The Sunrise Theater brings in July with an independent Western drama that has garnered excellent reviews: "Meek's Cutoff," about a group of families traveling by covered wagon across the Oregon Trail, who lose their way after allowing a braggart wilderness guide to lead them.

This film will be shown Thursday, June 30 and Saturday, July 2, through Monday, July 4 (no show July 1 due to First Friday), with shows weekdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 and 7: 30 p.m. The film is rated PG and runs for 104 minutes. "Meek's Cutoff" stars Michelle Williams, Bruce Greenwood, Will Patton, Zoe Kazan and Paul Dano; the director is Kelly Reichardt.

The following summary is taken from the film's website. "The year is 1845, the earliest days of the Oregon Trail, and a wagon train of three families has hired mountain man Stephen Meek to guide them over the Cascade Mountains. Claiming to know a shortcut, Meek leads the group on an unmarked path across the high plain desert, only to become lost in the dry rock and sage. Over the coming days, the emigrants face the scourges of hunger, thirst and their own lack of faith in one another's instincts for survival. When a Native American wanderer crosses their path, the emigrants are torn between their trust in a guide who has proven himself unreliable and a man who has always been seen as a natural born enemy."

Betsy Sharkey, of the Los Angeles Times, calls it "a lyrical poem. The poetry here is written in the grit of the plains, on the backs of the people who would cross it. Nearly perfect." V.A. Musetto, of the New York Post, says that the film "confirms [Kelly] Reichardt as one of America's leading indie directors. She could not care less about the box office or Oscars. She, like the film's hearty pioneers, follows her own drummer."

The historical Sunrise Theater is located at 250 NW Broad St., in Southern Pines. Tickets for all shows are $7 for adults. Refreshments, including beer and wine, are available. All Sunrise Theater movies are commercial free.

For more information, contact the theater at (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.