Another chance to see ‘Citizen Kane’ on a big screen

Above : An 80th-anniversary screening of “Citizen Kane” will screen on Sunday and Wednesday. (Photo/Criterion Collection)

One of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2020 was the Netflix feature “Mank.” Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, it took home two – Cinematography and Production Design.

Directed by David Fincher (who received his third directing nomination), and based on a screenplay written by Fincher’s late father, Jack Fincher, “Mank” retells the story of the making of the 1941 film “Citizen Kane.”

It centers on Herman J. Mankiewicz (played by Gary Oldman, a best actor Oscar nominee) who, based on his experiences as a regular guest at William Randolph Hearst’s San Simeon estate , came up with the “Citizen Kane” screenplay.

Orson Welles famously directed “Kane.” And he ended up sharing screenwriting credit with Mankiewicz – a credit that won them both a Best Original Screenplay Oscar. But according to the Fincher movie – and a 1971 essay by Pauline Kael – Mankiewicz should have been listed as the sole screenwriter.

To this day, critics argue the case . Who actually wrote the movie? It depends on who you want to believe . In any event, what gets lost in the process is the film itself, which most critics would agree is one of the best – if not the best – film ever made.

If you haven’t yet seen “Citizen Kane” on a big screen, you’ll soon have a chance. It will screen in a special 80th-anniversay special at two area Regal Cinemas theaters, at Northtown Mall and Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone Stadium, on Sunday and the following Wednesday.

Sunday’s screenings will be at 3 and 7 p.m., while Wednesday’s will be at 7 only.

After watching it, you can come home and check out “Mank.” And then decide which side you believe.