Southside With You

2016

84 mins

Mellow Sundance romance feature based on the first date between President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, set in... More

Mellow Sundance romance feature based on the first date between President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, set in 1989 Chicago.

"One Chicago afternoon in 1989, a Harvard Law summer associate named Barack Obama finagled a tête-à-tête with an attorney from the prestigious corporate law firm where they both worked. Her name was Michelle Robinson, and his pretense was a friendly outing to a community organizer meeting. In Michelle’s eyes, it was most certainly not a date. But as ice cream gives way to a stop at the Art Institute, and the community gathering conveniently becomes a chance for Barack to lecture brilliantly on activism, it’s stunningly obvious to Michelle that this cigarette-smoking smooth talker is desperately trying to woo her.

"As their epic encounter continues into evening and these fiercely bright minds go head-to-head, sparks fly. Southside With You takes plenty of poetic license to craft this charming, playful story out of true-life events, yet actors Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers embody the essence of two people matched in power, idealism, and intellect." (Sundance Film Festival)

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Where to watch Southside With You

Southside With You is available to stream in Australia now... More on Stan and Google TV and Apple TV Store.

Southside With You | Ratings & Reviews

91_%163 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes® rating
71_%9,536 reviews
Audience score rating

"Richard Tanne's writing-directing debut deepens into a pointed, flowing conversation about the many challenges (and varieties) of African-American identity..."

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Variety

"First-time filmmaker Richard Tanne conjures an effective sense of time and place -- Chicago, 1989 -- and the leads are a real find, radiating authority, charm and chemistry."

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Total Film

"A small, successful sketch of now-great lives."

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Time Out

"A gently likable, Linklaterish movie that ideologically conflates romantic excitement with progressive idealism, bringing in some unexpected subtleties."

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The Guardian

"Stumbles occasionally, but still manages to cast a hushed spell that never entirely fades."

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Little White Lies

"The result makes you realize how few realistic and three-dimensional date movies have been made in an era of throbbing hook-up encounters and R-rated horny teen gross-outs."

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