DANBURY, Conn. _ Hundreds of movie theaters nationwide showed the documentary "Newtown" on Wednesday night in a one-time-only screening. At AMC Loews Danbury, the multiplex closest to the site of the Dec. 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, demand for tickets was high. Two screens sold out. Groups of people stood in the lobby, asking new arrivals if they had extra tickets.
"I know too may people. I've had encounters (with victims' families). My doctor's niece. The nephew of a receptionist I know," said Sally Lashley of Danbury, who managed to get a seat. She said Dawn Hochsprung, the Sandy Hook principal who died in the massacre, worked at Rogers Park Middle School in Danbury when Lashley's son was a student there. "It's not that big of an area. It's big geographically, but it feels small."
Martha Friar of Newtown also managed to get a ticket. "It's a subject very close to my heart, but I think it will be difficult to watch," Friar said.
Some heartache was expected among filmgoers. Six members of K9 First Responders Inc., a group that brought therapy dogs to Reed Intermediate School on Dec. 14, 2012, to comfort survivors, stationed themselves in the theater lobby with their dogs.
"There could be some anxiety. This could re-traumatize a person," said Brad Cole of Southbury, executive director of K9 First Responders.
Six dogs were in the lobby for hugs and snuggles as people exited the screening. Three of those dogs _ two golden retrievers, Tess and Ben, and Cole's own Akita, Spartacus _ were on scene on that terrible day.
Kim Snyder's film, which chronicles the Sandy Hook school shooting and its aftermath, features interviews with Gene Rosen, who lived near the school; teacher Abbey Clements; state Police Sgt. William Cario; Mark and Jackie Barden, parents of slain child Daniel; school janitor Rick Thorne; Monsignor Robert Weiss of St. Rose of Lima Church; Nicole and Ian Hockley, the parents of victim Dylan; David and Francine Wheeler, the parents of victim Ben; surviving Sandy Hook library clerk Mary Ann Jacob; father Hugo Rojas, the father of a surviving child; and Dr. Bill Begg of Danbury Hospital.
Many in the theater had personal stories to tell of that day. Patricia Cumming of Southbury said her grandson was a kindergartner at Sandy Hook on the day of the shooting. "He said he was told 'when the good guys come in the door, close your eyes and hold hands,' " she said. "He's not really talked about it with us, but he was in day care with some of the kids who died. (Victim) Noah (Pozner) was a good friend of his."
D.J. Ledina of Newtown said his wife was a teacher at Reed on that day. "She was on lockdown," he said. He said he had mixed emotions about the movie, but he said it was fair and thorough. "It had to be seen, but it was tough to watch," he said.
Kathleen Menichelli, a florist in Bethel, said she spent the days after the shooting delivering flowers all over Newtown. "We'd drop them off at town hall or we'd just go to a street corner. People would say 'put them where you think it's appropriate,' " Menichelli said. "We delivered 2,000 roses to a memorial service at WestConn."
Marie Strolin of Trumbull said one of her friends was a pastor in the Newtown area, and she remembers how the churches filled up in the days after the tragedy. "All of the churches and the synagogue were open for prayers," Strolin said. She said she thought the film was "beautifully done."
The movie was shown in 441 cinemas around the country, including nine in Connecticut. It will be shown on PBS "Independent Lens" on April 3.
A post-film Q&A, simulcast from AMC Lincoln Square in New York City, featured Nicole Hockley, Begg, Jacob and Val Demings, former police chief in Orlando, Fla., who discussed her city's reaction to the Pulse nightclub shooting.
The movie has received rave reviews from critics. Andrew Barker from Daily Variety praised the film for "elegantly and devastatingly capturing the tenor of a small town that will carry these scars for at least a generation." The Hollywood Reporter's Sheri Linden called it "a sensitive and clear-eyed portrait of a community shaken to its core." Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times called it "a devastating cry from the heart." Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times commented about the film: "Its sentiments are clear, underscored with heartache eloquently expressed."
