On a cool summer evening, hundreds of Kentucky Governor Scholars pile onto the hill behind Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall. They eat the free popcorn and sit on blankets spread out on the grass. Loud chatter and laughter dominates the scene until dark.
At sunset, a large make-shift screen, begins the current movie out for 2009, Will Smith’s Seven Pounds.
But 20 minutes into the film, the announcement is made that the film is to be post-poned due to an impending thunderstorm - the rain never materializes.
This turn of events reflects some scholars' feelings towards the GSP’s film selections —a lot of buildup and potential, but ultimately disappointment.
Casablanca, the first movie shown, is widely regarded as one of the best films ever made and holds the second spot on the American Film Institute’s Greatest Films of All Time list. However, a few of the scholars’ response to the film was not nearly as positive.
“I thought it would be better,” said Ross Gilliam. “You couldn’t even understand what they were saying half of the time.”
“When they told us it was second on the AFI’s list, they forgot to tell us it was second from the bottom,” joked Eric Butterbaugh.
GSP routinely shows films to the scholars that are considered “classics,” chosen by the staff. These movies are selected to provide the scholars an opportunity to watch films they otherwise might not see due to the age or obscurity of the film.
Other choices for the scholars included The Graduate, O Brother Where Art Thou and Apollo 13, which were received more favorably than their famous forties counter-part, although attendance dropped steadily both times.
The Governor’s Scholars Program started in 1983 as a way to encourage bright students in Kentucky to go to college in Kentucky and invest their talents back into the state.
The 26-year-old program tries to expose these students to new experiences and activities they don’t normally get to explore in their high schools.
Frank Ward, one of the faculty members with GSP, embraces the classic film idea and takes it one step farther. Ward offers the students a chance to see obscure science fiction films most of the 17-year-olds have never heard of.
Titles like, Them and Series 7: The Contenders were shown in Ward’s Science Fiction Club this summer.
“I am not always a fan of the choices (the staff makes),” said Ward. “But I was pretty happy that Dr. Stangelove was on the list this year.”
Its title alone may draw in a few of the curious.