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Nicole Beharie, Tim Blake Nelson, Will Patton, Michael O'Keefe, Xzibit ... see more see more... , Charles S. Dutton , Alfre Woodard , Malcolm Barrett , Tim Ware , Paul David Story , David Warshofsky , Lucinda Jenney , Karimah Westbrook , Paul Guilfoyle , Pamela Tyson

Nicole Beharie, Tim Blake Nelson, Will Patton, and Xzibit headline this fact-based drama about an innocent Texas mother caught up in a high-profile drug raid, and unjustly accused due to the uncorrobo... read more read more...rated testimony of a single informant. Dee Roberts (Beharie) is a young single mother of four living in a small Texas town. Arrested during a drug raid and accused of a crime she didn't commit, Dee goes against the wishes of her mother, Alma (Alfre Woodard), and rejects the plea-bargain that would free her from jail, but brand her as a felon for life. As word begins to spread that similar incidents are occurring in poor communities all across the country, Dee realizes that there are more mothers out there like her, and decides to take a stand against powerful district attorney Calvin Beckett (Michael O'Keefe). Now, despite being well aware of District Attorney Beckett's fierce reputation, Dee enlists the aid of ACLU attorney David Cohen (Nelson) and former narcotics officer Sam Conroy (Patton) in overcoming the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that, if not navigated with the greatest of caution, now threaten to destroy her life. With the custody of her children on the line, one brave mother wages a valiant battle to strike at the very heart of the corrupt Texas justice system. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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72% liked it

15,955 ratings

Critics

74% liked it

57 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 53 min.

Directed by: Tim Disney

Release Date: April 17, 2009

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DVD Release Date: October 13, 2009

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Flixster Reviews (592)

  • fb701560354
    January 5, 2012
    fb701560354
    It's a story that's been done many times, and it's a bit predictable, but American Violet is a gripping docudrama about the Texas justice system that features powerful and award-worthy performances from the whole cast but I expect nothing but greatness and stardom for Nicole Beha... read moreirie. (Alfre Woodard is also amazing).
  • itsjustme2004
    October 14, 2010
    itsjustme2004
    Really, really good movie. Unreal that this stuff really happened, and still happens. I love a good true story, especially if it has Alfre Woodard in it. I cannot believe that this District Attorney was never fired, AND was re-elected to boot. What a world we live in. sheesh
  • paulsandberg
    September 16, 2010
    paulsandberg
    Nichole Beharie as Dee Roberts gives a truly inspiring performance as a mother, living in the projects, who is wrongly accused of drug dealing, and then is caught up in a corrupted criminal justice system that railroads those who have little way of defending themselves against a ... read moresystem created to protect them.

    The message here, while being a bit heavy handed, needs to be said, and the film does a very good job of delving into the consequences of a political system that simply bulldozes people for government funding, not caring what happens to those they trample.

    There are some very touching scenes where Dee is jailed for 21 days for a crime she didn't commit; including a scene where she is allowed ten minutes to see her children - through a small grimy piece of glass that is stuck high up in a doorway. The will of this woman to perservere is astonishing, and the film does a nice job of showing you what would have happened if she had taken the offered plea bargain - a felony record that would prohibit her from receiving any kind of government assistance; from food stamps to housing - and, having a criminal record would severly hamper her attempts at finding a job, which of course could possibly lead to child protective services taking her children.

    Dee has enough problems just getting on with life - trying to raise her children, with her children's deadbeat dad and his abusive girlfriend in the same building, and yet even after her conviction is overturned, her subsequent case (spearheaded by the A.C.L.U.) puts her in the D.A.'s crosshairs - who uses his substantial infuence to not only prevent her from returning to her job of 7 years, but even makes sure that she is terminated from the minimum wage job she finally manages to procure. All for a good arrest record, which not only serves to line the county coffers via federal funds, but keeps the D.A.'s "tough on crime" credo in the spotlight - and, ugliest of all, satisfies his predudice against people of color.

    Still, Dee persists, and the D.A. is forced to make restitution to those wrongfully accused; but the bigger victory is that the law in which a person could be tried based on information provided by a single source,without corroborating evidence, was overturned.

    This is a very forthright docu-drama, earnestly filmed, that includes an inspiring lead performance and some equally fine supporting performances by the likes of Alfre Woodard, Will Patten, Tim Blake Nelson, and Charles Dutton.
  • gator681
    August 6, 2010
    gator681
    In "American Violet," Dee Roberts(Nicole Beharie), a single mother of four and a waitress in Melody, Tx, finds herself getting caught up in a police dragnet orchestrated by District Attorney Calvin Beckett(Michael O'Keefe) who has a fondness for helicopters. She is shocked to di... read morescover this has nothing to do with the $782 she owes in parking tickets. She and many of her neighbors in a public housing project are accused of selling drugs on the word of a single informant and her bail is set at $70,000 which of course she cannot afford. Her young court appointed lawyer David Higgins(Paul David Story) advises her to take the plea bargain, a 10 year suspended sentence, which many of her fellow defendants accept. But if she does, she will lose any benefits and the public housing where she lives. This is not the first time this has happened as the ACLU gets involved in the person of David Cohen(Tim Blake Nelson) who petitions local lawyer Sam Conway(Will Patton) to help in the case.

