Southside with You

Southside with You

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Richard Tanne
Produced by
Written by Richard Tanne
Starring
Music by Stephen James Taylor
Cinematography Pat Scola
Edited by Evan Schiff
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 24, 2016 (2016-01-24) (Sundance)
  • August 26, 2016 (2016-08-26) (United States)
Running time
 84 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $1.5 million[2]
Box office $6.5 million[3]

Southside with You is a 2016 American biographical romantic drama film written and directed by Richard Tanne, in his feature film directorial debut. The film stars Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter as a young Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson, respectively, and focuses on the couple's first date on an evening in 1989.

Principal photography began in July 2015 in Chicago. The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, and was theatrically released on August 26, 2016, by Miramax and Roadside Attractions. The film received widespread critical acclaim.

Plot

Young associate Barack Obama tries to win the heart of a young lawyer, Michelle Robinson, in Chicago in 1989. On their first date, they visit an Afro-Centric exhibit at a local art center, view a screening of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, and have their first kiss outside an ice cream parlor.

Cast

Production

The original idea was developed by Richard Tanne in 2007, after which he started writing the script.[4] On December 5, 2014, Deadline reported that there would be a romance film titled Southside With You, based on the first date of American President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama, set in Chicago, where the couple met in 1989 and married in 1992.[5] Tika Sumpter would play Michelle, while no one had yet been cast in Barack's role.[6] Tanne would make his directing debut on the film, based on his own script, and producing alongside Tika Sumpter.[6]

On April 10, 2015, IM Global came on board to produce the film with producer Robert Teitel.[7] In April 2015, Sumpter talked with Vulture about her preparations to play Michelle, and stated that she was "nervous" because she was about to play "Michelle Obama, who is everything every woman wants to be," and also said that she was reading some poetry and books to get know more about Michelle, so she could portray the role better.[8] On May 7, 2015, Parker Sawyers was cast as the young Barack Obama.[9] Producers on the film were Tanne and Sumpter, along with Teitel, through IM Global.[10]

Filming

Principal photography on the film began on July 13, 2015 on location in Chicago, Illinois;[11] following that, several websites released photos from the set.[6][10][12] Filming wrapped on July 31, 2015.[11] Locations included downtown, the South Side, and the West Side.[11] Filming was also done on Amstutz Expressway in Waukegan.[13][14]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2016.[15][16] Shortly after, Miramax and Roadside Attractions acquired theatrical distribution rights to the film.[17] On April 28, 2016, Miramax released the first official trailer for the film.[18][19]

Box office

Southside with You was released on August 26, 2016, and was initially projected to gross around $2 million from 813 theaters in its opening weekend.[20] It ended up grossing $2.9 million, a per-theater average of $3,762.[21][22] The film went on gross a total of $6.3 million against its $1.5 million budget.[3][2]

Critical response

Southside with You received positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a certified fresh approval rating of 92%, based on 126 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 7.4/10. The site's consensus states, "Southside with You looks back on a real-life date with strong performances and engaging dialogue, adding up to a romance that makes for a pretty good date movie in its own right."[23] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[24]

Accolades

Award Date of Ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Indiana Film Critics Association December 4, 2016 Best Picture Southside With You Pending [25]
Breakout of the Year Parker Sawyers Pending [26]
Breakout of the Year Tika Sumpter Pending [27]
Gotham Awards November 28, 2016 Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award Richard Tanne Nominated [28][29]
Maui Film Festival June 20, 2016 Best First Narrative Feature Richard Tanne Won [30]
Sundance Film Festival January 30, 2016 Grand Jury Prize Richard Tanne Nominated [31]

Home media

Southside with You will be available on Digital HD on November 29, 2016 and Blu-Ray & DVD on December 13, 2016 from Lionsgate and Miramax.[32]

References

  1. ↑ "Southside with You (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Minnicks, Margaret (September 2, 2016). "What critics say about 'Southside with You' movie based on the Obamas' first date". us.blastingnews.com. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Southside with You (2016)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  4. ↑ "'Southside with You' movie tells how Barack wooed Michelle Obama". ABC 7 Chicago. July 28, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  5. ↑ Yamato, Jen (December 5, 2014). "Obama Romance Movie In Works – Who Will Play Young Barack?". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 McNary, Dave (December 5, 2014). "Barack and Michelle Obama's First Date Subject of New Movie". Variety. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  7. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 10, 2015). "'Jumping The Broom' Producer Joins IM Global, Obama Romance Movie First Project". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  8. ↑ Soo Hoo, Fawnia (April 30, 2015). "How Do You Prepare to Play Michelle Obama?". Vulture. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  9. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (May 7, 2015). "Obama Romantic Dramedy Casts Actors for Barack, Michelle Roles". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  10. 1 2 N'Duka, Amanda (July 14, 2015). "'Southside With You': First-Look At Parker Sawyers & Tika Sumpter As A Young Barack & Michelle Obama". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 Metz, Nina (June 25, 2015). "Movie about Obamas' first date to begin filming in Chicago next month". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  12. ↑ McNary, Dave (July 14, 2015). "First Look: Parker Sawyers, Tika Sumpter as Barack & Michelle Obama in 'Southside With You'". Variety. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Southside With You". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  14. ↑ Moran, Dan (July 28, 2015). "Barack, Michelle Obama's first date re-created in Waukegan film shoot". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  15. ↑ "SUNDANCE INSTITUTE COMPLETES FEATURE FILM LINEUP FOR 2016 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL". sundance.org. December 7, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Southside With You". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  17. ↑ Seetodeh, Ramin; Lang, Brent (February 12, 2016). "Obama Movie 'Southside With You' Sells to Roadside Attractions and Miramax". Variety. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  18. ↑ McNary, Dave (April 28, 2016). "Obamas Go on Their First Date in 'Southside With You' Trailer". Variety. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Southside With You: Official Trailer (HD) – Tika Sumpter, Parker Sawyers: MIRAMAX". Miramax/YouTube. April 29, 2016
  20. ↑ "'Don't Breathe' Could Suffocate 'Suicide Squad' During Sluggish Summer Weekend: Box Office Preview". deadline.com.
  21. ↑ Anthony D'Alessandro. "'Don't Breathe' Screams $26M+ Opening, Gives Sony 3rd Summer Cash Cow After 'Sausage Party', 'Shallows': Early Sunday Update". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  22. ↑ Brueggemann, Tom. "Weekend Box Office: 'Hell or High Water' Tops 'Southside With You' | IndieWire". www.indiewire.com. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  23. ↑ "Southside with You". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Southside with You Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Home | Indiana Film Journalists Association". indianafilmjournalists.com. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  26. ↑ "Home | Indiana Film Journalists Association". indianafilmjournalists.com. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  27. ↑ "Home | Indiana Film Journalists Association". indianafilmjournalists.com. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  28. ↑ Cox, Gordon (2016-10-20). "Gotham Awards Nominations: 'Manchester by the Sea' Leads With Four". Variety. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  29. ↑ http://variety.com/2016/film/news/gotham-awards-winners-2016-full-list-1201928168/
  30. ↑ "Maui Film Festival". Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  31. ↑ "Sundance Institute Announces Films In Competition and NEXT for 2016 Sundance Film Festival". www.sundance.org. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  32. ↑ "Lionsgate Press Release: Southside With You (Blu-ray)". Blu-ray Movie Discussion, Expert Reviews & News. Retrieved 2016-10-21.

External links

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