Popcorn & pacifiers

It's a rainy morning at the matinee "Gigli," and Ben Affleck is making up rhymes about how to pronounce his name. The audience seems a little distracted, but not just because his jokes fall flat. That's because half of this crowd is more interested in milk than in Milk Duds and in learning to say "piggy" rather than "Gigli."

Jennifer Lopez pops up on screen, and a baby starts to wail. (It's unclear whether he's a budding movie critic or needs a diaper change.) A few others chime in, breaking a sacred cinema code that might, under any other circumstance, attract angry glares or get the whole family ousted. But these 25 babies and their moms are part of a new film group where crying is part of the deal - and no one's complaining.

Loews Cineplex and Urbanbaby.com have been rolling out ReelMoms (dads are welcome, too) over the summer in 15 cities, including Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and Washington. Several smaller cinemas also have launched such screenings, including "Rattle at the Brattle" Theater in Cambridge, Mass.

Their aim is to give parents a few hours of air-conditioned pop culture each week, not to mention the chance to connect with other new moms. In return, cinemas hope film fans will stay in the habit of moviegoing after babies are born, say marketing experts, and that parents will bring their children back to see kids' fare.

Amid a season of sinking sequels that's forced Hollywood to reexamine its business model, the mom matinees have filled seats during theaters' downtime on weekdays. And the number of parents pushing strollers into the cineplex increases almost every week, says John McCauley, vice president of marketing at Loews Cineplex Entertainment.

"Some 250 moms and dads have been showing up [in New York] each week, and 80 moms showed up in Boston a few weeks ago when 'Seabiscuit' was shown," he says. (Parents pay matinee prices for first-run films and babies are free).

Mothers say they're quite comfortable with the arrangement.

"I don't have to worry about whether he makes noise," says Lisa Stump, standing with 4-month-old Eddie in the lobby of the Boston Common Theater. At a different movie for moms she says, "I fed him, burped him. He spit up all over the floor, and it wasn't a big deal. I would have felt comfortable changing him."

Most of the women who've come to see "Gigli" are first-time moms with babies under a year old. (Bringing two kids or a toddler might lead to an exhausting game of hide-and-seek rather than a relaxing morning.) Many admit this is their first trip to the movies since Affleck last filled the big screen clad in a red leather suit and horns in "Daredevil." Given "Gigli's" career-ending box-office performance, these shut-in moms may be about the only ones in America willing to see it.

"We haven't been to the movies in six months," says a beaming Bianca Ramirez, who traveled from Woonsocket, R.I., to Boston, with her 6-month-old daughter, Celeste, to see "Gigli."

The moms say they crave the adult interaction as much as the movie and the buttery popcorn. "It can feel lonely having a child. This gets you out doing something normal," says Sharon Lessard of Boston, bouncing her baby daughter, Nia, on her hip. Up until now, she's mostly rented movies. "Your whole life changes after a baby is born.... You have to make an effort to meet people."

Another mom, Meredith Meeks, toting 5-month-old Jonathan, admits her only reason for being here is to gab. "I'm just here for the social hour," she says with a laugh, adding that she heard "Gigli" wasn't worth $6.25, even if it buys her a longer respite from home. "This is a great break to come and see other new moms."

Theaters encourage parents to show up early to chat and get settled, says Mr. McCauley. At other showings, he says, there have been activities in the lobby before showtime, such as puppet shows and baby-food promotions.

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