SXSW 2009 Preview: ‘American Violet’

‘American Violet’, the Tim Disney-directed drama about a mother of four wrongfully accused of dealing drugs, played the Telluride Film Festival back in August.   The film will get a limited release on April 17th, but it will be showing at SXSW beforehand.

Here’s the synopsis:

Based on true events in 2000, AMERICAN VIOLET tells the astonishing story of Dee Roberts (critically hailed newcomer Nicole Beharie), an African American single mother living in Texas. District attorney (Academy Award nominee Michael O’Keefe) leads an extensive drug bust sweeping her housing project, and Dee soon discovers she has been wrongfully charged as a drug dealer. Despite her mother’s urgings (Academy Award nominee Alfre Woodard), and with her freedom at stake, she chooses to fight the district attorney. Joined in an alliance with an ACLU attorney (Tim Blake Nelson) and former local narcotics officer (Will Patton), Dee risks everything in a battle that forever changes her life and the Texas justice system. AMERICAN VIOLET also stars Emmy Award winner Charles S. Dutton and Xzibit.

The film has an absolutely stunning cast.   I’ve always been a huge fan of both Patton and Dutton.   Woodard and Blake Nelson are always fantastic, and Xzibit has even proven to be a halfway decent actor when push comes to shove.   However, early buzz is that Beharie is the breakout star of the film, possibly of the year for her performance here.

Check out the trailer:

‘American Violet’ plays at SXSW only one time, Sunday, March 15th at 4:30PM at Paramount.