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.