American Violet

Story wise this is definitely 10 stars. Its unclear what dramatic embellishments were made, but it is based on a true story, and there was incredible courage required by those involved to pursue this fight.

Its a powerful emotional and human perspective on a horrible injustice that most definitely hasn't been resolved. The end of the movie will tell you the life updates of all the major characters, make sure you pay attention to the DA's.

While the movie focuses on racial bias against blacks, the issues of legal persecution apply to all people, and the movie does a fair job in illustrating those impacts. As a social issue, there's been no improvement, and likely worsening, since 2000 or 2008, and that is what makes this movie so fundamental and important.

After seeing this movie at an Atlanta, Georgia screening, it was like being sucker punched and having all the wind knocked out. And this is a docu-drama based on a real like event. I've seen all that mess and more, have a better understanding of how and why 92 year old Katheryn Johnston was murdered. Why I see the police all the time except when I call them for help (that's not why they are in my neighborhood). The truly false perception of how well the DA's, Judges and police are doing their jobs but what they do is no more than busy work, never accomplishing a thing. And jails are the only industry in America that is growing. When was the last time you went to the store to buy a prison? Stopped in a showroom to look at the latest model prison? I don't recall asking for new prisons or more prisons; they was the ideas of politicians and investors (so you know there's money involved somewhere). And the 2 Federal Judges that were convicted for taking bribed (paid $2.5 million) to lengthen sentence in juvenile cases. We need to talk about this or we'll all end up behind bars. And this is all allowed, by law, because of the wording in the 13th Amendment giving slavery and involuntary servitude a legal place in America.

I was honored to have the opportunity to catch a screening of American Violet's Texas premiere at the Paramount Theatre during Austin's SXSW Film Festival. The film tells the important story of Dee Roberts drug arrest in Melody, Texas in 2000. The story of the abuse of power by the criminal justice system is an important one that most Americans are not terribly familiar with. The story is generally well-acted and compelling as we are drawn through the story of Dee's clearly false arrest and prosecution. The line between fact and dramatic license does remain a little foggy and there is particularly unbelievable scene in which the local district attorney acts as some sort of family court judge who oversees a hearing to determine the custody of Dee's 4 children.

The legal focus of the film does tend to bounce around from one issue to another – the problem of forced plea bargaining, the misuse of Federal drug task forces, the use of dishonest informants, the problem of fighting a "war on drugs," and finally focusing on blatant racism of District Attorney. All of these issues are certainly present in the criminal justice system, but the relationship and role of each is often confusingly presented and blurs the legal focus of the film. Nevertheless, the story remains powerful and the presentation is a potent one.

Regardless of the limitations, some of which are inherent in the criminal docudrama, the film is well worth seeing, because of the important story that it tells about complex interaction between race, poverty and the criminal justice system that is often obscured from the view of much of the American public. The film deserves to be seen by those who still doubt the critical role of racism in American society - particularly in the criminal justice system.

Somewhat preachy, but revealing story of how DAs in rural Texas in particular and maybe South in general have and use the power to make their statistics look good by picking on African Americans. The first half has the ambiance of a taut documentary. Less so after the civil lawsuit began. It should have been a civil rights suit in the federal court, but this wasn't made clear at first. The deposition scenes really detracted from the impact, but maybe that's the way depositions are conducted in Texas. Alfra Woodard as the Grandmother takes the top acting honors. However, the acting was first rate from top to bottom.

Jim Madison, Menlo Park, CA

It has nothing to do with the actors and the director, because the performances were dead on. I was very extremely disgusted with the racists and racist system that allowed this type of injustice to happen.

However, what I also found myself disgusted and distracted by, was the main character herself. I struggled with rallying behind a single mother who chose (that's right, chose) to have four children on a waitress' salary and 3 different baby daddies (Before anyone feels the need to point out that there are men out there not taking care of their responsibilities, that just means that there are two, or in this case, 4 guilty parties. It doesn't absolve her of any guilt). I also struggled with the fact that the victims in the movie were driven more by concern about the loss of their food stamps and other public support, rather than justice actually being served. I guess my general bottom line issue is that they managed to create a movie where I didn't particularly like or care what happened to a single character. On one hand, you have a pack of the nastiest type of racists, and on the other, you have a bunch of walking stereotypes that supply them with ammunition.