We are going to see ‘Cars’ in a car — cool!” said my 7-year-old
son Benjamin after I told him we were going to a drive-in movie. I just found such a place still exists and is only a short
drive away. Skyline Drive-in in Summersville has everything I remember from going to the drive-in as a kid: The movie was
only part of the experience. I remember tagging along with a couple of my aunts who were the “cool” teenagers
at the time to see more than one Elvis movie at the Knox Drive-in. I cannot say I remember what the fascination with movies
was at the time, but I do remember the fun experience it was.
I wanted to repeat the experience for my son and “Cars” seemed like a good
movie to see. From Elizabethtown, the theater was about a 40-minute drive on a two-lane road that passed through one small
town after another until traffic slowed to a stop and a movie screen in the middle of a field appeared out my driver’s-side
window. Cars, trucks and vans already were lined up, some facing the screen, some facing the road, letting their back hatch
or truck bed serve as a theater seat. Small children in pajamas ran between parked vehicles, and lawn chairs filled open grassy
areas. Some children sat on top of cars, but not my son — even if it did make his first drive-in experience not as fun
(according to him). He and his friend Morgan took turns sitting in the back of van and in the lawn chairs we brought.
It did not take long for the two of them to spot the concession stand fully stocked
with pizza, hot dogs and nachos in addition to the usual popcorn and candy. Given the long lines, I think the place must serve
as an outdoor dinner theater to most patrons. But I have to agree, a movie is not a movie without popcorn.
Finally, the sun went down and the screen came to life. I had forgotten the experience
of watching a movie minus theater surround sound. Our van speakers and the radios of the other movie-goers’ cars created
a new form of surround sound. It took a few minutes for the distractions of the outdoor environment to fade into the darkness,
making only the brightly lit screen visible between the trees and skyline.
Benjamin and his friend Morgan liked the novelty of the outdoor screen and the freedom
of sitting outside the van or inside the van and took the liberty to change positions often, trying to find the ideal viewing
point. (I still was not going to let them sit on top of the van — even if it was a better vantage point). About halfway
through the movie, someone found the projector and made shadow puppets on the screen just to remind us of the casualness we
were experiencing as we watched the movie outside. “Cars” came to a close as my two now very sleepy first time
drive-in movie goers finally settled into optimal seating, inside the van.
Of course the experience would not have been complete without turning the ignition key
at the end of the movie and realizing I had left the radio on for too long without starting the van and recharging the battery.
So as the intermission between movies began I had the opportunity to meet other movie goers and to find at least one who brought
jumper cables.
Anyone who never has been to a drive-in should go for the experience, and anyone who
has been in years past should relive some of the fun this summer.
Benjamin was right. “Cars” was fun to see in a car.
