Bethel’s Greenwood Features Hosts Special Screening of 'A Little White Lie' with Local Author Chris Belden

On Saturday, June 7th, Bethel’s Greenwood Features, located at 269 Greenwood Avenue, will host a special screening of the 2022 film “A Little White Lie,” based on the eccentric 2014 novel “Shriver” by Ridgefield resident Chris Belden.

The event begins with a 2 p.m. film screening, featuring notable stars Michael Shannon, Kate Hudson, Zach Braff, and Don Johnson, followed by a conversation with Belden. The film centers a handyman who is invited to a literary festival in a case of mistaken identity.

Belden, a Fairfield resident and graduate of Fairfield University’s MFA program in creative writing, has deep roots in the local literary community and currently teaches classes in fiction at the Westport Writers Workshop.  

“I look forward to people’s questions. If they’re interested, that makes me very happy... I’ll just tell them whatever they want to hear—dirt, rumors, gossip, anything,” said Belden about the Q&A section with the audience afterwards. “I wouldn’t be doing a Q&A at the screening if I didn’t like it—you know, I’d be distancing myself.”

Having a successful film based on your novel can be overwhelming for an author.

“Writing is a ridiculous job. It’s lonely, and there’s very little validation for most of us,” Belden said. “So when people buy a book, show up at readings, and talk about the book, it’s very inspiring to me, it’s very validating.”

When a writer’s book is adapted into a screenplay, especially by someone else, there is a chance of the novelist being disappointed with the outcome. “No film will ever match the writer’s vision,” Belden says. “I was just hoping not to be embarrassed, number one, and number two, hoping that it would be good—and I was happy with how it turned out.”

Joining Belden for the post-screening discussion will be Matt Caputo, a seasoned journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Connecticut Magazine, and Newsday. Caputo, who teaches journalism at Western Connecticut State University, will facilitate the conversation as he has on two other occasions at Greenwood Features.

“I think the biggest thing is knowing the answers before they are spoken so that I can help curate the story," said Caputo about his previous experience as a moderator. “When you have a great venue like Greenwood Features, it's important not just for the owners of the cinema, but for the community and people to utilize the space to bring interesting programming to the movie theater."

Michelle Smith, owner of The BookSmiths Shoppe at The Summit in Danbury, and sponsor of the event, says the screenings are a celebration of stories and the people who write them.

“I’m a big proponent of reading the book before the movie,” Smith said. “Books are back. The physical book is making a comeback, and I’m all for it.”

A former computer science major who pivoted careers during the pandemic, Smith founded her independent bookstore to enhance Danbury’s literary scene. Inspired by a shop she visited in Edinburgh, Scotland and motivated by a desire to promote both classic and contemporary works, she built The BookSmiths Shoppe as a hybrid space that values secondhand treasures as much as bestselling titles.

Smith credits her ongoing collaboration with Caputo as a driving force behind her involvement in the screening series. “Matt is just salt of the earth. He connects well with these authors. He knows exactly what to ask, what the audience wants to hear,” she said.“We’re celebrating that we live in a community of amazing people, amazing writers. The talent is here—it just might be hidden.”

The screening of “A Little White Lie” follows another screening and conversation hosted by Caputo and Smith at Greenwood Features on March 22nd. Over 60 people turned out for a screening of “Sing Sing” and a conversation with John H. Richardson, the writer whose 2000 story in Esquire magazine inspired the film.

“We had a great turnout for the last screening and chat, with a lot of audience participation,” Caputo said. “If you’re into stories, it’s a different way to spend an afternoon.” Tickets for the June 7th event include automatic entry into a raffle featuring gift cards from beloved local spots such as Stanziato’s Wood Fired Pizza and Grounds Donut House in Danbury, as well as Peachwave of Bethel.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit greenwoodfeatures.com/a-little-white-lie or check Greenwood Features’ Facebook page and flyers around town.

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