FILM
Amelie
Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie is a delicious pastry of a movie, a lighthearted fantasy in which a winsome heroine overcomes a sad childhood and grows up to bring cheer to the needful and joy to herself. You see it, and later when you think about it, you smile. Audrey Tautou, a fresh-faced waif who looks like she knows a secret and can't keep it, plays the title role, as a little girl who grows up starving for affection.

Amelie grows up lonely and alone, a waitress in a corner bistro, until one day the death of Princess Diana changes everything. Yes, the shock of the news causes Amelie to drop a bottle cap, which jars loose a stone in the wall of her flat, which leads her to discover a rusty old box in which a long-ago boy hoarded his treasures. And in tracking down the man who was that boy, and returning his box, Amelie finds her life's work: She will make people happy. But not in any old way. So, she will amuse herself (and us) by devising the most extraordinary stratagems for bringing about their happiness.
[The Grand Cinema, three-and-a-half stars, Raated R for sexual content, 8:15 p.m., $4.50-$8, 606 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, 253.593.4474]

FOLK
Baby Gramps
Baby Gramps is a complete enigma. Who is this man behind a wide brimmed hat and long gray beard? He looks just as comfortable busking on the street corner at Pike Place Market as he did performing on David Letterman’s stage. He could be a homeless beggar or a renowned folk singer. He’s definitely unlike any other performer you are likely to see. He makes sounds never before heard coming from an American folk singer. In between lyrics he uses his voice as a third instrument â€" perhaps a tuba. He is one part Tuvan throat-singer, one part guitar genius, one part rodeo clown and three parts unfiltered energy. He performs a distinctive bobble-headed dance; he stomps his foot and swings his arm around between guitar strokes while remaining seated in his chair. He revs up his audience and draws them into sing-alongs. He makes silly jokes such as, “I haven’t had this much fun since I fell off my dinosaur.” â€" Angela Jossy
[The Swiss, 8 p.m., no cover, 1904 Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2821]

LINK: Rockaraoke and more in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Let’s eat Chinese today.