Inspired by a true story, Deadline (PG 13) is a powerful movie about the unsolved murder of a 15-year-old African American, Wallace Sampson, in Amos, Alabama. Nineteen years after the cold-blooded killing, Trey Hall, is on a search for truth. She wants to know what happened to her housekeeper's son, Wallace. Trey asks Matt Harper, a reporter at The Nashville Times, to help her investigate this case. Obstacles arise against Matt. His publisher objects it. His fiancee calls the wedding off. His father is battling cancer. Matt gets assistance from a fellow reporter, Ronnie Bullock, who is a very interesting redneck. Deadline is a story of racism, redemption, relationships (esp. between father and son), justice, journalism, hope, and faith. It portrays the ugliness and devastation of racism as well as the beauty and restoration of racial harmony. I was so touched that I got teary eyes a few times. The climax is truly heart-wrenching. The cast did a fantastic job. I really enjoyed this gripping film. I love the poem, "Times" by Wallace Sampson (written on the day he died):
Times are hard here
Times are uneasy
Times call for courage
And the hope that these can still be
In fact, still are
The best of times
Deadline is adapted from Mark Ethridge's novel Grievances. Ethridge is a former managing editor of The Charlotte Observer. Deadline is directed by Curt Hahn, starring Steve Talley and Eric Roberts. You can watch the trailer and sign up for email updates including when Deadline will be released in your area at http://www.deadlinefilm.com/.
Good review.
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