    Based on a true story, "American Violet" should frighten anyone who genuinely fears the power the government can wield against its own citizens. Clearly told, the movie also asks questions about the criminal justice system and how the poor and minorities become trapped in it that somebody will have to answer one day, with a special focus on the war on drugs.(Remember, everyone is innocent until proven guilty.) My favorite scene is where David identifies himself as ACLU, while approaching Sam at a gun range. The movie is not without its share of faults, however, as it could have been better directed. It is also a little too neatly resolved(Damn you, Law and Order!), even if the story is still ongoing. Luckily, the movie is not that heavyhanded, as its sole Potemkin moment comes in an early sequence. And through Will Patton's bravura performance, Sam becomes as much a center of the story as Dee who has the most to lose and proves there is always something worth fighting for.
  • nadyajoensen
    November 13, 2011
    nadyajoensen
    I was amazed with this movie, it has such a touching story. It really captivated me. The movie follows a young African American woman who is a single mother of 4 in a very harsh neighborhood. She gets accused and charged of dealing drugs even though she's innocent. She's an hones... read moret women with a clean record and there is a hint of racism in the air of the accusing lawyer. The movie follows the woman while she struggles to prove her innocence. This movie was touching and really makes one think about the World we live in and all the judgment we have against the people we know too little about. I loved this movie and I will remember it for a long time. Also it had some very great acting talents, a must see.
  • mvieaddict
    March 14, 2010
    mvieaddict
    Based on a true story, American Violet told the story of Dee Roberts, a waitress at a local diner and mother of 4 little girls, who was arrested during a drug sweep in her neighborhood. She was taken away from her work in handcuffs, and dumped in the women prison. The local DA wh... read moreo led the drug bust, swept many black people to jail. Dee discovered that she has been charged as a drug dealer. Even though she had no drug record and no drugs were found on her, she was offered a choice: plead guilty and go home as a convicted woman or remain in prison, jeopardizing her custody and risking a long prison sentence. She chose to fight the criminal justice system, risking everything,that changed her life and the Texas justice system.
  • clooneyfan
    April 10, 2010
    clooneyfan
    I thought this was very interesting. Even though she wasn't guilty, I can see how it would have been easier to take the plea bargain. I'm glad she stuck it out and fought them. She made some poor choices in life that ended her up in that bad environment, though.
  • neilla07
    January 31, 2010
    neilla07
    Excellent movie of the perseverance to change the justice system. Definitely a must see for those who haven't seen it.
  • cmsmswest
    December 26, 2009
    cmsmswest
    Wow! What a story-line!!! Precious and her mom (Monique) really played dramatic roles. From anger to teary-eyed, this movie invoked strong emotions upon me from the message the film relayed about life adversities for improvished children...
  • BarbaraAnnTheMovieFan
    December 5, 2009
    BarbaraAnnTheMovieFan
    A true story of racial injustice. Shame on Texas where defendants are scared into pleading guilty of crimes they did not commit, simply because they are black. What's wrong with these horrible racist a-holes? I'm sure there are a lot more similar cases across the US too. It m... read moreakes me sick!

    American Violet is a powerful movie. I think everyone should see it.

View All American Violet Reviews

Critic Reviews

Tom Long
May 15, 2009
Tom Long, Detroit News

A well-played if too-familiar story of oppression and injustice. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
May 1, 2009
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

A conventional but wholly gripping docudrama. Full Review

Jonathan Curiel
May 1, 2009
Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle

American Violet dramatizes Kelly's case, and does so in a way that will leave audiences applauding in their seats -- and wondering how much of the film is true. Full Review

Peter Rainer
May 1, 2009
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Director Tim Disney and screenwriter Bill Haney lay out Dee's story with a minimum of fuss. They are smart enough to realize that the material is compelling all on its own. Full Review

Steven Rea
May 1, 2009
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

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. Full Review

Wesley Morris
April 30, 2009
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

American Violet feels less like life and unreasonably more like the movies. Full Review

Betsy Sharkey
April 17, 2009
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

The narrative is infused with chilling facts, and the filmmakers know how to build their case, but a drama demands more. Full Review

J. R. Jones
April 17, 2009
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

This flaw in the justice system might affect anyone, but American Violet shows how easily it can be racialized in a place where hardened social attitudes combine with drugs and poverty to create a per... Full Review

Kyle Smith
April 17, 2009
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Its blaring earnestness and thin characters (all of whom practically wear badges identifying them as good or evil) fail to add nuance to a story that keeps making the same point in virtually every pre... Full Review

Stephen Whitty
April 17, 2009
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

The badly titled American Violet comes from filmmakers who had clearly made up their minds long before they had written a word. And it's aimed at people who have too, before they've seen a frame. Full Review

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