Verso University: America at the Movies: A 250th Birthday Celebration

Dates: Mondays, June 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2-3 pm (Komansky)

Registration Fee: $20

Course Details

In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, this engaging film survey course at The Westport Library explores how cinema has captured the nation’s history, ideals, contradictions, and imagination. Through a curated selection of classic and modern films, we’ll examine how Hollywood has told the American story — from its defining moments and enduring myths to its struggles and reinventions.

Organized thematically — History, Inspiration, The Dark Side, and Escapism — the course invites participants to consider an array of films like Lincoln, The Grapes of Wrath, Rocky, Network, Star Wars and many more that reflect evolving visions of American identity. Each one-hour session features curated clips and lively discussion led by film critic Joe Meyers, offering both a celebration and a thoughtful critique of America through the lens of its most powerful storytelling medium.

About the Instructor

Joe Meyers has written features about movies, theaters, and books for more than 30 years for Hearst Connecticut Media Group and other publications. He has given talks at various libraries and arts organizations in Connecticut and has hosted many public interviews at the Stamford non-profit movie theater, the Avon, with guests ranging from Frank Langella and Paul Schrader, to Gene Wilder and John Cameron Mitchell. In the late 1970s, Meyers ran the first and only art house on the Delmarva Peninsula, the Lewes Cinema. In 2012, the Mystery Writers of America gave Meyers the Ellery Queen Award for his writing on crime fiction.

Important Information About Verso University Classes

• Classes are usually structured as a consecutive series.
• Class size is often limited.
• Each series has a one-time fee registration fee covering all classes in the series.
• Registration is mandatory.
• The Westport Library wants to ensure that all interested students are able to participate in Verso University courses. If the registration fee is a barrier to entry for you, please contact [email protected].

Verso University is the Library’s lifelong learning and education initiative, serving up year-round offerings of classes, workshops, and lectures designed to further education and learning. Offerings run the gamut of educational opportunities, ranging from one-time lectures to ongoing courses to classes that meet weekly or perhaps monthly.

Verso University programs are made possible by the generous support of the Nancy J. Beard Lifelong Learning and Education Fund.