In the wake of the coronavirus, the movie Contagion shot into the top ten most rented movies on iTunes. Likewise, both Pandemic and Outbreak are trending in the top ten films on Netflix. When describing why people are drawn to these movies in such a cultural moment, Tracey McNamara, a pathology professor and a scientific consultant on Contagion, explains that people are trying to understand their “worst-case scenario.” But experts agree that dwelling on Hollywood horror is not a healthy way to consume information right now. 

Instead, if you are looking for something to watch while stuck at home, we suggest you turn to an uplifting, true story. The new movie, Miss Virginia, will give you hope and empower you to make change in your own community.

Miss Virginia is the story of a single mother, Virginia Walden, and her son, living in a low-income community in Washington D.C. Virginia is losing her 15-year-old son to street culture, but she is unwilling to see him drop out and deal drugs. So, she places him in a private school. But it is only a short time until she can't make tuition payments. Desperate to save her son from the pressures and violence of his public school, Virginia launches a movement to change the system that is destroying him and thousands of others.

If the story alone is not compelling enough for you, the talented cast is likely to motivate you to check out the movie. Miss Virginia stars Emmy winner, Uzo Aduba, from Orange Is the New Black and the beloved Niles Finch from This is Us. Their performances are only enhanced by other well-known actors such as Matthew Modine, Vanessa Williams, and Amirah Vann. Describing the film, a Rotten Tomatoes critic stated, “This five-star film takes an alternate route by addressing an ongoing issue that proves if disadvantaged children did not grow up in the wrong zip code, their lives would not be predetermined by the circumstances of their environment.” And this is clearly the message that the cast was committed to expressing to audiences everywhere.

In describing her reading of the script for the first time in 2017, Uzo Aduba was shocked she had never heard this mother’s story before. Adubda also had interesting insight for Forbes Magazine on studying prison culture vs. street culture and the characters she was playing, 

Being so close to Orange, and seeing how lack of education, and lack of support, having a front-row seat to seeing who winds up in our prison system, was a touchpoint in developing Virginia Ford’s story. On the one hand, I’m living in the system through one character, and on the other, I’m trying to keep another person out of it.

Aduba was also asked about activism and how it affects her work and the roles she picks,

I love when my own beliefs and platforms align with the work, but I think that what I really aim for, more than anything, is to create the space for a person to be heard and seen, for their truth to be understood without judgment. And I really just want to find, if possible, a unique and interesting way of presenting their voice to the world.

Parade Magazine asked Aduba how she identified with Miss Virginia, and her answers resonate with parents everywhere: 

I was familiar with that want for every opportunity to be provided to your child. I knew what that looked like. I knew what that felt like to work and work again and again to make sure that your kids were getting the very best of this American experience.

So, if you’re looking for something to do during social distancing, say yes to Uzo Aduba’s invitation to meet an incredible woman and hear her story - a story that represents the many families struggling in our country today. Miss Virginia is now streaming on Netflix, Amazon, and many other streaming services. Check it out and then comment below! Let us know what you think of the film.