Love ‘Barbie’? Sacramento art museum celebrates Greta Gerwig with summer movie series

Love “Barbie”? Greta Gerwig, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind the blockbuster, is the focus of a new summer film series in Sacramento.

The Crocker Art Museum will screen three films by the Sacramento native as part of its annual Movies Off the Wall series, kicking off next week.

“Barbie” will screen on Thursday, while “Frances Ha” and “Lady Bird” are scheduled for July and August, respectively.

Houghton Kinsman, the museum’s adult education coordinator, said staffers have been wanting to host a screening series showcasing the films of the actress, writer and director for a while, but were “waiting for the right timing.”

“(Gerwig is) finally getting the recognition that she’s due,” Kinsman said. “So for us to be able to celebrate her work — and her contributions to Sacramento too — just made total sense.”

Sacramento Film + Media and Sacrament City Council member Katie Valenzuela are partnering with the museum to host the screening series.

Kinsman said the museum’s collaboration with the city has been highly beneficial to highlighting filmmakers from the region.

“This is an amazing opportunity to celebrate Greta Gerwig, a distinguished talent from our hometown, in such a unique and beautiful setting,” Jennifer West, Sacramento’s film commissioner, wrote in an email to The Sacramento Bee. “This film screening collaboration showcases the vibrant cultural scene we have here in Sacramento.”

Which Greta Gerwig movies are screening at Sacramento art museum?

The three films in this summer’s series were strategically chosen to provide the community with diverse programming, Kingsman said.

“Barbie” is more approchable for audience members who may not typically go to the Crocker Art Museum, Kinsman said. Gerwig directed and co-wrote the comedy, which follows the famed doll on a perspective-altering adventure.

“Frances Ha,” about a struggling dancer in New York City, provides a more intellectual and analytical look into the issues Gerwig typically covers in her films. Gerwig, who stars as Frances, co-wrote the film with her future husband, director Noah Baumbach.

Gerwig wrote and directed “Lady Bird,” which follows a high school senior in Sacramento. The film was partly shot in well-known locales around the city including the Fabulous Forties neighborhood and McKinley Rose Garden.

“One of the things I love about Sacramento is Sacramentans often tend to to show up for fellow Sacramentans,” Kinsman said.

What is Movies Off the Wall series?

According to Kinsman, the museum started Movies Off the Wall in 2018 as part of a larger effort to present filmmaking in an artistic institution.

In previous years, the series showed films including “The Princess Bride” and “The Blues Brothers.”

“I’m hoping people will turn out in numbers to celebrate Greta, celebrate Sacramento and celebrate filmmaking in Sacramento,” Kinsman said.

When and where can I see ‘Barbie’?

The Crocker Art Museum will screen a total of three Greta Gerwig films at sundown in the outdoor courtyard, projecting them on one of the Teel Family Pavilion’s outdoor walls.

Here’s when they’re playing:

• “Barbie”: Thursday, June 20

• “Frances Ha”: Thursday, July 18

• “Lady Bird”: Thursday, August 15

The museum will open its courtyard before each screening at 7 p.m., with DJs playing sets.

Majka at the Crocker, the museum’s café, will serve food throughout the pre-show.

On movie nights, museum docents will host guided “Reel Tours” at 7:30 p.m. showcasing works in the museum’s collection that relate to each film’s themes.

According to Kinsman, the theme for the tour accompanying “Barbie” is, fittingly, “Pink.” It will focus on the physical color as well as its artistic symbolism.

The museum will provide chairs for moviegoers, but guests are also allowed to bring camping chairs.

How much are ticket prices?

Tickets for each film cost $16, and a three-film series pass costs $48.

Crocker Art Museum members can receive discounted prices.