Mr. Darcy. Heathcliff. Rhett Butler. Edward Rochester. They’re all swoon-worthy male characters, and now there’s a new name to add to the list: Barack Obama.
Kind of weird, right? But somehow it works in “Southside With You,” a movie that revisits the 1989 summer day when Obama and future first lady Michelle Robinson had their first date.
The movie premiered at Sundance to warm reviews. Relative newcomer Parker Sawyers nails his role as the cool, chain-smoking Obama, who moves fluidly through the world, even when he’s confronted by Tika Sumpter’s tightly-wound Michelle — his adviser at their big-time law firm who insists that they aren’t on a date.