R/C Movies 14 draws crowds on Christmas Day

WILKES-BARRE — While some folks were eating Christmas dinner or unwrapping presents on Christmas Day, others were grabbing popcorn and soda in preparation for their movie theater screening.

Being one of the few businesses open in Wilkes-Barre, R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14 welcomed those looking for an alternative way to spend the holiday.

For David Band and his family, choosing to see a showing of the animated adventure comedy film “Migration,” which follows a family of mallards who migrate from New England to Jamaica, was as good an excuse as any to step away from the chaos of the holidays.

“We partially wanted to get out of the house, but we’re also of mixed faiths, so we did the regular Christmas stuff and now we’re going to the movies as part of the Jewish tradition,” Band said.

And the Band family was not alone in their tradition.

Honey Freilich and her family traveled in from Maryland to spend the holiday weekend skiing at Montage Mountain and, after reconnecting with nature earlier in the day, they decided to stop by Movies 14 to watch “Wonka,” the musical fantasy film that tells the origin story of Willy Wonka.

“We like to do the movies on most holidays — especially Christmas — so it’s like a tradition for us,” Freilich said.

“We tend to take Christmas more easy and we usually find a movie to watch at the end of the day,” she added.

Heavenly Ortiz and Jonathan Jimenez also spent the holiday watching “Wonka.” Although going the movies on Christmas Day is not a tradition for the pair, it worked this year.

“We spent time with family yesterday, so today was kind of just about us and we decided to go out and do something,” Jimenez said.

According to Movies 14 Assistant General Manager Nick Degnan, the high crowd levels this year are not unlike those in previous years.

“On Christmas day we see big crowds and it continues through the new year, but usually it’s one big movie and this year it’s a few different ones that are drawing people in,” Degnan said.

”The Color Purple,” a coming-of-age musical period drama based on the stage musical of the same name, and “Ferrari,” a biographical sports drama about Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the car manufacturer Ferrari, were released specifically on Christmas Day, but they weren’t the only popular titles of the day.

“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” a superhero film based on the DC Comics character Aquaman, and “The Boys in the Boat,” a biographical sports drama about the University of Washington crew that represented the United States in the men’s eight at the Olympic games, also proved to be fan favorites, Degnan said.

“We have some showings that are almost sold out. We’re just as busy as every other year, but everybody is spread out to a lot of different theaters,” Degnan said.

It’s a trend he anticipates will continue throughout the next week, and he recommends that folks planning on visiting the theater should purchase tickets in advance.