It’s amazing how much the drive-in experience is hardwired into the psyche of generations of families. Filmmaker April Wright explores this with the people who run franchises and fans who love them in Back to the Drive-In. The film goes down memory lane, takes a peek into the future, and is a love letter to all who have enjoyed the drive-in experience over the years and those families/owners who have struggled through the good and bad times to make sure the screens never go dark.
This is Wright’s second documentary about the world of drive-ins, the first being 2013’s Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-In Movie. One might think two documentaries on the same subject over ten years is unnecessary, but this time, Wright focuses on 11 different drive-ins across America.
As the film bounces back and forth between these 11 drive-ins, spread out over eight different states, you quickly begin to empathize with all the unique challenges these venues face. One location has to work its viewing schedule around a train passing each night. Another has an issue with fog rolling in, while another has issues with people ignoring rules of conduct and how they treat the staff. It is curious and wonderful to see how each owner tries to deal with things their own way and how their particular drive-in reflects themselves or their family running it.
It becomes apparent during the interviews that this is primarily a labor of love. Many grew up watching films at a drive-in as a kid, then worked at one, and some took them over. It’s a unique community that supports each other as long as they mark their territory in a place well away from others. The last thing any of them need is more competition for their product, which they face on an ongoing basis.
Covid-19 was the pandemic no one saw coming, and also, no one could have seen that pandemic giving rise to a resurgence in interest in drive-ins. With most things shut down across America and most of the world, the drive-in became one of the last open venues where people could escape the usual stresses of life and the confines of their homes. Once again, the drive-ins were a hotbed of activity, and people flocked to them in droves.
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Of course, things have changed yet again, and while there might never be going back to the way things once were, the “new normal,” as it were, still offers unique and substantial hurdles for these businesses to overcome. Most of that centers on Hollywood and how it is approaching the new world, specifically with many movies hitting streaming services much earlier than they ever had before, some even the same day as release. It is now a struggle for these owners and families to find ways to bring people back to their drive-ins.
They certainly try with things like homemade treats, throwback movie nights, and even what is essentially a bar in a field, allowing people to grab a drink in a simple but cozy setting. However, these are temporary fixes to a huge problem that won’t be going away anytime soon. The joy is seeing their love for the drive-in. And, while it is business, that love and determination have kept many of them in this industry for years.
Filmmaker Wright does a great job weaving the stories together, a great mix of humor, sadness, and reality, and giving the viewer a sense of the differences in how they approach their perspective problems. I realize the goal was to keep the film focused on the ma and pa owner’s idea and how they were surviving, but I would have loved to see a perspective from some people in Hollywood who understand the business and what drive-ins represent, good or bad.
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However, the film is pretty damn perfect as it is. All the people running these drive-ins represent the same idea or goal: to keep the movies playing and keep the magic alive. That is the one element about drive-ins that people don’t understand, that it truly is magical. Watching a film under the stars, whether in your car or outside in chairs, hanging with family and friends, is a truly unique and wonderful experience. Here’s hoping the owners continue to find new ways to compete and prosper so the magic can continue for generations.
