Miramax and Roadside Attractions have unveiled the first Southside with You trailer for the Sundance drama that chronicles the first date between President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Written and directed by Richard Tanne, the Before Sunrise-esque film takes place over the course of one day, during which the Obamas go out on their very first date in Chicago in 1989. The two discuss everything from politics to aspirations to their families, diving into the beginnings of our nation’s first African-American First Couple.

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Image via Sundance

The footage on hand here paints a quickly endearing image of what the couple, played by Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers, looked like when they first began seeing one another, but it's not overtly sweet. Since we all clearly know how all of this turns out, Tanne gets to mine Michelle and Barack's personalities with a bit more nuance than one might give any other sort of indie romantic-comedy; the point of the story is not whether or not they get together but what about each other makes the other one take notice.

And look, if you want me to keep my eyes on your movie, soundtracking the trailer with Janet Jackson's "Miss You Much" is an awfully easy way to grab my undivided attention. It also doesn't hurt that the film looks to have great interest in grabbing the atmosphere of a warm day in Chicago - the movie was filmed on location -  allowing the pace and attitude of the city to add its own level of charm to the totally-not-a-date date. Not that Sumpter and Sawyers will need any help in that department, if this trailer and the word out of Sundance hold any bearing.

Check out the Southside with You trailer below, click here to read Adam’s review of the film from Sundance, and click here for Steve's interview with the movie's stars. Southside with You opens in theaters on August 26th.


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Image via Roadside Attractions
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Image via Roadside Attractions

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Image via Roadside Attractions
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Image via Roadside Attractions