Cromaine District Library Steers Drive-in Movie Series to Hartland

is reviving Hartland's tradition of public outdoor movies with a series of free recently released animated family films on Friday's in August.

The first movie Rango — which features the voice of Johnny Depp — will be at dusk (8:51 p.m.) Friday in the parking lot north of the main branch in the village area, 3688 Hartland Rd.

Patrons can sit in their vehicle or bring a blanket or lawn chairs. Friends of Cromaine will offer free popcorn but will accept donations. The series follows on the heels of concerts in July that drew between 80 and 200 on Wednesday nights.

"It's just another thing the library is trying to do do to promote community awareness and give people something to do," said Don Thompson, vice president of the Library Board.

Rango is about a chameleon who finds himself in a Wild West town in need of a new sheriff, according to The Internet Movie Database. The film is rated PG, and a parent's guide on IMDb says it's OK for kids 7 and older. (Click here for more details).

Other films in the series are:

• Mars Needs Moms on Aug. 12
• Hoodwinked, Too! on Aug. 20
• Rio on Aug. 26

Library Director Ceci Marlow said if there's a possibility of severe weather, the library will decide whether to show the movie at 5:30 p.m. the day of the event. She said postings would be placed at several locations including on the library's Facebook page and on signs at the building.

"It will not be rain or shine, it'll be shine or sprinkle," Marlow said.

She said the north lot was chosen over the more often used south lawn because there were concerns about access to bathrooms by walking down steps in the dark. That's not a problem on the north side of the building. She also advised that people bring bug spray with a swampy area nearby.

"Bring your own, one that you feel comfortable with," she said.

The idea for the series originated with Thompson, who recalled that movies once played on the back of the in the 1940s and 1950s.

"They did draw pretty big crowds," he said.

This time, the library will project the film on a 44-by-44 screen with sound coming from a library amplification system. The screen was paid for by a donation and the library is utilizing a license it has to show the films.

"We really don't know what to expect," Thompson said. "It's something novel. … I hope it pans out."