Ella McCay Has its Rhode Island Premiere

Ella McCay on the marquee at the Avon Wednesday night.

Walking into the Avon Cinema for the Rhode Island premiere of Ella McCay last Wednesday night, I didn’t know what to expect. The trailer released to a multitude of comments from viewers complaining they didn’t know what the film was supposed to be about.

“This is so non descriptive” writes one commenter on social media.

When a trailer doesn’t give you much information about the storyline and set of characters, especially the title character, it’s hard to fully know what you’re walking into when setting foot in the theater. The premiere, put on by the Rhode Island Film and Television Office, was for those in the state who helped make the film happen, either through assisting with production, lending props and filming locations, or through bureaucratic help in making sure the project was approved for filming.

Upon arrival at the iconic Providence movie theater, the line of freshly popped popcorn, glistening with movie theater butter caught my attention instantly. My sister, my date for the evening and an extra in the film, and I grabbed a bucket each and some Buncha Crunch before moving on to the beverage section; ice cold water bottles and Coca-Cola filled and bubbling to the brim. Once we settled into our seats it was time to enjoy the movie.

The now comforting opening video “let’s all go to the lobby” played causing the whole theater to hum along. It’s worth it to soak in your environment when surrounded by people who all worked together to create something. Tonight, all the people in the room had something to do with the film’s creation, and that was special. The opening credits rolled and hoots and hollers were shouted. I immediately locked in to pay attention to the film.

It’s a very hard thing to create a joyous movie centering around politics; but that’s exactly what Ella McCay did. To say I was a fan of the movie, as well as the opening night experience, would be correct. The cast, including Woody Harrelson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Mackey, acted out the films dysfunctional family dynamic beautifully. Not knowing the plot of the film thanks to the vague trailer made the movie watching experience better. From start to finish my eyes were set on the screen, picking up every little detail.

The film is set during the 2008 financial crisis and follows Ella McCay, Lieutenant Governor of an undisclosed state. When the governor, played by Albert Brooks, takes a cabinet position, McCay is thrust into his previous role. McCay’s genuine passion for making the state a better place rubs her corrupt colleagues the wrong way and throughout the film the audience sees various attempts by her enemies, and apparent friends, to take her down.

Is it an Oscar winner? I wouldn’t say so, but does that really matter? Films nowadays seem to always strive for critical validation, achieved frequently through violent and heartbreaking stories. In some cases, exploiting tragic tales to get that golden trophy during awards season. I love a good think piece just as much as the next cinephile, but sitting in the Avon theatre that night, taking in the familiar Providence landscape I love so much while it was projected onto the big screen, I was happy to be watching a movie that didn’t hurt my heart or brain. Ella McCay is innocent and fun, with heartwarming moments that left the entire theatre feeling good.

Richard Dulgarian, co-owner of the Avon, attended the screening to make sure the night went off without a hitch. Dulgarian enjoyed the film and was thrilled to get to host some of the people who made it happen.

“There are a lot of film people here so it’s like a big party,” says Dulgarian. “It’s wonderful to have a Rhode Island film premiere in a Rhode Island single screen theatre.”

In the audience with me were Rhode Island Film heavy hitters, like Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office Steven Feinberg, Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives K. Joseph Shekarchi (stay tune for a feature on him in our January issue), and Director of the Rhode Island International Film Festival Shawn Quirk. Governor Mckee, who allowed the film crew to use his office at the statehouse for a few shots, was also in the crowd.

“What made it really special was seeing our city and the statehouse and the office space that we work in everyday on the big screen,” says Mckee. “We’re very proud of the production that happened here and we love the idea that people all over the country are going to see Rhode Island.”

If you’re a Rhode Islander, do yourself a favor and watch the film. As we walked out of the theater, my sister Scout said it best.

“It never directly says in the film what state they’re in but it’s so obviously Rhode Island. It’s like we have our own inside joke.”

Ella McCay is currently playing in theaters all over the world. Watch the trailer for it down below. Though leaving out crowd drawing information, take my experience as an example of what happens when you walk into something blind.