By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA-- When director and actor
Perry King walked into the
Tower Theater in Sacramento last week he was greeted by hugs and handshakes from fans and friends eager to see the premiere of his new movie,
?The Divide.?
King, who is no stranger to the big screen, made his acting film debut in the 1972 movie ?Slaughterhouse-Five.? He also starred in ?The Lords of Flatbush? (1974) and opposite the late Ken Norton in the 1975 blaxploitation movie ?Mandingo.?
The veteran actor is perhaps best known for his role in the TV series, ?Riptide? (1984-1986) and for his star turn in the 2004 movie, ?The Day After Tomorrow.?
The indie drama ?The Divide,? which marks King?s directorial debut, has been making its rounds at various film festivals and awards shows--notably the Worldfest/Houston and the International Independent Film Awards--and garnering some good reviews in the process.
Prior to the screening at the Tower Theater, King chatted with
N2Entertainment.net and said that ?The Divide? was a passion project for him and the film?s producer
Jo Haskins.
?The Divide,? which is set in 1976 and filmed in Northern California at King?s El Dorado County ranch, is a slow moving, yet emotionally jarring black and white western drama.
In ?The Divide? King plays Sam Kincaid, an ornery, old cattle rancher who is losing a grip on everything due to early Alzheimer?s.
There?s a reason he?s been out of touch with his veterinarian daughter Sarah (Sara Arrington, ?The Jungle Book?) and her tween son C.J. (newcomer Luke Colombero).
Fortunately, Sam gets a helping hand around the ranch when he meets a drifter named Luke (Bryan Kaplan, ?Fray?). Luke?s an odd character with a mysterious past. Luke not only appreciates the life lessons that Sam doles out to him, but really takes a keen interest in the old man.
When Sam?s condition worsens, Luke manages to track down Sarah. He calls her and begs her to come spend time with her dad.
She reluctantly does. Over time Sarah and Luke slowly open up to each other and reveal some of their inner demons and we get a glimpse into their issues.
But trouble is at hand when Tom Cutler (Levi Kries, Broadway?s ?Million Dollar Quartet?) arrives to the ranch. Tom has a score he?s been itching to settle with Sam.
?While the supporting cast, does an admirable job here, it?s King who really commands the screen. ?The Divide? takes a while to warm up, yet once it does it wins you over with its compelling and touching story of family reconciliation and forgiveness.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 6:20 p.m. on radio station KFBK 1530 AM and 93.1 FM.
Check Out This Trailer For
"THE DIVIDE"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics? Association (BFCA), The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), The Alliance Of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.