The drive-in movie of yesteryear will give way to the walk-in movie this summer as The Arts Council holds four movie showings on a big screen under the stars.

Gladys Wyant, executive director of The Arts Council, said a 20-foot high inflatable movie screen will command the attention of families and couples lounging on the lawn of the Smithgall Arts Center on Spring Street.

"I remember seeing drive-in movies as I was a child, and I wanted to bring those back with a walk-in movie," Wyant said.

"Bee Movie," an animated movie featuring the voice of Jerry Seinfeld, will open The Arts Council's "Movies on the Green" series tonight at dusk. Face painting, magicians and ice cream and hot dog vendors will entertain the crowds beginning at 7 p.m.

Once the sun sinks into the horizon, the movie will begin.

In "Bee Movie," Seinfeld's animated character "Barry B. Benson" embarks on a journey as a college graduate. Barry audaciously ventures into the world of humans only to find they have been stealing honey from bees for centuries. Shocked, Barry takes on a human response to the theft and sues.

Wyant invites families to bring children of all ages along with picnics, lawn chairs and blankets. The free movie experience tonight is the first of four. Any rained out movies will be rescheduled for the next movie night at The Arts Council.

The next movie on the green will be held in June with a showing of "Surf's Up," a comedy that explores the notion that penguins invented surfing.

Movie-goers can view the "The Water Horse" in July, which is a story of a young boy who has an encounter with the legendary Scottish sea dragon.

The series culminates with the classic film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in August, where Audrey Hepburn flits around Manhattan taking men for all they've got until she ends up falling hard for a struggling writer.

"That's going to be something special," Wyant said of the last film in the series. "That's after the kids go back to school, so that's a good date night."