“…they stall by bringing in Bill Riddick to conduct a charrette, in hopes the community will solve the problems on their own.”ĭon’t know what a charrette is? Well, me neither. The courts want nothing to do with making a decision either way (mostly one way), so they stall by bringing in Bill Riddick (Babou Cessay) to conduct a charrette, in hopes the community will solve the problems on their own. A gutless city council led by Councilman Carvie Oldham (Bruce McGill) thinks the fire-damaged school is safe enough for learning, and in turn, Atwater’s Operation Breakthrough sues the city to bring the white and black schools together. Ellis (Sam Rockwell), the president of the Durham chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.Īfter an electrical fire burns down one of the black schools, it reignites the town’s school integration debate. Henson) the leader of the grassroots activist group, Operation Breakthrough and on the other is C.P. On one side, there’s Ann Atwater (Taraji P. Our story focuses on two outspoken leaders on far opposite sides of the track. In 1971, segregation was supposed to be a thing of the past, but it isn’t, particularly in Durham, North Carolina. Now comes Robin Bissell’s The Best of Enemies in which we witness the coming together of two people, but the impact of their unlikely friendship would affect an entire community. It was too simplistic to think you can end America’s racial divide by going on a long road trip. “The Best of Enemies” may have the best of intentions, but a 2002 documentary, “An Unlikely Friendship,” offers a more illuminating look at this surprising chapter in history.This past year, I have had numerous conversations about the problem of last year’s best picture Green Book. Plenty of time is spent among Ellis’ Klan buddies, but relatively little in the black community.Īs in “Green Book,” the message prevails that racism can be cured if one white person at a time can be convinced that black people are human beings. He may be the go-to for “personable redneck,” but there’s too much of an intelligent sparkle in his eye to jibe with being a believably intractable racist.Īnne Heche cuts a sympathetic, if quiet, figure as Ellis’ wife, although the couple’s side story - a son with Down syndrome institutionalized at a local hospital - functions as an awkward metaphor for learning tolerance and acceptance. Ellis, seems to be doing a follow-up to other recent good ol’ boy roles. Henson does an admirable job of inhabiting the weary physicality of real-life counterpart Ann Atwater, although her prosthetic bosom hovers, rather distractingly, just above her waistline. A days-long meeting is a heavy lift as compelling viewing, and debut director Robin Bissell doesn’t clear the bar. Part of the problem is the setting, a 10-day community summit in Durham, NC, during which citizens pondered whether to integrate black students - whose school had (rather suspiciously) caught on fire - into an all-white school. So why is “The Best of Enemies” such a slog? As actor pairings go, you couldn’t hope for better than Oscar winner Sam Rockwell and nominee Taraji P. Rated PG-13 (profanity).Īs source material goes, this one’s a doozy: A high-ranking member of the Ku Klux Klan and a fiery civil rights activist became allies during a fight for school integration in the early 1970s.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |