American Violet DVD Review and Giveaway

American Violet is a much anticipated narrative docudrama movie released on DVD October 13th from Uncommon Productions. This amazing story is based on true events that occurred in in a small Texas town during the controversial 2000 presidential elections. It is the story of one woman’s courage to fight for what is right and to change the landscape of the legal system in Texas.

Just a few days before the 2000 election, a raid led by the powerful local district attorney Calvin Beckett (Academy Award® nominee Michael O’Keefe) leads to an extensive drug bust after a sweeping of a housing project with military precision. Dee Roberts (Nicole Behari), 24 year old African American single mother of four young girls, soon discovers she has been charged as a drug dealer. Dee is dragged away in handcuffs from her job and forced into the women’s county prison.

Though she had no previous drug record and drugs were never found on her during the investigation, Dee is pressured to choose between a guilty plea, which would allow her to go home as a convicted felon, or challenge her wrongful arrest in court. With the help and encouragement of ACLU lawyer David Cohen (Tim Blake Nelson) and local lawyer Sam Conroy (Will Patton), 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.

American Violet is more than just a movie, it is a shockingly poignant narrative about the harsh realities of conflicts in the legal system in the United States. One of the laws changed as a result of this case is that it is no longer allowed for a grand jury to indict someone based on one informant’s testimony (which used to be fairly prevalent in the state). According to the film, of the nearly 2.3 Americans in prison (easily the most of any country), a large percentage were convicted based on plea bargains.

The message in American Violet is that often times, citizens are not allowed a fair trial with a jury of peers because they are pressured to take plea bargains or face the potential for long prison terms if found guilty. DA’s and others in law enforcement are shown to have motive to meet arrest and conviction quotas in Texas, which compels them to follow through even with shallow cases.

American Violet is an extremely well-presented narrative. Nicole Behari is awesome in a debut role as Dee. The actress just graduated from the acting program at New York’s famed Juilliard School. Nelson and Patton are brilliant as well. Patton has a special ability and charisma to dominate scenes in his movies. The film also stars Academy Award® nominee Alfre Woodard, Emmy Award® winner Charles S. Dutton, and Xzibit.

American Violet is a must see. Some narrative dramas fail to balance accuracy of events with the fictional drama needed to create an entertaining film product. This film is extremely successful on telling a real story in a big picture way.

The names of the participants in the real life story behind American Violet were changed for the film. Regina Kelly, the real woman involved in this story has been touring the country speaking about her experiences. After watching the movie, you can visit the Regina Kelly website to learn more about her personal story and what you can do to help others avoid similarly unjust experiences.

Official American Violet Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Violet/47829071526

Grade: A

Director: Tim Disney
Starring: Nicole Behari, Tim Blake Nelson, Will Patton, Michael O’Keefe, Alfre Woodard, Charles S. Dutton, and Xzibit

DVD Review by Neil of Movie Room Reviews

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We are excited to offer ONE WINNER a copy of the American Violet DVD in conjunction with the October 13th DVD release date. Entry in our DVD giveaway is free and simple. Entry is open to anyone in the US and Canada (13 and older – PG13 rating) for this promotion. One random winner will be drawn using random.org on October 29th, at or near 5PM CST. Please include your email (or other contact point) in your entry or have it accessible in your blogger profile so we can contact you if you win!

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