American Violet

American Violet is a drama set in a small Texas town, where Dee Roberts, a young single mother of four, is arrested in a drug raid and charged with a crime she did not commit. Faced with a plea bargain that would release her from jail but leave her branded a felon for life, she goes against her mother's wishes and refuses the deal. As reports emerge of similar arrests in poor communities around the country, Dee decides to challenge the powerful district attorney Calvin Beckett. She turns for help to David Cohen, an ACLU attorney, and Sam Conroy, a former narcotics officer, while the custody of her children hangs over her.

The film was directed by Tim Disney, his second feature after Tempesta, from a screenplay by Bill Haney, who also produced through Uncommon Productions. Nicole Beharie plays Dee, with Tim Blake Nelson, Will Patton, Michael O'Keefe, Malcolm Barrett and Xzibit among a credited cast of thirty-six. It runs 103 minutes.

Released in 2008, the film holds a rating of 6.9 from around 2,900 votes on IMDb and 6.7 from a small number of votes on TMDB, indicating a modest but generally favorable response from those who have seen it.