John Sayles returns with another patchwork quilt portrait of communities on the brink of change. Plantation Island, Florida had always been a modest beachside town. But property developers and a flurry of wealthy northerners have led to an influx of strip malls and gated ‘communities’. Marly (Falco) struggles to maintain her father’s dream motel that has proven to be her nightmare, and the idea of escape is tempting. The next town over is an African American enclave Lincoln Beach, established during the era of legally enforced segregation. Desiree Perry (Bassett) returns to her family after years away to find that her hometown is also being eyed for redevelopment. Under the Florida sunshine, the two women grapple with the sometimes-overwhelming burden of family history and expectations, and questions of love, duty and responsibility.
Sunshine State
Directed by John Sayles