Richard Tanne's film, "Southside with You," imagines the first date between Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson; "South Park" turns 20 with an interactive exhibit at the Paley Center for Media; Spanish-language TV powerhouse Univision has been buying popular English-language websites.
How 'Southside with You' recreates Barack and Michelle's first date
Long before the Obamas became the First Family, there was a first date. The new movie “Southside With You” imagines how that pivotal event in 1989 may have unfolded between two young attorneys named Barack and Michelle.
The film unfolds over the course of a single day. It’s been compared to Richard Linklater's "Before" films, which also follow a couple as they walk and talk and slowly fell in love in the span of a day.
At the time of their first date, Michelle Robinson (played by Tika Sumpter) was an attorney at a prominent Chicago law firm. Barack Obama (played by Parker Sawyers) was a recent graduate from Harvard Law School who was a summer associate at that firm. Because of their professional relationship, she is adamantly against them dating — so he doesn’t ask her for a date. Instead, the former community organizer asks her to attend a community event where the audience sees the brilliant orator that he was to become.
“Southside With You” was written and directed by Richard Tanne. Prior to this, he’d only made short films and done some B-movie acting, but “Southside With You” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January where it was picked up for distribution. The Frame host John Horn spoke with Tanne in Park City.
To hear the full conversation click the play button above. Below are highlights.
Interview Highlights
On casting a young Michelle Robinson:
Tika Sumpter was the first person on the project back when the story was just a one page outline that I had. It landed in her lap and she wanted to get together, and expressed a desire to play the role of Michelle Robinson and a desire to do whatever it took to help me get it made as a producing partner. And I said, OK, let me go write the thing and we'll see if you're still interested. Several months later, I finished the script, she was still interested and she made good on her pledge to help get the movie made. We teamed up as producing partners, and even more impressive, she delivers a really beautiful and complex performance in the film.
On casting a young Barack Obama:
I needed somebody who could play all the levels: someone who could be goofy but serious, intellectual but charming, a stand-up, salt-of-the-earth kind of guy — but also a little arrogant and a little bit pushy. So it's very rare to be able to find that in one actor. The reason that we found it in Parker [Sawyers] is because that's actually Parker.
On the original outline for the script:
It was really a tonal piece. It was about the poetic tone that we would be striving for. It was about the authenticity of capturing that moment in time. Mostly it highlighted the romance and the love story. And [it was] a story about two people finding each other just at that moment in time where you need to start living up to your potential and not just doing what society expects of you, but what you expect of yourself and finding that person who's uniquely qualified to help you make that leap.
On recreating that first date:
It really was a matter of doing my homework about where, for example, Michelle was at at that [law] firm at the time emotionally. By many accounts, she wasn't fully satisfied with the work she was doing there. I just extrapolated from there and decided that was a pretty good arc of finding greater satisfaction in what you do in life.
On the scene where Barack gives a speech:
The speech was always an opportunity for him to reach Michelle at a deeper level at that point in time. That's what I thought leading up to writing it. But then when I actually got to writing the church scene, I started to realize that this is a chance to really explore that community and what his words would mean to the community as well. So it became equally about impressing Michelle and also just earnestly inspiring the people in the community. Writing it was fun. It was probably the most fun that I had while writing the script.
"Southside with You" opens Friday.
'South Park' celebrates 20 seasons with interactive exhibit in LA
Ever want to enter a "South Park" scene? Now, you can — thanks to an interactive exhibit at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills.
The adventures of four profanity-spewing boys from South Park Colorado have won millions of viewers, a few Emmys, a Peabody, condemnation from the Parents Television Council and wormed its way into the world’s consciousness. Now as the TV show approaches its 20th season the irreverent series from the brains of Trey Parker and Matt Stone gets the kind of retrospective befitting the best in TV.
Chris Brion, the creative director for South Park studios says when they decided to do something for their 20th anniversary, they asked fans on social media for their favorite episodes. The idea was to create small sets and scenes that people could step into or pose with.
One installation is of Cartman dressed up as a cardboard robot from the episode "Awesome-O" who takes a few shots at Adam Sandler’s movie choices.
When asked about any blowback "South Park" gets from skewering celebrities, Brion says if it happens, it's not his responsibility.
“I don’t have to deal with that, that’s Matt and Trey," he says. "I don’t know if any one celebrity has said anything to them, but it’s one of those things where they’re going to do what they’re going to do.”
Visitors to the South Park exhibit can take a seat at Cartman’s Tea Party, or claim the throne at the right hand of Satan, or plop down on a pair of inflamed testicles.
That last installation is from an episode entitled "Medicinal Fried Chicken" in season 14 featuring Stan's dad, Randy.
"Randy gives himself cancer of the testicles so he can get medical marijuana prescription," Brion explains. "So that’s why all the men are bouncing on their testicles.
So, when starting the show, did he ever imagine he’d be in a museum where people could sit on giant inflamed testicles and pretend to be characters from the show?
"I think that’s the hope of everyone who’s worked on a TV show," Brion says.
As we walk past a selection of original pre-computer, hand-made animation cells, Paley Center Program Director Rene Rayes explains how the "South Park" brand of humor has often masked more serious issues.
"They offer political and social commentary no other show does," he says. "And they developed an animation technique where an episode can be turned around in 6 days. So they can be incredibly topical. So now as they approach their 20th season, how much fun are they going to get out of the election?"
With 20 seasons on TV, 260-plus episodes and an exhibit at the Paley Center for Media, you might wonder if "South Park" has become mainstream. Brion says no, but he does think the show has matured.
"I don’t know if we’re mainstream per se," he says. "I know there are times when I’ve read scripts and said they can’t get away with this, but that’s the beauty of the series is that if there’s something the network say you shouldn’t do that, they find a way to make it work, and that has caused them to become smarter about what they do, it’s not about the blatant joke, it’s finding a clever way to get that point across.
Also on display, 20 paintings by artists inspired by the show, all hand picked by Ron English, and there will also be screenings of fan favorite episodes.
The free exhibit runs from August 24-September 25.