“I find it poor logic to say that because women are good, women should vote. Men do not vote because they are good; they vote because they are male, and women should vote, not because we are angels and men are animals, but because we are human beings and citizens of this country.”

And here we are, three decades later after it’s release and Rio Theatre movie goers, you have voted indeed and this Christmas we are pleased to bring to our screen for the first time, the 1994 Oscar-nominated film adaption of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, LITTLE WOMEN, 30th Anniversary Screening. Featuring the immersive, full orchestral sound and award winning score by Thomas Newman on our state of the art sound system. Directed by Gillian Armstrong and filmed primarily in parts of our own backyard, such as Vancouver Island and Vancouver.

Jo struggles for independence and sometimes clashes with her beloved mother and sisters Meg, Amy and Beth. She also contends with their cranky Aunt March, their impulsive neighbor Laurie and kindly linguistics professor Friedrich Bhaer.

“More than any other version of Little Women, this film, directed by Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career) and shot around British Columbia, emphasizes the adolescence of the March sisters as not so much a sequence of events, but a rich association of emotionally potent memories. Starring a zeitgeist-worthy cast of talent—including Winona Ryder (Jo), Kirsten Dunst (Amy), Claire Danes (Beth), Christian Bale (Laurie), and Susan Sarandon (Marmee)—this portrait of a family across four years is intimate, lively, and full of inventive staging. You can see this in the first meeting of the March family and Laurie, the slightly forlorn boy next door; Jo’s theatrical rehearsals; or the social gatherings that reveal new aspects of each young woman’s character. Little Women​’s telling of the bittersweet process of partings, reunions, and artistic maturation marks its 30th anniversary this year, a distance that perhaps only deepens the film’s skillful evocation of passing time.” (The Cinematheque)

“It’s a film about how all of life seems to stretch ahead of us when we’re young, and how, through a series of choices, we narrow our destiny. “Little Women” may be marketed for children and teenagers, but my hunch is it will be best appreciated by their parents.” (Roger Ebert)

Thursday, December 19
Doors 5:50 pm | Film 6:20 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time. 

Buy tickets in advance HERE

“The Little People” 4-Pack | 4 Tickets just $40 (Available online in advance only) HERE

LITTLE WOMEN (Gillian Armstrong | 1994 | 119 mins | PG) With their father away as a chaplain in the Civil War, Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy grow up with their mother in somewhat reduced circumstances. They are a close family who inevitably have their squabbles and tragedies. But the bond holds even when, later, male friends start to become a part of the household.

*Minors OK. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK for any single film only. Please redeem at the door.
*We recommend purchasing your tickets in advance at www.riotheatretickets.ca. If a screening or live event is not sold out, the remaining tickets will be available for in-person purchase at the Rio Theatre’s Box Office prior to showtime (subject to availability).
*Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime. All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats, and time for treats at concession.
*If you are looking to redeem either a Rio Theatre gift certificate or Groupon to any regular Rio Theatre screening: You can either email us in advance <[email protected]> and give us a “heads up,” or do it at the box office prior to showtime.

*All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale. No refunds or exchanges.