Grand Opening
Springfield's own independent movie theater opens after a long-awaited arrival
Erin Swanson
Issue date: 9/19/05 Section: Features
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The theater at 408 W. Walnut St. will offer more than just movies. With a monthly rotating art gallery featuring different local artists as well as someone introducing each film and an intermission, the experience will be made complete with the Cinebar. The Cinebar offers beer and wine, popcorn,
candy, Mudhouse coffees and teas and many fresh-baked items from Tea Bar &Bites.
Owners Dan and Nicole Chilton want The Moxie to be immersed in the community in several ways by featuring only local artists' work, displaying local ads before the films, playing music from local bands, and having the food provided by a local shop.
"Everything we planned is community oriented," Dan Chilton said. "The more we support the community, the more we hope the community will support us."
Drury University sophomore Todd Balisle is excited about how interconnected The Moxie will be with other parts of Springfield's downtown culture.
"By relying on local music and local stores, The Moxie is providing a much needed inlet for many people to discover all of the talented individuals and unique places that are available in Springfield," Balisle
said.
After the Chiltons have gotten the hang of running the theater, they hope to expand their offerings.
"We want to eventually be more experimental with our programming," Nicole said, "and bring in all different sorts of people and things for the college students."
Senior Elise Winn is excited for all The Moxie has to offer.
"Ever since Dan and Nicole proposed opening The Moxie downtown - it feels like nine, 10 years ago
now - I've been waiting for opening night, calculating how many good films I could have seen if only they'd been showing in Springfield."
The Chiltons have been moving toward their dream for two years as well as working on the theater themselves, doing the painting and renovation, for the past nine months - a project they initially thought would be easier than it has been.
Dan, a Billings native, and Nicole met while working at Springfield 8 movie theater in 2000. At the time, Nicole attended University of Missouri, and Dan was at Southwest Missouri State University. They both recall complaining when they lived in Springfield that there were no good movies to see.
Dan ended up transferring to MU, where the couple actively shared their love for film and went to at least two films a week at Columbia's independent film theater, the Ragtag Cinemacafé.
The Ragtag became the model for what the Chiltons had in mind for Springfield. "We thought, 'Why can't
Springfield have something like this?' " Dan Chilton said. "We have been toying with that idea since 2001.
"It was a mix of passion and the thought that we just needed to go ahead and go for it, instead of waiting and seeing someone else do it, and then kicking ourselves for not."
They've been so busy with the renovation, these film buffs have had little time for movie-going - seeing about five movies this year, which pales in comparison to their usual 100 or so a year.
"We're starving entrepreneurs," Dan Chilton said with a smile. "When it's over, we can eat more than two times a week, hopefully. But it is totally a passion - it is all we do day-in and day-out, 12-14 hours a day here."
They are content as they start from this point, with one screen and 75 seats, and plenty of room to grow.
"The time was right: we were in the right place at the right time," Dan said. "Downtown area is growing and there is a big-enough arts following to support something like this."
"We like the experience of seeing a movie," Nicole Chilton said. "And that is what we are trying to play up," said Dan Chilton.
The opening film is Me And You And Everyone We Know, written and directed by Miranda July. This film has won six different awards this year, including a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Jennifer and Olof Pierson are this month's featured artists.
With three showings on opening day, 225 people are expected to attend.
Admission prices will be $8 for general admission, $6.50 for seniors and students with a valid ID, and $5 for matinee shows.
QUICK FACTS
- Monthly calendars of the showings
will be available at the theater and
around town, detailing specific show
times and dates.
- Tickets will be sold only the day of
the show, half an hour previous to the
start time. They will also be available
online later this fall.
- For more information, you can
sign up for a weekly update with these
details at www.moxiecinema.com.
Article last update: 9/18/05 at 10:27 PM CST
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