Movies Set in the South

A drama about the rise of a politician who loses his integrity as he becomes more powerful.

He spent his life trying to be a good man. But beneath the virtue and the conviction that made him a successful preacher, lie true human emotions -- lust, desire and rage. Robert Duvall gives us the most powerful and insightful performance of his career as Sonny, a preacher whose honest conviction won him the respect of his town until one day he commits a crime of passion. Forced to assume a new identity and armed only with the unfaltering will to change, Sonny sets out on a road to redemption.

A Sicilian cotton maker seduces a Mississippi rival's infantile bride. Directed by Elia Kazan. From a Tennessee Williams play.

Southern Brick and Maggie spoil dying Big Daddy's birthday. Directed by Richard Brooks. From the Tennessee Williams play.

Eleven-year-old Mark Sway learns too much about the Mob when a Mafia lawyer reveals information before he kills himself. A hotshot prosecutor wants Mark's testimony. Caught between the Mob and the Feds, he seeks refuge with a lady lawyer.

A black Southern woman finds her self after 40 years, beginning in 1909. Directed by Steven Spielberg. From the Alice Walker novel.

Disgusted with her habit of drinking too much and waking up next to strangers, the 30-something Lucy is ready to re-evaluate her small-town Southern life. But straightening out her present involves delving into her past—and that involves getting to know her family.

After ten years as a frustrated newspaper reporter and unsuccessful author of fiction, Marjorie Rawlings turns her back on financial security and takes up residence in the Florida Everglades. In this remote and untamed portion of central Florida, Rawlings is inspired to create a gallery of unforgettable characters and to produce critically-acclaimed best sellers

Set in the Sea Islands of the South at the turn of the century, this is the story of the Peazant family as they prepare to migrate from the islands to the Northern United States. Isolated from the mainland the Peazants retain the spiritual and cultural traditions of their Gullah, and African heritage.

Nature and mountain men humble four Atlanta businessmen on a canoe trip in the Appalachian wilds. Directed by John Boorman. From the James Dickey novel.

A successful writer laments about her mother and her childhood to a reporter from Time and the subsequent article causes a rift between mother and daughter. Both sides increase their frustration with one another until finally the daughter disinvites the mother from her wedding. Now, the Ya Yas, a secret group of life-long friends to which the mother is a member, decide it's time to act. They kidnap the daughter and bring her back home to rural Louisiana for a swift kick of Southern hospitality and reminiscing with hopes that they can bring mother and daughter back together.

An Atlanta widow and her chauffeur reflect the changing times, from 1948 to 1973. Directed by Bruce Beresford. Oscars for best picture, actress Tandy.

Through three turbulent decades, Forrest rides a tide of events that whisks him from physical disablility to football stardom, from Vietnam hero to shrimp tycoon, from White House honors to the arms of his one true love

Based on the best-selling novel by Fannie Flagg, this is the story of an unlikely and inspiring friendship that defied all obstacles and expectations. Features a bonus segment that includes special interviews and 6 minutes of never-before-seen footage.

A guitar-playing bum inflames two Mississippi women. Directed by Sidney Lumet. Based on Tennessee Williams' Orpheus Descending.

Young Mississippi District Attorney Bobby DeLaughter's tireless determination finally brings to justice racist murderer Bryon De La Beckwith, thirty years after the slaying of civil rights worker Medgar Evers.

A strong willed woman attempts to impose her shattered dreams into the life and personality of her shy, reclusive daughter.

Vivien Leigh is Scarlett to Clark Gable's Rhett in cinema's greatest epic of passion and adventure. With its immortal cast, magnificent cinematography and sweeping score, this cherished classic continues to thrill audiences today.

A teen-ager stands up to his father, a gung-ho peacetime Marine pilot who runs his family like boot camp.