Love in the Time of War

Sophie and the Rising Sun is a 2016 American drama film directed by Maggie Greenwald and based on the novel of the same name by Augusta Trobaugh. The film stars Julianne Nicholson as Sophie, a lonely woman who lives in a small Southern town during the autumn of 1941. Her life is transformed when a mysterious Asian man named Grover (played by Takashi Yamaguchi) arrives in town looking for work.

Sophie and Grover develop a deep and passionate love affair, which is met with resistance and hostility from the townspeople, who are suspicious of Grover's race and background. As World War II begins to spread across the globe, tensions in the town escalate, and Sophie and Grover become the targets of bigotry and violence.

Sophie struggles to hold onto her love for Grover in the face of prejudice and hate, even as the war threatens to tear them apart forever. As the story unfolds, we see how the power of love can transcend even the most deeply ingrained prejudices and how it can bridge the gaps between cultures and bring people together.

The film also stars Margo Martindale, Lorraine Toussaint, and Diane Ladd in supporting roles and features beautiful cinematography that captures the Southern landscape and the turbulent emotions of the characters. Sophie and the Rising Sun is a moving and insightful film that explores the complexities of love, race, and war in a time of great upheaval in American history.