The world (la vita) comes to … Spokane?

One of the biggest problems with living in a mid-size city such as Spokane is the lack of movies to see. Not the big releases, of course. Hollywood churns out one “Christmas With the Kranks” after the next, and they clearly think that we’re the perfect bin for such refuse.

They’re probably right. In fact, “Kranks” star Tim Allen should run for mayor. He actually couldn’t do any worse than the crowd we have running city hall now, what with projected layoffs and other financial disasters looming.

But back to movies. This week we’re fortunate. While the Regal theaters (34 screens, including nearby Coeur d’Alene, Idaho ) are holding their mainstream treasures close to their collective mainstream hearts, AMC (20 screens in downtown Spokane) is showing some alternative nerve. We’re getting three out-of-the-ordinary films: the Jude Law/Julia Roberts drama “Closer,” Annette Bening’s latest attempt to snare an Oscar in “Being Julia” and the re-release of “La Dolce Vita.”

“La Dolce Vita”? Are you kidding? A mainstream theater in Spokane, Wash., actually bringing in one of the great films of the 20th century? Especially one that requires subtitles? Imagine that.

It’s fitting, though. And timely. Federico Fellini ’s 1960 look at the world of celebrity says a lot about how we live now. Even in Red States – and the Red parts of Blue States such as Washington – people seem to live for news of the Britneys of the world. How else can we explain the success of supermarket tabs ?

Fellini examines both our cultural obsession celebrity and the people who feed it. He portrays a world filled with characters who have lost their souls. They have no purpose, no meaning. And he invites us to take from this what we will, applying it to our own culture as we can.

Which is a good thing, right?, to hold up a mirror and try to examine why we crave a steady diet of “Kranks” and “Bridget Jones” films, not to mention a Nicolas Cage or two and barely dressed Salma Hayeks .

True movie fans will watch anything, no matter how bad, while constantly looking for more. But Spokane seldom offers more. We have no art house, only a theater/performing arts house whose manager on occasion brings in something different and almost always worth watching.

Which is why we give thanks to AMC. We thank the company for feeding our art-movie jones. Unlike other companies, AMC seems to have a desire to serve all its patrons and not just those who treat movies like Disney World theme rides.

Maybe we should nominate AMC to be the next mayor of Spokane. Its campaign slogan could be, “There’s more to cinema than ‘Christmas With the Kranks.’ And let’s hire more firefighters.” Come to think of it, our current guy does bear a resemblance to Tim Allen.