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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Friday’s openings: Lost paintings and voices

Dan Webster

(Note: This post formerly mentioned two movies opening Friday at the Magic Lantern. Wrong. Only one is opening, the one I list below. The other is already playing. Sorry for the confusion.)

I was taught never to craft a lede by using a question. But I have to ask this one: Is there ever more of a sign that we've entered the fall movie season than seeing a release that's based on a literary adaptation? Such is the case on Friday, based on the national release schedule:

"The Goldfinch": Donna's Tartt's 2014 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a boy who, having witnessed a museum bombing that killed his mother, steals a priceless painting and then spends the next several years dealing with the emotional aftermath. Oh, and he becomes mired in a life of crime, too. Happy days.

"Hustlers": A group of women working as lap-dancers takes advantage of their rich clients by getting them drunk and then stealing their money. Based on a real story and involving just a tad, you suspect, of karma.

And at the Magic Lantern?

"Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice": The singer, who forged a path to musical success in 1970s Los Angeles, tells her own story. Lots of classic songs get sung.

As usual, I'll update when area theaters finalize their bookings.