By: Frank Vaisvilas, Daily Southtown
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With all the fanfare of a Hollywood movie premiere Hillcrest High School student athletes and other area residents were treated to a night of fun and laughs during a celebration of basketball and film Wednesday at the Marcus Cinema in Country Club Hills.
Visitors were welcomed by performances by the Hillcrest High School cheerleading team as they followed a blue carpet inside the theater for the premiere of the basketball comedy, “Uncle Drew.”
“It’s absolutely awesome,” said Country Club Hills Mayor James Ford, who attended the event. “It gives a lot of exposure and sheds a different light on the city of Country Club Hills.”
Rolando Rodriguez, CEO of Marcus Theatres Corporation, said Marcus wanted to host the free event along with Pepsi to give back to the city that has been so welcoming since they opened the cinema more than a year ago.
So far, the business venture for Marcus has been very successful in Country Club Hills, especially for films featuring African Americans in leading roles.
Rodriguez said the Country Club Hills cinema grossed in the top five of all theaters nationwide for several films.
According to ComScore statistics released by Marcus, the Country Club Hills cinema ranked second in the nation in gross receipts during the showing of “Proud Mary” from Jan. 12 to 18 and first in the nation for the showing of “Tyler Perry’s Acrimony” from March 30 to April 5.
The cinema could attract up to 15,000 moviegoers for opening weekends for films, such as “Superfly” or “Breaking In,” according to a company spokeswoman.
That trend is likely to continue with “Uncle Drew,” which opens Friday.
The film is about a team of former, elderly basketball legends who compete in a street ball tournament against much younger teams and features former and current NBA stars including Kyrie Irving, Shaquille O’Neal and Reggie Miller.
“I’m excited that the movie has old school stars,” Ford said.
He said basketball is one of the best sports many Country Club Hills residents like to play and it helps bring the community together.
Hillcrest boys head basketball coach Don Houston, who was in attendance, said the game is very big at the school, which won the state championship in 2010.
He said Wednesday’s outing for his current, very young team is a great chance for them to bond as teammates.
“The kids have been excited about this all week,” Houston said.
All the 400 invited guests, which also included Chicago’s Simeon girls and boys basketball teams, received lots of swag, including an “Uncle Drew” bobblehead.
A reception before the movie included a live DJ from radio station WGCI, arcade games and “pop-a-shot” mini-basketball game.
“It’s real fun with all the activities,” said Hillcrest sophomore basketball player Kenton Wright. “It’s a great team bonding experience watching a great movie together. It’ll help us play hard together.”