Ballard Park
PHOTO: Movies on the Rocks at Ballard Park Photo by Jennifer Carter

Friends of Ballard Park’s MOVIES ON THE ROCKS series kicks off on Wednesday, August 8th.  Three movies will be shown in the quarry meadow off of Hazard Road in Newport on Wednesday evenings during the month of August. A short provided by the Rhode Island International Film Festival will be screened prior to each feature.  The screenings are free and open to the public.

The series, which is sponsored by Cox, National Grid, Marco Camacho, the Rhode Island House of Representatives, Savings Institute Bank & Trust and Ken & Tia Scigulinsky begins Wednesday, August 8th with a screening of Rocky.

A 1976 sports drama written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, Rocky tells the rags to riches story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted working class boxer in the slums of Philadelphia.  A small time club fighter, Rocky gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship.   The film also stars Talia Shire as Adrian, Burt Young as Adrian’s brother Paulie, Burgess Meredith as Rocky’s trainer Mickey Goldmill and Carl Weathers as the champion Apollo Creed.  Rocky is rated PG with a running time of 120 minutes.

The series continues on August 15th with The Princess Bride.  An eighties cult classic, The Princess Bride is a high-spirited adventure that pits true love against inconceivable odds. It has charmed legions of fans with its irreverent gags, eccentric ensemble, and dazzling swordplay. A boy (Fred Savage), home sick from school, grudgingly allows his grandfather (Peter Falk) to read him a dusty storybook—which is how we meet the innocent Buttercup (Robin Wright), about to marry the nefarious Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) though her heart belongs to Westley (Cary Elwes). The wedding plans are interrupted by a mysterious pirate, a vengeful Spaniard and a good-natured giant, in a tale full of swashbuckling, romance, and outrageously hilarious spoofery. Directed by Rob Reiner from an endlessly quotable script by Oscar winner William Goldman, The Princess Bride reigns as a fairy-tale classic.  Rated PG, 98 minutes.

MOVIES ON THE ROCKS wraps up with a screening of Bambi on August 22nd.  In this 1942 Disney classic, a young deer named Bambi joins his new friends, a rabbit named Thumper and a skunk named Flower, in exploring his forest home. As a young deer, he learns from his doting mother and his father, The Great Prince of the Forest, that there are dangers in the open meadows. As Bambi grows up, he discovers that there is tragedy as well as beauty and joy in his forest world and on the path to adulthood.  Rated G; 70 minutes.

Prior to each movie, a short film provided by Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival will be shown.  The Rhode Island International Film Festival is the only Oscar qualifying festival for shorts in New England and hosts its annual festival August 7 – 12th in various locations around RI including Ballard Park.

Ballard Park’s quarry meadow will open at 6:30 pm for blankets and picnicking.  Movies begin at dusk (typically at 8 pm). In the event of rain, movies will be shown on the following night.  Like regular movie theaters, smoking is prohibited.  MOVIES ON THE ROCKS is co-sponsored by Bartlett Tree Experts, BR Arnold Construction, the Fitzpatrick Team, Howard Johnson, IHOP Middletown and Jenkins Construction and supported by the City of Newport, IAFF Newport Local 1080, Kate Leonard, McGrath Clambakes, Inc., the Newport Ancient Order of Hibernians, Newport FOP and Teresa Paiva Weed.

Seating is on the grass.  Bring a blanket or lawn chair.  Picnic dinners welcome.  Please follow the “carry it in, carry it out” philosophy.  Event goers are advised to wear sneakers or sturdy shoes as trails can be uneven in places.  Bring a flashlight to guide you out at the end of the night.  Park along Hazard Road and enter Ballard Park at 21 Hazard Road for this event.  Tick checks are recommended after leaving the event.

Visit www.ballardpark.org for more information.

Movies on the Rocks kicks off on August 8th at Newport’s Ballard Park with a screening of Rocky.  Friends of Ballard Park will also show The Princess Bride and Bambi the following two weeks.  Photo by Jennifer Carter.

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