West Newton Cinema presents An Evening with John Sayles
February 7 @ 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm
$20
West Newton Cinema Reads & Newtonville Books present:
The iconic filmmaker John Sayles reading from and discussing his new novel, The Crucible, along with his classic film, City of Hope, with Here & Now’s Robin Young.
Join director John Sayles as he reads from his new novel, The Crucible, following a screening of his riveting film, City of Hope (1991).
In The Crucible, Henry Ford—the Elon Musk of his day—aims to rule both an automotive empire and the rambunctious city of Detroit. In an epic tale ranging from the Prohibition Era to the Second World War, featuring violent labor disputes, misbegotten jungle expeditions, a tragic race riot, and the gestapo tactics of Ford’s private army, Sayles does what he’s become famous for: shows us, through multiple perspectives, the country in which we live.
In City of Hope, an old apartment complex stands in the way of a major commercial development. Its owner, Joe, feels pressure to torch it, and Joe’s estranged son, Nick, soon becomes a pawn in the game. Following the arrest of two teenagers, idealistic city councilman Wynn finds himself torn between what he thinks is right, and what his Black constituents want.
Sayles and Young will walk us through this incredible cast of characters and the themes that make both The Crucible and City of Hope so crucial to understanding our current moment. Their talk will follow with a signing in the lobby, with books for sale courtesy of Newtonville Books.
John Sayles is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and once for the National Book Award. He has written eight novels, including, most recently, Jamie MacGillivray and To Save the Man.
Robin Young is a host of Here and Now, the nationally syndicated radio program produced by WBUR. A Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Robin has been a correspondent for ABC, CBS, NBC, and the Discovery Channel. She is a former guest host of The Today Show and one of the first hosts on Boston’s ground-breaking television show, Evening Magazine.
