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American Violet
EMAILPRINTSamuel Goldwyn Films

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 3 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Drama
Written by: Bill Haney
Directed by: Tim Disney
Release Date:
Theatrical: April 17, 2009
DVD: October 13, 2009
Running Time: 103 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for thematic material, violence, drug references and language
Starring Alfre Woodard, Michael O’Keefe, Tim Blake Nelson, Will Patton, Charles S. Dutton, Xzibit, and Nicole Beharie
Based on true events during the 2000 election, American Violet tells the astonishing story of Dee Roberts, a 24 year-old African American single mother of four young girls living in a small Texas town tow is barely able to make ends meet. While police drag Dee from work in handcuffs, dumping her in the squalor of the women’s county prison, the powerful local district attorney leads an extensive drug bust, sweeping her house projects with military precision. Dee has no prior drug record and no drugs were found a hellish choice: plead guilty and go home as a convicted felon or remain in a prison, jeopardizing her custody and risking a long prison sentence. She chooses to fight the district attorney and the unyielding criminal justice system, risking everything in a battle that forever changes her life and the Texas justice system. (The Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
An artlessly powerful performance by newcomer Nicole Behaire anchors American Violet.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
American Violet, it's true, is not blazingly original cinema. Tim Disney's direction and the screenplay by Bill Haney are meat and potatoes, making this story clear, direct and righteous.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
A torn-from-the-headlines tale of institutional racism and injustice in the Lone Star State of not-so-long-ago, American Violet might not be subtle, but it's certainly powerful.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Jonathan Curiel
An ideal movie for an ideal time in America.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan
What sticks in my craw -- just a bit -- is the way the film doesn't fully trust the true story's inherent power.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
Packed with dialogue and issues, and it’s most provocative when dealing with the dangers of plea bargaining.
Read Full Review >Variety Todd McCarthy
Dee is an engaging, admirable lead character, and the striking, petite Beharie, in only her second screen role, is a real winner, bringing energy and fortitude to a woman who easily could have joined the ranks of society's victims and losers.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
A message movie that's genuinely worth watching.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Betsy Sharkey
The narrative is infused with chilling facts, and the filmmakers know how to build their case, but a drama demands more. We should have been immersed in Dee's wrenching journey, not just sitting it out on the sidelines.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
It’s hard not to get swept up by the film's progressive zeal, but Disney doesn’t allow for much grey area.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Stephen Holden
The movie's staunchly liberal point of view extends to the 2000 presidential election, which is shown unfolding in the background. Al Gore's concession speech is used to suggest that the systemic racism in Melody is a symptom of a broader climate of injustice.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Wesley Morris
American Violet feels less like life and unreasonably more like the movies.
Read Full Review >Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
Earnest, mostly predictable and candidly didactic. That said, I'm glad it got made -- what's wrong with films that teach? -- and especially glad that a remarkably gifted newcomer named Nicole Beharie got to play the central role.
Read Full Review >New York Magazine David Edelstein
If you're in the mood for a liberal message movie in which the only surprise is no surprise, American Violet is the ticket.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Sura Wood
Wears its righteous indignation and good intentions on its sleeve but its simplistic, heavy handed treatment of a complex issue gives it the weight of a contrived movie of the week melodrama.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jay H. gave it a6:
Predictable but generally well done drama. Nicole Beharie is excellent in the lead role. Fair screenplay, it didn’t really have anything new to offer. Alfre Woodard is always good.
Juana H. gave it a10:
I saw this movie and it really was an eyeopener as to how the justice system works for some. The young actress did a great job.
