The trailer for Southside With You, described as a “romantic dramedy,” is out! Directed by Richard Tanne and executive produced by John Legend, the film follows the President and First Lady when they were still law firm associate Barack Obama and lawyer Michelle LaVaughn Robinson. We all know that their marriage is goals, but Southside With You takes a look at their very first date (and kiss!) in 1989 Chicago as the two discuss their aspirations to make a difference in the world. The two were married three years later.
Sumpter told Variety “I think we made it a point when [director Richard Tanne] and I decided to do the project, we did not want to do impersonations. We wanted to embody their essence of who they are.” There’s definitely a danger in portraying living, iconic figures that can sometimes feel either completely unbelievable or like parody. The dynamic between Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter looks great, and they’re definitely capturing the charisma of their real-life counterparts.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Inspired by Barack and Michelle Obama’s first date, Southside With You recounts the eventful summer day in 1989 when a young law firm associate named Barack Obama (Parker Sawyers) tried to woo lawyer Michelle Robinson (Tika Sumpter) during a daylong date that took them from the Art Institute of Chicago to a screening of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing to the site of their first kiss outside of an ice cream parlor
From the excerpts, it seems like this movie has a lot of heart. Its timing right as President Obama ends his term is really interesting to me. On one hand, a film like W, which also came at the end of Bush’s presidency, was explicitly a reflection on the man’s presidential term, his politics, and more. In some ways, centering this around the couple’s first date makes this 1) a more relatable story and 2) one that’s more invested in the influence, relationship, and careers of both Barack and Michelle Obama. I’m pretty confident it’s meant to be a feel-good film, I’m looking forward to it! What do you think of the trailer?
(via Birth.Movies.Death)
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