By Coral Gables Gazette staff

The Miracle Theatre will roll out the red carpet for cinema lovers on Sunday, November 2 at 5 p.m., when The Godfather Part II returns to the big screen as part of The Great Movie Ride Film Series, presented by the Kirk and Lydia Menendez Family Endowment in partnership with Actors’ Playhouse. Admission is free, though reservations are required.

The event marks the continuation of a philanthropic tradition that has helped bring some of Hollywood’s most enduring classics back to Coral Gables. Through their family endowment, former City Commissioner Kirk R. Menendez, his wife Maria Teresa, and their children Kirk and Lydia have ensured that the next generation can experience milestone films the way they were meant to be seen — in a grand art-deco theatre surrounded by a live audience.

Cinema as civic gift

The Great Movie Ride series launched earlier this year with The Godfather and other American touchstones, drawing packed houses and sparking conversations that lingered long after the credits rolled. The free screenings, underwritten entirely by the Menendez family endowment, underscore the family’s belief that shared cultural experiences build stronger communities.

Organizers describe the Great Movie Ride series as a way to keep classic films within reach of all residents — modern epics about power, loyalty, and legacy presented as public art rather than private luxury.

A masterpiece returns

Released in 1974, The Godfather Part II earned six Academy Awards and is widely regarded as one of the finest sequels ever made. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, it follows Michael Corleone’s consolidation of the family empire while flashing back to the early life of his father, Vito Corleone, portrayed by Robert De Niro. The film’s sweeping scope, emotional precision, and haunting score by Nino Rota have secured its place in the pantheon of American cinema.

The theatre and the tradition

Actors’ Playhouse — located in the historic Miracle Theatre on Miracle Mile — has long served as a cultural cornerstone for the City Beautiful. The Great Movie Ride series restores the venue to its cinematic roots, blending nostalgia with civic pride. Seating is limited, and reservations for the Godfather Part II screening can be made at actorsplayhouse.org.