"Show Me a Hero" (2015 release; Ep 1-5 running about 55 min. each; Ep 6 running about 80 min.) beings the real life story of Nick Wasicsko, an up-and-coming politician in Yonkers, NY. As Episode 1 opens, it is "February 1987" and Nick is 28 and a Democratic member of city counsel. He is urged on to run for mayor against a long-standing Republican incumbent. Meanwhile there are major rumblings in the background, resulting from a federal court-mandated public housing desegregation order. It appears everyone in the city is against it... At this point we are 10 min. into Episode 1, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this TV mini-series is based on the book of the same name by Lisa Gelkin (which I haven't read), and directed by none other than Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis ("Crash"), working from a script by David "The Wire" Simon. The issue of public housing desegregation is also an issue of race and of economic inequality. The series does a great job examining these complicated issues in a nuanced way and with great storytelling that draws in the viewers and before you know it, you can't stop watching. The series benefits enormously from a top-notch all-star cast, none more so than Oscar Isaac as Nick Wasicoski (for which he won a Golden Globe), but he gets strong support from many others. Check out Jim Belushi (as the long-serving Mayor of Yonkers), Catherine Keener (as the life-long resident who opposes the desegregation), Winona Ryder (as the City Council President who favors the desegregation), and last but not least the lovely Carla Quevedo (as Wasicoski's romantic interest). The series is set in the late 80s and early 90s, and hence in that sense is also a period piece at a time when many cities were still in serious urban decline.
This TV mini-series premiered on HBO in 2015 to immediate critical acclaim. In the current COVID-19 stay at home climate, I've been looking for good TV shows to catch up on, and I recently binge-watched this at HBO On Demand. So glad I did! In fact, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters at the end of the 6 episodes. The fact that this series is based on actual events only made it that much more compelling. If you have any interest in politics or urban desegregation issues, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this TV mini-series is based on the book of the same name by Lisa Gelkin (which I haven't read), and directed by none other than Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis ("Crash"), working from a script by David "The Wire" Simon. The issue of public housing desegregation is also an issue of race and of economic inequality. The series does a great job examining these complicated issues in a nuanced way and with great storytelling that draws in the viewers and before you know it, you can't stop watching. The series benefits enormously from a top-notch all-star cast, none more so than Oscar Isaac as Nick Wasicoski (for which he won a Golden Globe), but he gets strong support from many others. Check out Jim Belushi (as the long-serving Mayor of Yonkers), Catherine Keener (as the life-long resident who opposes the desegregation), Winona Ryder (as the City Council President who favors the desegregation), and last but not least the lovely Carla Quevedo (as Wasicoski's romantic interest). The series is set in the late 80s and early 90s, and hence in that sense is also a period piece at a time when many cities were still in serious urban decline.
This TV mini-series premiered on HBO in 2015 to immediate critical acclaim. In the current COVID-19 stay at home climate, I've been looking for good TV shows to catch up on, and I recently binge-watched this at HBO On Demand. So glad I did! In fact, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters at the end of the 6 episodes. The fact that this series is based on actual events only made it that much more compelling. If you have any interest in politics or urban desegregation issues, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.