Will Henley
Release Date: August 26, 2016
Running Time: 1 hour and 14 minutes
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, smoking, a violent image and a drug reference
Grade: B+
Written and Directed By: Richard Tanne
Southside With You is a character-driven film based on the first date of 27 year old Barak Obama and 25 year old Michelle Robinson. In his directorial debut, director and principal writer Richard Tanne does a fantastic job capturing the events that took place on a summer afternoon and evening in Chicago, Illinois in 1989.
Parker Sawyers (Zero Dark Thirty and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) is incredible as Barak. He has the most remarkable resemblance to the President. The profile is identical and his voice sounds exactly like the him. When I closed my eyes during the screening, I could not tell the difference between Parker and Barak. The actor really brought his A-game to the performance.
I thought Tika Sumpter (Ride Along and Salt) did an excellent job as Michelle. Although there is not much resemblance, Tika nails it when it comes to Michelle’s demeanor and assertiveness.
The film begins with Michelle getting ready to attend a community meeting with Barak. She is a young associate at the corporate law firm of Sidley & Austin and he is a Harvard law student interning for the summer. Michelle is also his advisor.
While she is primping, Michelle’s mother makes a comment about her appearance, asking if she has a date. She is quick to say it is not a date and just wants to look nice. Meanwhile, Barak is having a smoke in his apartment when the phone rings. It is his grandmother who affectionately refers to him as “Bar”. His outlook is quite different. Barack tells his grandmother that he is going on a date with someone from work. The grandmother asks where she lives and he says the South Shore.
Barak drives a little yellow Datsun with a rusted out floor to pick up Michelle. She is walking outside to meet him and points out that he is late. He says that he hoped she would not notice. They take a drive and as they are walking along, he says they can check out the Art Institute of Chicago since they have some time before the meeting. Michelle is instantly furious that she was misled. She makes a point to say they are not on a date, but agrees to visit the Institute. They find that they have something in common as the view the art together.
Afterwards, they have lunch and take a walk in a park. He learns that she does not like pie and she learns that he does not like ice cream after working a summer in a Baskin Robbins in high school. Both of them open up about their upbringing, parents, backgrounds and viewpoints.
When they arrive at the community meeting, Barack’s associates assume that Michelle is his woman. One of the ladies tells her a story about how Barack spent time with her son who wanted more than anything to join the Navy, but thought it was just a dream because of who he was and where he came from. Barack told him he could be anything he wanted to be. He kept the son’s interest in the Navy and the mother credited him with helping make her son’s dream come true. She shows Michelle a photo of her son in uniform. This is the point where you can see her resolve begin to crack.
The leader of the group begins to give an update on the status of a community center. The crowd is getting upset because things are not going as they envisioned and they feel left out and let down. Barack is introduced and uses his charismatic personality and excellent choice of words to win over the crowd and Michelle.
When the meeting is over, he asks if she would like to have drinks and see a movie. They have a beer and talk about his father. They end a near perfect first date by watching Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. Unfortunately, they run into one of the law firm partners and his wife after the film. Michelle is embarrassed and worries how it will look that she is out with her intern. The partner does not seem to care and is impressed with Barack’s assessment of a scene in the film.
To make amends, Barack stops at a Baskin Robbins for chocolate ice cream. Michelle sits in the car fuming and finally gets out as he stands there with the ice cream cone. She takes the ice cream from him and after a few minutes invites him to have a taste. He takes the hint and gives her the first kiss.
The film which lists John Legend as an executive producer premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2016. It was shot in two weeks on location in Chicago, Illinois.
Starring:
Parker Sawyers as Barack Obama
Tike Sumpter as Michelle Robinson
Vanessa Bell Calloway as Marian Robinson
Phillip Edward Van Lear as Fraser C. Robinson III
Deborah Reed-Foster as Bernadette
Jerod Hayes as Tommy
Tom McElroy as Avery Goodman
Southside with You hits the big screen at the August 26 at AMC Orange Park 24, AMC Regency 24, Avenues 20, Tinseltown 20 and Hollywood River City 14. The film should be extremely popular with audiences that love a good romantic comedy/drama or those looking to learn more about the President and his First Lady. I loved the screenplay from the young and talented Tanne and found it to be a very warm and charming film. ~Leigh Ann Rassler
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