My Best Friend’s Wedding

A glorious Bee Movie-free hush falls over the outdoor screening schedule this week (our prayer has been answered at last!), and there are plenty of good movies to choose from. All shows start at 8:30pm unless otherwise noted. For more details on Park District screenings, call 312-742-7529. For details on Northwestern screenings, go to blockmuseum.northwestern.edu. For details on the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival screenings in Grant Park, hit cityofchicago.org. For details on the Clarke House screening, go to clarkehousemuseum.org.

Thursday 14
Field of Dreams
Dir. Phil Alden Robinson. 1989. PG. 107mins. Mystical forces compel Kevin Costner to build a baseball diamond in a cornfield.
McGuane Park, 2901 S Poplar Ave at 29th St. El: Orange to Halsted/Archer. Bus: 8 Halsted, 62 Archer.

The Great Debaters
Dir. Denzel Washington. 2007. PG-13. 126mins. During the Depression, an African-American debate team from a small college goes up against Harvard’s best. Uplift ensues.
Seward Park, 375 W Elm St at Orleans St. El: Brown to Chicago, Purple to Sedgwick. Bus: 70 Division, 156 LaSalle.

Pride
Dir. Sunu Gonera. 2007. PG. 104mins. A former pro swimmer inspires young men in Philadelphia’s impoverished neighborhoods to better themselves through swimming.
Kells Playground Park, 3201 W Chicago Ave at Kedzie Ave. Bus: 65, 66, 94.

The Right Stuff
Dir. Philip Kaufman. 1983. PG. 3hrs 13mins. Tom Wolfe’s brilliant account of the American space program gets a big-screen adaptation with every weathered character actor of the 1980s: Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward. Wow.
Butler Field, 201 S Columbus Dr between Monroe and Jackson Drs. El: Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple (rush hrs) to Adams. Bus: 3, 4 (24hrs), 6, 7, 147. 8pm.

State of the Union
Dir. Frank Capra. 1948. N/R. 124mins. Presidential candidate Spencer Tracy faces challenges on the domestic front with wife Katharine Hepburn.
Clarke House Museum, 1827 S Indiana Ave between 18th and 19th Sts. Bus: 3, 4 (24hrs), 24, 62 (24hrs).

Friday 15
The Great Debaters
See Thu.
Carver Park, 939 E 132nd St between Dobson and Corliss Aves. Bus: 34 S Michigan.

Pride
See Thu.
Nat King Cole Park, 361 E 85th St between Calumet Ave and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. El: Red to 87th. Bus: 3, 29, 87.

Shrek the Third
Dirs. Chris Miller and Raman Hui. 2007. PG. 91mins. The green machine deals with fatherhood and tries to persuade Justin Timberlake to take the throne.
Veterans’ Memorial Park, 2820 E 98th St between Musgrove and Manistee Aves. Bus: 71 71st/South Shore.

Saturday 16
Transformers
Dir. Michael Bay. 2007. PG-13. 144mins. Robots that turn into other stuff destroy a lot of crap while Shia LeBeouf tries to stay out of trouble. Given his recent adventures, maybe he’d better let the robots do the driving.
Roosevelt Park, 62 W Roosevelt Rd between State and Clark Sts. Bus: 12 Roosevelt, 127 Madison/Roosevelt Circulator. El: Red, Green, Orange Line to Roosevelt Rd.

Sunday 17
Hairspray
Dir. Adam Shankman. 2007. PG. 117mins. A girl in Baltimore circa 1962 dreams of dancing on a local television show. When her dreams come true, she helps desegregate Baltimore television. Impressive.
Unity Playlot Park, 2636 N Kimball Ave between Wrightwood and Schubert Aves. El: Blue to Logan Square. Bus: 56 Milwaukee, 82 Kimball/Homan.

Monday 18
Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?
Dir. Tyler Perry. 2007. PG-13. 113mins. Four marriages are tested during a vacation.
Lowe Playground Park, 5203 S Lowe Ave at 52nd St. Bus: 8 Halsted, 51 51st.

Tuesday 5
Shrek the Third
See Fri.
Union Park, 1501 W Randolph St between Ogden and Ashland Aves. El: Green, Pink to Ashland. Bus: 9 Ashland, X20 Washington/Madison Express.

An Affair to Remember
Dir. Leo McCarey. 1957. N/R. 119mins. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr fall in love, make a date to meet in six months and then get ensnared in melodramatic plot developments.
Grant Park, from Lake Shore Dr to Michigan Ave and Monroe Dr to Balbo Dr. El: Red or Blue to Jackson; Pink, Brown, Green, Purple (rush hrs) to Adams. Bus: 1, 3, X3, 4 (24hrs), X4, 6, 7, 10, 14, 26, 28, 126, 144, 145, 146, 147. 8:15pm.

Wednesday 20
Dirt
Dir. Nancy Savoca. 2003. N/R. 91mins. An illegal immigrant tries to survive working as a maid in New York City.
Kelvyn Park, 4438 W Wrightwood Ave between Kostner and Kilbourn Aves. Bus: 53, 54 74, 76, 77 (24hrs).

Hairspray
See Sun.
Durkin Park, 8445 S Kolin Ave between 84th and 85th Sts. Bus: 53 South Pulaski, 79 79th.

My Best Friend’s Wedding
Dir. P.J. Hogan. 1997. PG-13. 105mins. Julia Roberts realizes she’s in love with pal Dermot Mulroney (blah) when he’s about to marry Cameron Diaz. Rupert Everett delivers droll wit and an impromptu musical number. Yeah, his character is gay. Go figure.
Chicago History Museum, Uihlein Plaza, 1601 N Clark St at North Ave. El: Brown, Purple (rush hrs) to Sedgwick. Bus: 22 (24hrs), 36, 72. Dusk.