[VIA Felicia McBride's BackList blog ] :
Black Voices Blogs | Angela Bassett to Step Behind Director's Chair With 'United States'The Hollywood Reporter states that Bassett will make her directorial debut with 'United States,' an indie feature she's also producing with her Bassett/Vance Productions partner and husband Courtney B. Vance.
'United States,' based on the novel 'Erasure' by Percival Everett, is a dramatic comedy about Thelonius "Monk" Ellison, a prominent black literary figure who writes a faux autobiography from the perspective of a barely literate hoodlum troubled by the glorification of "ghetto" culture. When the book is lauded as a contender for the National Book Award, Ellison must choose between pride and fame.
I'm both excited and afraid. Excited because one of my favorite recent works of fiction is coming to the big screen. Afraid because one of my favorite recent works of fiction is coming to the big screen. The fact that the title was changed and most mentions I've read have the plot partially or totally wrong makes me think this will be another lackluster movie version of a great work of fiction. I'm still there for opening weekend next year.
Posted by ronn at March 18, 2009 06:09 PM