Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel

Literary wild child Margaret Mitchell (1900-49) is spotlighted in this biographical tribute that focuses on the author's famous Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gone with the Wind. Combining archival footage and photos, film clips (from GWTW, Birth of a Nation, and others), readings of Mitchell's writing, and dramatic re-enactments, American Rebel also features commentary from biographers, historians, and authors, who discuss Mitchell's childhood, schooling, romances, success, and tribulations. Some interesting tidbits: after toddler Mitchell's skirt caught on fire while sitting too close to flames, her suffragette mother generally dressed her in pants (leading the neighbors to nickname her “Jimmy”); once at Smith College she refused to be in class with a black student and actually transferred out; Mitchell was blackballed by her local Junior League due to a risqué public debutante dance; and after divorcing violent ne'er-do-well Red Upshaw, Mitchell married the erstwhile best man, John Marsh, who would double as editor for GWTW. Other subjects include Mitchell's reaction to fame, her philanthropic scholarships for Morehouse College, and her propensity for accidents (including her untimely death after being hit by a drunken taxi driver). DVD extras include an interview with author Pat Conroy. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Williams-Wood)