What do you do when your commitment to your dreams becomes
a direct conflict with your personal integrity? What if this
dilemma was complicated even further by love?Dancing in
September, the powerful directorial debut of Reggie Rock
Bythewood, explores these questions and more. Set in the highly
competitive environment of network television, the film stars
Nicole Ari Parker as Tommy Crawford, a highly principled sitcom
writer and Isaiah Washington as George Washington, an ambitious
television executive. We are introduced to these two as children
whose separate lives have been impacted greatly by the power of
television. Their perceptions of African-American culture have been
shaped by such diverse imagery asGood Times and
Roots. As adults the two meet when Tommy attempts to get her
sitcom picked up for the upcoming season at George’s upstart WPX
network. He is immediately drawn to her and believes in her show.
He thus pushes for it to “Dance In September,” a popular term among
many African-American TV writers used to describe having a show
picked for the fall line-up. The show is a success and they fall
happily in love. However, seasons do change. While Civil Rights
Organizations are taking action against networks whose portrayals
of African-Americans are lacking proper integrity, Tommy’s show
starts to slip in the ratings. The drama rises when George advises
her to make the show “funnier” in order to survive. The result is
an increase in negative stereotypical imagery. Can love and
ambition survive one’s conscious?
Dancing in September was written, produced, and
directed by veteran television writer, Reggie Rock Bythewood. His
personal experience provides insight into the politics attached to
black sitcoms. “Ultimately the aim is just to be honest and hold a
mirror up to nature and say that this is the reality of Black TV.”
states Bythewood of his film. “We definitely want to give insight
and hopefully spark conversation. On the other side it’s no secret
that Hollywood has been a trend setter with everything. My aim is
to say to Hollywood ‘Let’s set a trend of not being racists.’ And
maybe that will catch on.” There are some interesting parallels
between Bythewood’s life and the themes in Dancing in
September. After writing and directing his own plays, and
completing the prestigious Disney Writers Fellowship, his first job
as a television writer was on the highly praised A Different
World. This experience was rewarding to him because in addition
to esteemed director Debbie Allen, there were numerous women of
color who contributed significantly to the show. It was an
environment that honored their sensibilities and allowed the show
enough depth to properly reflect them. In short, it was work that
he could take comfort and pride in. On the flip side, a few years
later, after building a solid hit as the head writer on the weekly
police drama New York Undercover, he was challenged by the
producers who wanted to alter the direction of the show. After
prolonged battles, Bythewood and the show parted amicably. His
experience with the politics of network television fueled the plot
of Dancing in September. His experience with romance amidst
TV writers is yet another parallel. He met fellow scribe Gina
Prince when they both worked on A Different World. Today she
is Mrs. Gina Prince-Bythewood, writer and director of the hit film
Love and Basketball. Their personal and professional
relationships compliment one another. They offer and seek each
others feedback and constructive criticism. The demands of opposing
production schedules sometimes makes it challenging to get in that
quality time, but after two years of marriage they seem to be
finding the right balance. The fact that they have provided two of
the most powerful African-American love stories on the big screen
this year speaks to their love foundation.
Perhaps one of the most interesting things about Dancing
in September is how it was made. Bythewood insisted on telling
the story that he wanted without having to answer to anyone else's
interpretations. So instead of soliciting a major studio to finance
production, he used his resources. He capitalized on his reputation
as a screenwriter and landed a couple of lucrative re-write gigs in
order to provide $300,000 in seed money for the film. Afterwards he
was able to raise the additional funds needed from others who
wanted to see the film made, many of whom are African-American
screenwriters. This was not new ground for Bythewood. In 1995,
after attending the Million Man March, he was inspired to write
Get On The Bus, a film about a bus load of diverse black men
who make the trip from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. for the
event. After enlisting Spike Lee as director, the project attracted
fifteen prominent Black men to invest. The film was completed,
distributed, and in theatres in time for the one-year anniversary
of the March itself. He seeks to do a similar deal with Dancing
in September. As of press time there were talks but no deal
with a major studio for distribution. Reggie Rock Bythewood,
however, is not discouraged. He is fully prepared to implement self
distribution. "The way I look at it is that we're giving the
studios a chance." He states flatly. Perhaps his resilience is the
result, in part at least, of his fairly recent battle with
Hotchkins Disease. A few years ago he had to undergo throat
surgery. Often times, conquering potential life threatening
situations causes one to put things in proper perspective. "The
whole time I was sick I said if I come through this I have to do
two things: I have to marry Gina, and I've got to do this
artistically the way I really want to do it. Just be an artist and
be honest." declares Bythewood. His historical knowledge also seems
to help mold his perspective. He adds "Oscar Micheaux didn't have
[tons of money] he didn't even have a driver's license. You gotta
figure if he did it back then, we don't have much of an excuse."
Dancing in September can be seen at the New York Latino
Film Festival this May. For more info call 212 726-2358. Or log on
to www.NYLATINOFILM.com
