Lions are Cute

Long before a charming animated loop informed Internet users that "Kenya's got lions," Born Free communicated the same information in a much more evocative, if no less musical, fashion. Like The Lion King, Born Free focuses on an orphaned cub with an unorthodox upbringing, but it uses real animals and authentic African backdrops. The movie's title song even won an Academy Award. Based on the experiences of game warden George Adamson and his wife, Joy, who wrote the best-selling book on which this 1966 film is based, Born Free focuses on the lioness Elsa. The Adamsons domesticate Elsa (resulting in adorable at-play scenes), but they're eventually forced to teach her the hunting skills necessary for reintroduction to the wilderness. The film screens for free, as free as the wind blows, at 8:45 tonight in the Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak, 816-751-1278).
Sat., July 12, 8:45 p.m., 2008