About the Movie - The Watsons Go To Birmingham

In the Summer of 1963, Flint, Michigan is home to the Watsons, a close knit family made up 

of Daniel and Wilona Watson, (Wood Harris and Anika Noni Rose) and their three kids, 15-

year-old juvenile delinquent Byron (Harrison Knight), nerdy 11-year-old Kenny (Bryce Clyde 

Jenkins) and eight-year-old adorable sister Joetta (Skai Jackson). When ByronΓÇÖs antics go 

over the top, his parents realize enough is enough and they decide the family needs a dose 

of Grandma Sands' (LaTanya Richardson Jackson) no nonsense approach in Birmingham, 

Alabama.

So the Watsons load up their 1948 Plymouth Brown Bomber outfitted with a true tone Ultra-

Glide turntable and head South with plenty of comedy en route. When they finally make it 

to Birmingham, they meet Grandma Sands and her friend, Mr. Robert (David Alan Grier), who 

show them around town and the Watsons discover that life is very different there than in 

Flint ΓÇô and not necessarily for the better. During that historic summer, the Watsons find 

themselves caught up in something far bigger than ByronΓÇÖs antics; something that will 

change their lives and country forever.								

												

												

												
 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2866296/								

												

												

												

												

							 	
Cast:
Anika Noni Rose              Wilona Watson
David Alan                   Grier Mr. Robert
Skai Jackson                 Joetta Watson
Wood Harris                  Daniel Watson
LaTanya Richardson Jackson   Grandma Sands
Bryce Clyde Jenkins          Kenny Watson
Harrison Knight              Byron Watson
 
	

Anika Noni Rose / Wilona Watson

Anika Noni Rose, who received her Master of Fine Arts degree from American Conservatory 

Theater, shot to prominence with her Tony® Award winning performance in the Tony Kushner-

Jeanine Tesori Broadway musical, Caroline, or Change. She landed her first major film role 

when director Bill Condon chose her to play Lorrell Robinson in ΓÇ£Dreamgirls.ΓÇ¥ Rose later 

gave voice to Disney’s first African American princess, Princess Tiana, in the Oscar®-

winning ΓÇ£The Princess and the Frog.ΓÇ¥

Rose has appeared opposite Julianna Margulies and Chris Noth in CBSΓÇÖ ΓÇ£The Good Wife.ΓÇ¥ She 

also finished filming the Nigerian-set ΓÇ£Half of a Yellow SunΓÇ¥ with Thandie Newton and 

Chiwetel Ejiofor. Other film credits include ΓÇ£For Colored Girls...ΓÇ¥, ΓÇ£Just Add WaterΓÇ¥ and 

the upcoming ΓÇ£As Cool As I Am.ΓÇ¥ She has also appeared on the small screen in the A&E 

miniseries ΓÇ£Bag of Bones,ΓÇ¥ ABCΓÇÖs ΓÇ£Private Practice,ΓÇ¥ CBSΓÇÖ ΓÇ£ElementaryΓÇ¥ and FoxΓÇÖs ΓÇ£The 

Simpsons.ΓÇ¥

Rose received an NAACP Image Award nomination for her supporting work in HBOΓÇÖs ΓÇ£The No. 1 

Ladies Detective AgencyΓÇ¥ as well as for her work in NBCΓÇÖs ΓÇ£Law & Order: Special Victims 

UnitΓÇ¥ and ABCΓÇÖs Hallmark Hall of Fame ΓÇ£Mitch AlbomΓÇÖs Have a Little Faith.ΓÇ¥

In addition to her Tony® Award, Rose’s work in theater has garnered her many nominations 

and accolades including the Theater World Award, the Clarence Derwent Award, the Los 

Angeles CriticsΓÇÖ Circle Award, an Ovation Award, an Obie Award and a Drama Desk 

nomination. She has played characters in Deborah AllenΓÇÖs Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot 

Tin Roof, Footloose, the Off-Broadway production of the Laura Nyro musical Eli's CominΓÇÖ 

and Stephen SondheimΓÇÖs revival of Company for the New York Philharmonic and PBS. In 2011, 

she and Orlando Bloom portrayed the title roles in the L.A. Phil Live production of Romeo 

& Juliet with Gustavo Dudamel conducting selections from TchaikovskyΓÇÖs three Overture 

Fantasies.