, vulnerable and strong, desirable yet motivated by her own desires. This kind of complexity is rare in female characters, but it is a common thread throughout Dern’s eclectic career. Whether she’s acting in a blockbuster, an indie comedy or one of David Lynch’s fever dreams, Dern plays women who can’t be easily defined.
This retrospective spans 30 years of Dern’s work, from Joyce Chopra’s Smooth Talk (1985) to Kelly Reichardt’s Certain Women (2016). The series opens with David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Four of the featured films show Dern acting alongside her mother, Diane Ladd: Rambling Rose (1990), Citizen Ruth (1996), Wild at Heart (1991) and Inland Empire (2006). Matinee screenings of Jurassic Park on New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve provide a fun activity for visiting friends and family. The closing event on December 30th includes a screening of David Lynch’s personal print of Inland Empire, preceded by Lynchian lounge music in Taste Café by Providence band Volcano Kings.
Many screenings will be on 35mm film. Check individual listings for more information.
Audience
Adults
Ticket Required
In This Series

Film
Opening Night: Blue Velvet
7:30 pm – 9:35 pm
Directed by David Lynch (USA, 1986, 121 min.). DCP.

Film
Citizen Ruth
11:00 am – 12:50 pm
Directed by Alexander Payne (USA, 1996, 106 min.). 35mm.

Film
Rambling Rose
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Directed by Martha Coolidge (USA, 1991, 112 min.). DVD.

Film
Citizen Ruth
2:30 pm – 4:15 pm
Directed by Alexander Payne (USA, 1996, 106 min.). 35mm.

Film
Blue Velvet
5:30 pm – 7:35 pm
Directed by David Lynch (USA, 1986, 121 min.). DCP.

Film
Citizen Ruth
8:00 pm – 9:50 pm
Directed by Alexander Payne (USA, 1996, 106 min.). 35mm.

Film
99 Homes
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Directed by Ramin Bahrani (USA, 2014, 112 min.). DCP.

Film
Wild at Heart
8:00 pm – 10:05 pm
Directed by David Lynch (USA, 1990, 125 min.). 35mm.

Film
Inland Empire
11:00 am – 2:20 pm
Directed by David Lynch (USA, 2006, 197 min.). 35mm.

Film
Rambling Rose
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Directed by Martha Coolidge (USA, 1991, 112 min.). DVD.

Film
Smooth Talk
10:30 am – 12:05 pm
Directed by Joyce Chopra (USA, 1985, 96 min.). BluRay.

Film
Blue Velvet
12:30 pm – 2:35 pm
Directed by David Lynch (USA, 1986, 121 min.). DCP.