Not to be Debbie Downer but before you know it, you will be shopping for back-to-school shoes or hunting for the rake in the garage, so consider these 10 things to do before summer slips away:

Don't be misled by the PG rating, the talking dogs or the 20,000-strong bouquet of balloons, it's the best movie of 2009 (so far) for children and adults. Given the changes in the Oscar rules, it could be nominated for Best Picture while still holding sway in the animated feature race.

Yes, the old guy who looks like a mature Spencer Tracy and sounds like Ed Asner experiences the heartbreak of losing his beloved wife, but that will float over the heads of very young children.

They will love the Junior Wilderness Explorer named Russell, the dogs, a 13-foot-tall bird of many colors christened Kevin and mythical Paradise Falls in the Pixar film. Grown-ups will enjoy its message about the real meaning of adventure in life.

This is not your father's 3-D. Or your childhood 3-D of flimsy paper glasses with blue and red plastic lenses. This is much more sophisticated, lending a depth to the picture and not just toying with the audience by appearing to send tendrils through the screen.

Not all theaters have 3-D capability, so check for something such as "Up 3-D" or "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 3-D" and be prepared to pay a few extra dollars per person and to don the glasses the whole time. Yes, you can wear them over regular eyeglasses.

If everything old, from growing veggies to prowling thrift stores, is new again, so are drive-ins. They're affordable and memorable and if you need to know where drive-ins still stand, go to www.driveinmovie.com or www.driveintheater.com and be certain your favorite isn't listed as "dark," meaning it's gone to Hollywood heaven.

AMC-Loews converted one of its theaters to IMAX in January although Cinemark's theater at Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer has the best commercial IMAX auditorium in the region.

The Carnegie Science Center boasts an Omnimax Theater with a screen curving over your head. If you want to see what's playing, go to www.carnegiesciencecenter.org and click on Omnimax or call 412-237-3400. You can buy tickets just for the movie, or movie and science center admission.

There is no rule you have to frequent the theater closest to your home, particularly if it's not exactly in the prime of its life. So, cross a bridge or a river or simply head a little farther north, south, east or west and check out a new-to-you theater and maybe a nearby restaurant or coffee shop.

A colleague who lives in Middlesex, for instance, recently opted for the South Pike Cinemas in Sarver to see "Star Trek." The 10-screen theater with stadium seating opened in 2002, not exactly yesterday but not in the '70s or '80s, either.

A Fandango.com check with your ZIP code will bring up theaters close to home, and if you go early or stay late, you can combine a meal, dessert or window shopping with the movie. And don't forget about Pittsburgh Filmmakers venues: Regent Square Theater, Downtown's Harris Theater and Melwood Screening Room at Filmmakers' headquarters in Oakland.

To the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pa., this summer, while traffic and congestion are lighter in the college town. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays (closed on July 4).

Admission is $5 for most visitors, and the museum is at the intersection of 9th and Philadelphia streets on the third floor of the Indiana Free Library building. Philadelphia is the main street running through town, and you can find restaurants and shops a few blocks from the museum.

Go to www.jimmy.org for more information.

You probably have the makings of your own family film festival, and we're not talking about those DVDs you plucked from the bargain bin, but that's not a bad idea, either. And remember you can check out movies from the library, too.

Lug the screen and projector or TV outside, find the bug spray and watch your old movies or videos. Kids love to see themselves as babies arriving home from the hospital, falling asleep into their first birthday cakes or learning how to tap dance or kick a soccer ball.

See a foreign language movie or a film you would not normally consider, such as the nifty horror picture "Drag Me to Hell" or for-adults-only "The Hangover." If you're not a Trekker, you may enjoy "Star Trek" more than devoted fans of the show who will be angered and distracted by changes.

The Oaks Theater in Oakmont has a moonlit matinee series with movies at 10 p.m. Fridays and repeating at midnight Saturdays. Tickets are $7 in advance at the theater box office or through www.theoakstheater.com or $8 at the door, cash only.

Today-tomorrow: "Jaws."

July 10-11: "Friday the 13th, Part III" (in 3-D).

July 17-18: "Showgirls."

July 24-25: "Dolemite" and "Black Devil Doll." Double feature at 10 p.m. both days. Admission $9 in advance, $10 at door.

July 31-Aug. 1: "Return of the Living Dead."

Aug. 7-8: "Pulp Fiction."

Aug. 14-15: "The Karate Kid."

Aug. 21-22: "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."

Aug. 28-29: "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."

