Film has a unique ability to bring memory to life, shaping time, perspective and emotion in ways that mirror how we actually remember. It can move backward and forward, linger on moments or reveal how memory itself is influenced by who’s telling the story. This July, we’ll explore films that examine how the past is shaped, remembered and sometimes rewritten, from personal stories to larger questions about history. What happens when memory shifts, fades or is shaped by forces beyond our control?

We begin the month with The Way We Were, a sweeping, bittersweet love story anchored by unforgettable performances from Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Spanning years of love, ambition and political change, the film pairs sharp, character-driven storytelling with the duo’s undeniable chemistry, while the title song, which won the 1974 Academy Award for Best Original Song, remains one of the greatest movie themes of all time. Romantic, nostalgic and quietly devastating, this is a classic worthy of the big screen that dares us to ask: do we remember things as they were or as we wish they had been?

***This film is being presented as part of the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library's Wednesday Movie Club, a weekly showcase of movies that matter for people who love movies. Attendees will be invited to discuss the film immediately following the screening. Registration is not required.

Rating: PG
Runtime: 1hr 58m
Production Year: 1973
Cast: Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Bradford Dillman, Lois Chiles, Patrick O'Neal
Director: Sydney Pollack