Sag Harbor Cinema Brings Drive-In Movies to Havens Beach

Drive-in movies have enjoyed a massive comeback with traditional movie theaters closed during the pandemic. Luckily for Sag Harbor residents and neighboring Hamptonites, Sag Harbor Cinema is bringing its renowned selection of films to this retro format with a Sunday night outdoor movie series at Havens Beach, beginning 4th of July weekend.

“The light, the colors, the air, the heat, the smells, the sounds, the water, the adventure, the romance, the daydreams, the late nights, the everlasting memories, even the scorching asphalt—there is nothing like ‘the feeling of summer.’ And cinema has captured it so well in so many different ways,” Sag Harbor Cinema artistic director Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan said in a press release, adding, “To celebrate that feeling seemed like a natural subject for this series. Especially this particular year, and through a program of outdoor screenings.”

The first screening of the series, taking place on July 5, is Kathryn Bigelow’s quintessential 1991 surf-crime-action film Point Break. The movie follows rookie FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) as he investigates the “Ex-Presidents,” a group of bank robbers who are infamous for donning Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter masks. Utah infiltrates a group of surfers who he believes to be the criminals, but his undercover assignment becomes much more complex as he falls prey to the charms of their magnetic leader, Bodhi (Patrick Swayze).

Next, the July 12 screening treats the audience to Wes Anderson’s 2012 coming-of-age gem Moonrise Kingdom. The film has a truly all-star ensemble cast—including Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Bob Balaban, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Jason Schwarzman and Harvey Keitel—but its heart lies in the central romance between two pre-teens, Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) and Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward). After becoming pen pal lovers, Suzy leaves her oppressive home, and Sam escapes his lonely scouting camp with fervent angst, and the two set up camp on a remote beach. Vivid storytelling, intelligent dialogue, visual symmetry, clever color palettes, punchy music and a vibrant ’60s backdrop combine to create one of Anderson’s most beautiful love stories.

On July 19, Sag Harbor Cinema present the 1997 smash hit musical-biopic of the famous Tejano pop star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in Water Mill resident Jennifer Lopez’s breakout film Selena. Director Gregory Nava, of Mexican and Basque descent, captures the spirit and talent of Selena just as much as he devises a story about American immigrant dreams. Encouraged by her father (Edward James Olmos), who himself had been rebuffed by the majorly white music industry, Selena rockets from a young, singing prodigy to a full-blown world star with a level of confidence that only the electric J. Lo could so perfectly embody.

Tickets are $40 per vehicle and are only available online. Havens Beach, located just off Bay Street in Sag Harbor, opens to cars at 9 p.m. each Sunday, with screenings starting at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Visit sagharborcinema.org for tickets and more information on current and upcoming drive-in screenings, as well as the virtual Sag Harbor Harbor @ Home program.