MOVING PICTURES
Moving Pictures MURDER, MERCY, AND THE MURKY MAZE OF THE CYNTOIA BROWN CASE IN NEW NETFLIX DOC BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC On the night of Aug. 6, 2004, Cyntoia Brown shot and killed Johnny Allen in his bed at his South Nashville home. Allen had picked Brown up outside of an East Nashville Sonic restaurant. Brown was a homeless 16-year-old runaway at the time the 43-year-old Allen allegedly propositioned her for sex. Brown had been staying in a hotel with her boyfriend/pimp who had threatened her into prostitution. After Brown suggested going to a hotel, Allen insisted on taking Brown back to his house. Brown claims that Allen made a point of displaying an intimidating gun collection, and that when she resisted his advances he reacted with anger and reached for a weapon before Brown used her own gun to kill Allen. Nobody, not even Brown, denies that she killed Allen. But the context and the circumstances that lead to the murder created years of hearings and incarceration for Brown before Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam granted her clemency in 2019. The new Net-
flix documentary Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story isn’t a deep dive into the specific circumstances of the night of Allen’s murder or the evidence and arguments that lead to Brown’s conviction. It’s worth noting that Brown said on social media that she did not authorize the documentary and did not have anything to do with its production. “While I was still incarcerated, a producer who has old footage of me made a deal with Netflix for an UNAUTHORIZED documentary, set to be released soon,” she wrote on Instagram and Twitter. “My husband and I were as surprised as everyone else when we first heard the news because we did not participate in any way.” Contemporary true crime fans used to sifting through the forensic minutiae of a crime scene or re-examining the testimony of an expert witness in a 20-year-old cold case might find the documentary to be lacking in sensational details and whodunit tension. To its credit, Murder to Mercy
is unique in contemporary true crime storytelling, and it makes up for its lack of microscopic focus with broad contextualizing and generations-deep personal history. The film demonstrates how perspectives about that night in 2004 have changed over time, and how those changes made the case a cause célèbre for stars like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian West before Brown was freed in 2019.
Moving Meals Most of us are cooking more than ever. Here are four affordable and accessible meals you can add to your recipe rotation.
Director Dan Birman’s Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story was screened at the Nashville Film Festival back in 2010, and his new film is an updated version of the earlier work that brings Brown’s story full circle. Many contemporary documentaries come complete with a mission or a point of view, but, again, Birman’s film thankfully upsets expectations by letting the violence and chaos of Brown’s past speak for itself
1. Chop the cucumber and avocado into bitesized chunks. 2. Thinly slice the green onions. 3. Add everything to a bowl and stir well. 4. Add more mayonnaise or lime juice to taste. 5. Season with salt to taste.
BY SANDRA AMSTUTZ Crock-Pot/Instant Pot Chicken Rotel Dinner This is the dinner to make when you need something incredibly easy to make that will feed the whole family. It also works well as leftovers if you’d like to make a big batch for lunches. Serves 6 to 8 adults. 2.5 lb bag of frozen chicken breasts 1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed 1 can of corn, drained 2 cans of Rotel 8 oz block of full-fat cream cheese 4 cups cooked brown rice 1. Add the frozen chicken, black beans, corn, and Rotel to your Crock-Pot or Instant Pot. 2. If using the Instant Pot, put on the lid and turn the knob to the sealing position. Turn to high on the manual pressure cooking setting and cook for 20 minutes for tenderloins or 25 minutes for breasts. Then natural release the pressure for 10 minutes before doing a manual release.
If using a Crock-Pot, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. 3. Once the cooking is done, shred the chicken in the pot with two forks. Add the cream cheese to the pot and stir. Put the lid back on the pot to let the cheese melt for about 10 minutes (if your machine has Keep Warm mode, turn it on). 4. Pour rice into the pot and give everything a thorough stir.
Cucumber Avocado Salad This is a fresh and filling lunch for a summer day. Serves one adult as a full meal or 2-3 adults as a side. 1 large English cucumber 1 large avocado 3 green onions 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons lime juice
Lemon Butter Pasta This is the perfect recipe for when you haven’t made any plans for dinner, and you’re incredibly hungry. It is also great for using up whatever meats, vegetables, and toppings you have in your pantry. It makes one huge bowl for one, but can easily be scaled up or down. 4 Tablespoons butter 4 oz angel hair pasta 2 cups hot chicken stock Juice of one lemon Lots of freshly ground pepper to taste Optional: Shredded parmesan cheese, Grilled chicken, Chopped tomatoes, Basil 1. Melt the butter in a medium pot. Add the pasta to the pot (break it in half if needed to fit) and toss in the butter until it is well coated. 2. Pour in hot chick stock, lemon juice, and lots of ground pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 min (or until all the liquid is absorbed). 3. Add in cheese and toppings. Stir well.
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even as he presents the passionate persistence of Brown’s defenders, and the heartbreaking story of generational abuse, addiction and mental illness that contributed to Brown being trafficked for sex when she was barely old enough to drive a car. The biggest break in Brown’s case came in 2017 when a change in Tennessee laws made it impossible for a minor to be considered a prostitute, thankfully reconsidering girls like 16-year-old Cytntoia to be victims of sex trafficking. When a local Fox 17 piece on the change in the law connected it to Brown’s case the clip went viral and a #FreeCyntoia campaign erupted across social media platforms. While ongoing court cases connected to Jeffrey Epstein continue to remind us that global child sex trafficking is systematic and widespread even at the highest levels of wealth and power, Murder to Mercy gives us an intimate look at a particular case that shows us how young people may be victimized right here on the streets of Nashville. The documentary is of particular interest for The Contributor’s readers who are already well-informed regarding the day-to-day vulnerability of kids living on the kids living on our streets. Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story premiered on Netflix on April 29
Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.
Chipotle Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos Taco night is always a fun night. Here’s a recipe for meatless tacos that will still leave you satisfied. Serves 2 adults but can easily be scaled up for a larger group or lots of leftovers. 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ medium red onion, diced 1 medium sweet potato, cut into ¼” cubes ½ cup of canned black beans, drained and rinsed 1 chipotle in adobo sauce & 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (used from the same can) 1 tablespoon honey Juice from 1 lime Corn tortillas Optional toppings: Cilantro, Avocado, Tomato, Cotija cheese 1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add diced onions and cook until they begin to soften (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the chopped sweet potato to the skillet and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. 2. Finely chop the chipotle and mix it with the adobo sauce, honey, and lime juice in a small bowl. 3. Pour the chipotle mixture into the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the black beans to the skillet and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes have softened. 4. While the sweet potato filling is cooking, chop up any additional taco toppings you enjoy. Serve in a warm corn tortilla.
