Southside with You

2016 1h 20m EN

😐

5.6

MID

★5.6TMDB · 206

RomanceDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Chronicles a single day in the summer of 1989 when the future president of the United States, Barack Obama, wooed his future First Lady on an epic first date across Chicago's South Side.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Parker Sawyers
Barack Obama
Tika Sumpter
Michelle Robinson
Vanessa Bell Calloway
Marian Robinson
Phillip Edward Van Lear
Fraser C. Robinson
Deanna Reed-Foster
Bernadette
Jerod Haynes
Tommy
Gabrielle Lott-Rogers
Rafiqa
Taylar Fondren
Janice

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard Tanne
Writers: Richard Tanne
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.4× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 10 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard Tanne, shot by Pat Scola. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Stephen James Taylor. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Evan Schiff shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter and Vanessa Bell Calloway carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard Tanne directs. Pat Scola behind the camera. Stephen James Taylor scores. Evan Schiff cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Made its money back 4.4× over at the box office.
4Released 10 years ago.
5Directed by Richard Tanne, shot by Pat Scola. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Stephen James Taylor. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Evan Schiff shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter and Vanessa Bell Calloway carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt4258698 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Pat Scola
Original score: Stephen James Taylor
Editing: Evan Schiff
Production design: Lucio Seixas
Costume design: Megan Spatz
Makeup / hair: Rukey Styles
Runtime: 80 min · 1h 20m
Status: Released
Budget: $1,500,000
Box office: $6,628,603
Return: 442% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Southside with You (2016)

Also by

Richard Tanne

Chemical Hearts
2020 · ★ 7.3

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Reno2016-12-24
★ 7/10
First date with a chocolate ice cream girl. A small film with a small success. It was entirely shot in the two weeks of time. Directed by a first timer, it tells the true story of Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson's first date back in the 1989 during working for a big law firm in Chicago. Like how Michelle denied it is a date as co-workers should not engage in a close relationship. While Obama is trying to win her heart, the film reveals their day, what they talk and do and how it all ends. This is not a biographical film I was expecting. I mean I was looking forward to the film, but not this kind of simple story. This looks like another version of 'Before Sunrise', and I won't be surprised if they make a sequel in a similar fashion, maybe a trilogy. So this is a one day event when they were young and passionate about their work, somewhat they both liked each other, though they knew their limits. The writer-come-director confirms all the events from his film really occurred, but not all of them in just one date. The actors were good, especially I liked Parker Sawyers as Barack Obama. For me, this is not a great film, but decently made one. Obama fans might like it, though you could try it if you like date film in a realistic manner. It's Obama's early life, so there's nothing about his present politics or the president post, except talking about their future plans. But most of the film about between them and their life, like how they grew how, what they love and loved, those kind of stuffs. So I hope you watch it with a low expectation. 6.5/10
Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots2023-08-04
★ 4/10
Inspired by Barack and Michelle Obama’s first date in 1989, “Southside With You” is a fun period premise that just isn’t fully realized. It’s not romantic enough to be a traditional date movie and it tries too hard to be a racially focused drama, making this talky film from writer-director Richard Tanne much more of a bore than a joy to sit through. The movie focuses on one date and takes place over one day in and around Chicago. Summer law firm associate Barack (Parker Sawyers) picks up his colleague Michelle (Tika Sumpter) to spend the day chatting and exploring their city. In a blatant rip-off of the far better “Before Sunrise” series, this film starts off delightful and then becomes just too cutesy and preachy to be meaningful. The film makes Obama out to be some sort of savior for the poor and the disenfranchised which I guess is okay, but it’s also more than a little irritating. (The religious imagery becomes so forced that there’s a scene in a church where Obama is bathed in sunlight). The early banter in the ‘first date’ scenes are fun, romantic and enjoyably charming, much due to the charismatic performances from Sawyers and Sumpter. It’s when the discussions turn more and more towards race and poverty that the film begins to feel like it’s an exercise in pandering to the liberal crowd. Ultimately it becomes a bland attempt at pointed social, gender and racial commentary. This movie is short (84 minutes) but it should’ve been even shorter. There’s just not enough compelling material to make an interesting feature film.