As movie theaters struggle during the pandemic, drive-in movies stage a comeback November 27, 2020 — by Christina Chang and Lihi Shoshani Photo by Graphic by Christina Chang Drive-in theaters: just like a traditional movie theater, but make it COVID friendly What better way to catch up on all that social interaction missing from theater outings than by catching a drive-in movie instead. Of the 18 drive-in theaters in California, West Wind Capitol Drive-in is available in San Jose, streaming movies daily to a quickly increasing audience. Junior Maanvi Chawla went to a drive-in theater in the beginning of August with her family to watch “Abominable.” She noted it was similar to a movie theater while also providing its own, unique benefits. “The screen was big, and the audio coming from our own car’s radio made it feel like we were in an actual movie theater,” Maanvi said. She was able to bring pillows, blankets and food during the movie, making the experience all that more exciting. And having a barrier with the car that separated her from others allowed her to give loud commentary that she otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do in a standard cinema. Due to the closure of movie theaters — Cineworld, the second largest theater chain in the world is closing its 663 theaters in the United States and Britain; Warner Bros. and MGM/Universal are postponing movies until next year — drive-in movies have been making a comeback, according to The New York Times. “I think drive-in movies will become more popular because it’s safer than going to a crowded movie theatre. It's also a fun place to go with friends,” Maanvi’s sister, sophomore Arshi Chawla said. As of October 2019, only 305 drive-in theaters remain in the U.S., down from 4,063 theaters in 1958. But because of the social distancing restrictions of COVID-19, they are experiencing an unexpected revival that can act as a new night out for teens who are struggling to remain social during quarantine. However, they tend to be spread out across large areas. For instance, the only other drive-in remotely close to Saratoga other than San Jose’s West Wind is in Concord: an hour’s drive away. Still, this chance to time travel to an earlier era has many upsides right now. “I think a lot of people miss going to the movie theater to watch something,” Maanvi said. “I hope people will see drive-ins as a better, safer alternative because they’re essentially the same thing except you’re not sitting with other people. It’s also a new experience for a lot of people which makes it even more fun.” 9 views this weekAbout the contributorsChristina ChangChristina Chang, Class of 2023, is an Editor-In-Chief of the '22-'23 Falcon staff. Previously, she served as a Sports Editor and local events beat writer for the '21-'22 staff and a Reporter and Layout Artist for the '20-'21 staff. During her time with The Falcon, she covered community news like the breakdown of city budget allocations and the first Blossom Festival post-COVID; wrote a series addressing mental health; profiled teacher friendships amid the pandemic; reported on the return of in-person learning and sports after shelter-in-place; and authored a narrative reflecting on her own basketball journey of eight years. Christina was named one of four finalists for Youth Journalism International's 2023 Student Journalist of the Year and one of seven finalists for the National Scholastic Press Association's 2022 Writer of the Year. She has received 23 journalism awards at the international, national and regional levels; her works have been recognized by Youth Journalism International, National Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education Association of Northern California, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and Santa Clara University. To further her journalism experience, she attended workshops during summer 2022 hosted by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, California Scholastic Press Association and Stanford Daily. She will fondly remember The Falcon as a highlight of her high school years, and will forever cherish the memories created during monthly deadline nights, enjoying catered food and chatting with fellow staff members while rushing to finish each print edition. Outside of the J-room, she enjoys getting involved in the community through volunteering with local nonprofits and school clubs as well as exploring her interests and creativity through art.