Sarah Jessica Parker and Mykelti Williamson star in this racial drama set in the world of academia. Playing against type, a brunette Parker taps into her serious side as Sarah Daniels, the Dean of Students at distinguished Vermont college Belmont University, who must confront her own personal views about race after a black student (Paul James) becomes the victim of hate crimes on campus. But when the administration’s “politically correct” attempts to teach tolerance backfire, the campus runs rampant with prejudice once hidden but now revealed. As the student body and faculty clash, Sarah tries to bring a fresh perspective to the platform. In the process, she spends some time with a local African-American TV newsman (Williamson) who is covering the story. As the scandal unfolds, their conversation evolves, building to a breaking point in which Sarah confesses to feelings that go beyond her self-described liberal stance.

Director Mark Brokaw is ambitious in this small-scale feature, which is based on the play by Rebecca Gilman. Brokaw, who comes from a theater background, takes liberties with the script, at times veering off from Gilman?s plot in surprising ways. The film tackles large themes despite its surface simplicity, and while it does not come close to answering the large questions it poses, it also reminds viewers that these questions may be unanswerable by their very nature. (1 hr. 26 min.)

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