Rivers Wash Over Me
 |
| Rivers Wash Over Me | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John G. Young |
| Written by | John G. Young Darien Sills-Evans |
| Produced by | Darien Sills-Evans Exec. producer Dexter Davis |
| Starring | Derrick L. Middleton Aidan Schultz-Meyer Elizabeth Dennis Darien Sills-Evans Cameron Mitchell Mason Duane McLaughlin Pamela Holden Stewart |
| Cinematography | Robert Ansbro |
| Edited by | Steven Thomas |
| Music by | Kenneth Lampl |
| Distributed by | D Street Pictures dasefatcap films |
Release date | 2009 |
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Rivers Wash Over Me is a 2009 American feature film by director John G. Young whose earlier films include Parallel Sons in 1995 and The Reception in 2005. Young shares the screenwriting with Darien Sills-Evans. The film was produced by Darien Sills-Evans, with Dexter Davis as the Executive Producer.
Plot
The film touches on race relations, incest, drugs, and growing up gay in the American South. A recent New York City transplant, Sequan Greene (played by newcomer Derrick L. Middleton) has been sent south after the recent death of his mother. He is brutally raped by his cousin Michael Wilis (played by Cameron Mitchell Mason). It slowly becomes clear that the cousin is gay, too: a victim as well as a victimizer. He says "I can’t be a faggot… You’re the faggot. You’re my faggot." Sequan is also bullied and beaten up at school.
Sequan finds a friend in Lori Anderson, the girlfriend of the drug dealer/basketball player Ahmed Robin (played by Duane McLaughlin). Lori (played by Elizabeth Dennis) is the town's "bad girl" who has a heart of gold. Although she freebases, snorts coke throughout the school day, steals guns, and sleeps with the town basketball star, she is immediately taken by admiration of Sequan and his brazen non-conformity. And, despite Sequan’s unwillingness, Lori manages to befriend him, brings him out of his shell, eventually introduces him to both moonshine and her gay brother, Jake Anderson (played by Aidan Schultz-Meyer).
Cast
Major roles are:
- Derrick L. Middleton as Sequan Greene
- Aidan Schultz-Meyer as Jake Anderson
- Elizabeth Dennis as Lori Anderson
- Darien Sills-Evans as Charles King
- Cameron Mitchell Mason as Michael Willis
- Duane McLaughlin as Ahmed Robins
- Pamela Holden Stewart as Alice
Other roles in alphabetical order of family name:
- Julia Carothers Hughes as Celeste Anderson
- Terrance Epps as Coach Williams
- Tina Jetter as Charity
- Leslie Jones as LuEllen
- Paul Kelly as Mr. Hack
- Alain Lauture as Skinny Tim Buchanan
- Sonequa Martin as Shawna King
- Conor Romero as Billy
- Xosha Roquemore as Racine Buchanan
- Chester A. Sims II as Mayor Rickets
- Don Striano as Tom Lemmings
- Damian Washington as Dwayne
- Eric Watson Williams as Deputy Lewis Ratch
Awards
- The film became the centerpiece movie of the 2009 NewFest Festival.
- At the 2009 Outfest in Los Angeles, the leading role actor Derrick L. Middleton of Rivers Wash Over Me won the Grand Jury Award for "Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film"