Sophie and the Rising Sun

Maggie Greenwald, whose work I've admired since "The Kill-Off", does a fine job in capturing another era, that of the dawn of World War II in the American South, in its sad tale of love thwarted by prejudice, with great sympathy generated for the underdog. Also sad is the current increase in bigotry in America, putting us on the precipice of a return to such awful times, if powerful forces on the extreme right, get their way.

Powerful performances by Julianne Nicholson, Margo Martindale and Lorraine Toussaint propel the compelling narrative, which while not being preachy does follow time-honored and well-meaning, predictable story arcs.