The ScareHouse in Etna is presenting the series at the Oaks, a 430-seat, single-screen theater at 310 Allegheny River Blvd.

Maxi-Saver 12 at Century Square Plaza charges only 99 cents for all seats at all shows, but if that busts your budget, the SouthSide Works Cinema is showing family films for free Tuesdays at 11 a.m., with seating on a first-come basis:

July 7: "Coraline."

July 14: "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa."

July 21: "Paul Blart: Mall Cop."

July 28: "Hotel for Dogs."

Aug. 4: "Monsters vs. Aliens."

The Denis Theatre in Mt. Lebanon just launched a free outdoor series with a handful of movies being screened at Parse Pavilion, the covered portion of Parse Way behind the theater.

It continues July 25 with "The Bread, My Sweet" and Aug. 29, "Mad Hot Ballroom." Movies start at 9 p.m., rain or shine, and the space seats 300. Chairs, restrooms and concessions available.

Details, including a map, at www.denistheatre.org.

In the city, the Dollar Bank Cinema in the Park Citiparks' free series has scores of freebies. All start at dusk.

Schenley Park, Flagstaff Hill (Sundays and Wednesdays):

Sunday: "Hotel for Dogs"

Wednesday: "Hancock"

July 12: "City of Ember"

July 15: "The Dark Knight"

July 19: "Igor"

July 22: "Shutter"

July 26: "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

July 29: "Mamma Mia!"

Aug. 2: "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa"

Aug. 5: "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor"

Aug. 9: "Tale of Despereaux"

Aug. 12: "Hulk"

Aug. 16: "Inkheart"

Aug. 19: "Ghost Rider"

Aug. 23: "WALL-E"

Beatty Street behind Carnegie Library, East Liberty (Mondays)

Monday: "Hotel for Dogs"

July 13: "City of Ember"

July 20: "Igor"

July 27: "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

Aug. 3: "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa"

Aug. 10: "Tale of Despereaux"

Aug. 17: "Inkheart"

Aug. 24: "WALL-E"

West End/Elliott Overlook (Tuesdays)

Tuesday: "City of Ember"

July 14: "Igor"

July 21: "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

July 28: "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa"

Aug. 4: "Tale of Despereaux"

Aug. 11: "Inkheart"

Aug. 18:

Brookline Memorial Park (Thursdays)

Thursday: "City of Ember"

July 16: "Igor"

July 23: "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

July 30: "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa"

Aug. 6: "Tale of Despereaux"

Aug. 13: "Inkheart"

Aug. 20: "WALL-E"

Arsenal Park, 39th and Butler streets, Lawrenceville (Fridays)

Today: "Hotel for Dogs"

July 10: "City of Ember"

July 17: "Igor"

July 24: "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

July 31: "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa"

Aug. 7: "Tale of Despereaux"

Aug. 14: "Inkheart"

Aug. 21: "WALL-E"

Grandview Park, Mount Washington (Saturdays)

July 11: "City of Ember"

July 18: "Igor"

July 25: "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

Aug. 1: "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa"

Aug. 8: "Tale of Despereaux"

Aug. 11: "Inkheart"

Aug. 22: "WALL-E"

Riverview Park, Observatory Hill (Saturdays)

July 11: "Igor"

July 18: "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

July 25: "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa"

Aug. 1: "Tale of Despereaux"

Aug. 8: "Inkheart"

Aug. 15: "WALL-E"

Aug. 22: "Star Wars: The Clone Wars"

Allegheny County Parks

There are also free movies playing in the Allegheny County parks, starting at sunset. Bring your own blanket but leave the booze at home.

July 11: "Ten Things I Hate About You" -- Round Hill Visitors Center

July 18: "Twilight" -- Harrison Hills Environmental Learning Center

July 20: "What About Bob?" -- Deer Lakes soccer field

July 25: "Spiderman" -- White Oak Poplar 1 Shelter

Aug. 1: "The Dark Knight" -- North Park Cabin, near Babcock and Ingomar intersection

Aug. 8: "Hancock" -- Harrison Hills Environmental Learning Center

Aug. 15: "Annapolis" -- Boyce Park's Four Seasons Activity Lodge

Aug. 28: NFL Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD -- South Park Amphitheater

Aug. 29: "Twilight" -- North Park Old Firehouse, Walter Road

Aug. 30: NFL Super Bowl XLIII Champions DVD -- Hartwood Amphitheatre

See www.alleghenycounty.us/ for directions and details.