Show Me a Hero

Developed by David Simon (creator of The Wire) from the titular 1999 nonfiction book by Lisa Belkin, this six-part 2015 HBO miniseries directed by Paul Haggis stars the talented Oscar Isaac as Nick Wasicsko, a city councilman who became the mayor of Yonkers in 1988 with an anti-public housing campaign at a time when resentment to court-ordered low-income housing was so fierce it bordered on hysteria. A true story about public housing policy and city politics may not sound like the makings of compelling drama but Show Me a Hero showcases what Simon does best: exploring real-life events and issues through a dramatic lens that puts politics, economics, and social justice in personal terms. Wasicsko is at the center of the story but is only one character in an expansive canvas that encompasses not just the politicians but also the white homeowners resisting change (including Catherine Keener, whose bedrock civility is carried away by mob passions), and folks struggling to make a life for themselves in the crime-ridden projects—from a healthcare worker (LaTanya Richardson Jackson) going blind from diabetes, to a single mother (Ilfenesh Hadera) from the Dominican Republic forced to leave her children back on the island while she supports them from Yonkers. The narrative spans several years as the protests and court cases drag on and is as much about the polarization of politics as it is about the resentment and fear surrounding desegregation. Extras include a “making-of” featurette. A powerful, provocative drama, this is highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)