My Beautiful Laundrette

Dir. Stephen Frears. UK. 1985, 97 mins. 35mm. With Gordon Warnecke, Saeed Jaffrey, Daniel Day-Lewis, Roshan Seth, Shirley Anne Field. Omar (Warnecke), a first–generation Pakistani-British man living in London, encounters his childhood friend turned skinhead Johnny (Day-Lewis), and love unexpectedly blooms while they manage Omar’s family laundry business. One of the earliest films for Frears, screenwriter Hanif Kureishi, and both lead actors, My Beautiful Laundrette is set in a Thatcher–era London where—not unlike the U.S. and U.K. of today—white supremacists and neo–Nazis were emboldened by their politicians. This surprise smash hit is marked by beautifully composed cinematography and a kind of oddball sweetness in spite of the fearful backdrop.

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / free for MoMI members at the Senior/Student level and above. Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.