By Peter Martin
A white teenager grows up in a working-class Detroit neighborhood that is infested with drugs. He himself is never involved with illegal drugs, however … until the FBI comes calling.
That’s the fascinating true story that inspired White Boy Rick, starring Matthew McConaughey (above in The Dark Tower) as the young man’s father and leader of a boisterous family. Watch the rough and tumble trailer below. Then read onward to learn all we know about the movie and its real-life inspiration.
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What is the real-life story?
In the 1980s, Richard Wershe Jr. was living in a drug-infested neighborhood in Detroit when he was recruited by the FBI as a confidential informant, according to The Daily Beast. He was 14 years old and became the youngest informant in agency history.
Young Wershe not only informed the FBI about illegal drug trafficking, he also disclosed information about obstruction of justice and corruption by police department officials and officers. He also got involved with the niece of then-Mayor Coleman Young. He was dropped as an informant and then tried to become a drug dealer. He was arrested and convicted, becoming a media sensation in the process. Wershe was sentenced to life in prison at the age of 18.
Who stars?
Richie Merritt, a newcomer from inner-city Baltimore, landed the lead role as Richard Wershe Jr. Matthew McConaughey plays his father, a blue-collar factory worker. Bruce Dern and Piper Laurie play young Wershe’s grandparents, with Bel Powley as his sister. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Rory Cochrane costar as FBI agents; Brian Tyree Henry plays a narcotics detective.
Who directed?
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Yann Demange. He is known primarily for ’71, an intense and brutal drama about a young British soldier (Jack O’Connell ) who was mistakenly left behind by his unit after a riot on the dangerous streets of Belfast, Ireland in 1971.
In that film, the tension rises steadily as the young soldier struggles to stay alive through a very long night. It sounds somewhat similar in tone, potentially, to White Boy Rick, a gritty drama about survival on the streets of Detroit.
When will it open in theaters?
White Boy Rick is set for release on September 14, 2018.
