Jodie Foster to introduce ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ at the Dryden Theatre

Update, May 22, 2023: Tickets for "The Silence of the Lambs" screening with Jodie Foster May 25 at George Eastman Museum's Dryden Theatre have sold out.

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Original story, May 11: Jodie Foster fans unable to attend a ceremony later this month where she will receive the George Eastman Award will still have a chance see her in person.

The actor and director, who on Thursday, May 25, will be honored at the George Eastman Museum, will introduce a screening of “The Silence of the Lambs” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, at the museum’s Dryden Theatre, 900 East Ave.

Tickets ($60) go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, May 12, at eastman.org/eastmanaward2023 for museum members. Any remaining tickets will be available to the general public starting at 10 a.m. Monday, May 15.

The 1991 psychological thriller features Foster in arguably her most iconic role as FBI trainee Clarice Starling who, in a desperate attempt to save a young woman from the clutches of a serial killer, seeks the help of another serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant, manipulative psychiatrist played by Anthony Hopkins.

Directed by Jonathan Demme, the movie was a huge hit with audiences and critics and is one of only three motion pictures in history to win Oscars in five major categories: for best picture, directing, acting (Foster and Hopkins) and screenwriting.

Foster became interested in playing Starling after reading “The Silence of the Lambs,” Thomas Harris’ bestselling novel on which the movie is based. However, despite having won an Oscar for her performance in 1988’s “The Accused,” she had to lobby hard for the role.

Demme’s first choice was Michelle Pfeiffer, whom he had just directed in “Married to the Mob” (1988). She turned it down because of what Demme described in a 2006 interview as “the darkness of piece.” The part was then offered to Meg Ryan, but she was “horrified by the subject matter,” Demme said.

He then became sold on the idea of casting Laura Dern, he said in an interview in 2015 (two years before his death), but movie studio Orion was not because at the time Dern was still a relative unknown.

Finally, after Demme's final meeting — of several — with Foster, “I thought about how much she loved that part,” he said, “and I thought about how much my partners at Orion wanted her in that part, and I was like, eh, I’ll go with her. And look what happened. I just, I fell madly in love with her. And she did what she did, and she embodied all that fierce — I named our production company Strong Heart Productions after Jodie’s sense of character.”

Foster will talk about the movie on stage before the Dryden Theatre screening, but there will be no autographs or photos, the museum said.

Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Jodie Foster to introduce ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ in Rochester NY