As a journalist, I'm always interested in seeing movies centered on main characters who are reporters or editors. Usually these films are about real-life events and the reporters who covered those events or "broke" the stories in the first place. And even though Hollywood may not always get the details right when it comes to how stories are reported, or how newsrooms actually work, or – and this is what really irritates me sometimes – what reporters are willing to do to get the story, I still enjoy many of these films and will watch them over and over. Especially the films inspired by true events.
So, naturally, my interest was piqued when I learned of the upcoming film, Deadline, which is premiering in various U.S. cities in the month of March. The film is already bringing a great deal of good buzz with it. It has been called a movie with a conscience, and a well crafted thriller that packs a powerful punch.
Inspired by a true story, the film follows Nashville Times reporter Matt Harper (Steve Talley) as he helps a man try to solve a 20-year-old, racially motivated murder in rural Alabama. Deadline is based on Mark Ethridge's novel Grievances, which is based on the author's own experiences. Ethridge is a Pulitzer Prize winner and a former managing editor of The Charlotte Observer.
Directed by Curt Hahn and co-starring Eric Roberts, the cast and crew of Deadline currently are on a 42-city bus tour before the film opens nationwide April 13. Check the film's official web page for showtimes in your area. I know I'm not going to miss it.
