By now you know how much I appreciate a movie, based on a true story, which Best of Enemies is. It’s 1971 Durham, North Carolina and the Klu Klux Klan is thriving in Durham, and definitely not in hiding. Durham has begrudgingly been made to accept that Whites and Blacks can share the same restaurant or bus, but schools are strictly segregated by race. C.P. Ellis is the president of Dunham’s Klan, he is also the owner of a whites only gas station/auto repair business. He has successfully started the first Youth Corp in the Klan, and is well known thru out the North Carolina Klan.
Black people are clustered in East Durham, in rental apartments and homes owned by whites that keep many of the homes in deplorable conditions. This is where we meet Ann Atwater, an activist for Operation Breakthrough, a local support source for blacks.
When a fire destroys part of the school black children attend, the question of integrating
blacks into the white children’s school quickly divides Durham.
Enter the NAACP, who files suit against the city council. The city knows they are on shaky ground, denying the black students access to the white school. The local judge, in co-hoots with the prosecutor offers a solution using the Charrette Process, which is a community summit. After a ten day, fact-finding period, a twelve-member panel will vote either for or against integration and that finding would be the ruling of the court.
C.P and Ann are selected to chair their respective committees. C.P. accepts the position and plans to use his Klansman connections to keep the schools segregated. Ann is so incensed with C.P.’s acceptance; she feels she has no choice but to accept the chair on behalf of the black community.
Sam Rockwell, as C.P and Taraji P Henson, as Ann barely speak a civilized word to each other through out the movie. When the Charrette Process forces them to eat lunch together, at a table
for two, C.P. can’t manage to enter into the smallest of conversation.
We are given an education on the KKK, and how C.P. found purpose and solidarity in its membership. He shed tears when he received his first Klan membership card. You think, how could this man, so entrenched in the Klan’s beliefs and life style, ever find fault in his current thought process?
His transformation on film, and knowing this was his reality, is warming.
Both Rockwell and Henson successfully embraced their roles. Rockwell, who I thought was ok
as George Bush in last year’s Vice, totally got it as C.P. The normally glamorous Henson, believably transformed into the orthopedic shoes, sagging bra and stained dress wearing Ann.
There was a bit of a crowd at the screening we attend, which I was happy to see. I know some might think Best of Enemies, is 2019’s version of Green Book. An uneducated white guy, recognizing, his sins of the past, the black man educating the masses. And if you feel that way,
you probably didn’t see Green Book and sure as heck will not see Best of Enemies. Which is
your loss.
The Best of Enemies rated B plus is well worth a full price ticket purchase. It’s a movie that
makes you feel good when you leave. Before the credits begin there are video clips of the
actual C.P. and Ann, you won’t want to miss them so don’t rush out of the theatre.
FYI, the 1971 beer of choice at baseball games was Miller High Life, the Champagne of beers
and gas was twenty-six cents a gallon!!! Wow.
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