The Student Union Board of Governors hosted their annual outdoor movie event this past Sunday, Sept. 8 with “The Fall Guy,” an action-packed romantic comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. The event was held from 8 p.m to 10 p.m at Founder’s Green, aka “The Great Lawn,” as commonly referred to by students of the University of Connecticut.
“The Fall Guy” is a film directed by David Leitch that follows a Hollywood stuntman who is working on his ex-girlfriend’s directorial debut but finds himself entangled in a mystery regarding the film’s movie star protagonist. The movie then embarks on a wild ride where the protagonist is framed for the murder of another cast member and will therefore have to go through a battle to save his reputation.
With the perfect starry September night and chilly weather, attendees of the event could feel a peaceful ambiance. SUBOG student coordinators handed out blankets so students would feel comfortable sitting on the grass, in addition to freshly popped “movie theater” style popcorn for all to enjoy.
The midsize crowd of students in attendance made it so the screen was close enough for everyone to watch the movie. With the elevation of Founder’s Green, the screen would block all buildings around it, and it seemed as if each time your eyes wandered off the screen, you were able to observe the night sky.
Nights like this, where students can feel a deep sense of community and forget the stresses that come with their coursework, are deeply cherished.
The SUBOG student coordinators are not an exception either. Ben Bomzer, a fifth-semester student, explains, “This outdoor movie usually happens every Labor Day weekend … It’s just kind of a fun, end of summer, welcome back-to-school event that has been very successful in the past … I really wanted to pick a movie that is fun, exciting, had a mix of everything: action, romance, comedy, fun movie stars and kind of just something for everybody.”
Bomzer explained how it took the student coordinators months to plan the event and make it special for students. It took them about an hour and a half to set up and he had been brainstorming this special night since May.
The efforts of the coordinators clearly paid off, as most students remarked about how they really liked the chosen movie and were enjoying the event.
Zeynep Coşkun, a third-semester student, said, “It was such a nice time and place. We got to have an immersive experience under the stars with the open cinema … The movie itself was pretty fun. It was nice to follow along and it was an original story. I would say it had some special elements, the generic traits that typically make a movie funny and obviously the actors were charming.”
When talking about this type of experience at UConn, she also said, “I would say that community events held at Horsebarn Hill and the Great Lawn, especially social ones, tend to stick with people in terms of the environmental experience … I am glad I made time for it, and it was a really good experience.”