MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — From Otis Redding to the Allman Brothers, we love to celebrate Central Georgians who've made their mark on the map.
That includes Flannery O'Connor, the American novelist well-known for her gothic stories.
Ethan Hawke's biographical drama film "Wildcat (2023)" is about O'Connor's life and how her lupus disease affected her work.
Jordan Cofer's been studying the author since college, when he "fell in love with her" during undergraduate. Now he's a professor at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville.
O'Connor's legacy as a well-known southern writer lives in Milledgeville where she grew up.
"I think it's going to be exciting for people to see Milledgeville on the screen," Cofer said. "See the profile of Milledgeville raised by this movie."
Since "Wildcat (2023)" was released last year, Cofer's seen it twice; the first time was at the Rome Film Festival in November and the second was at the Tara in Atlanta last Friday.
"Both times Ethan Hawke was there, second time Ethan and Maya were there," Cofer said.
O'Connor's well known among her peers and literary scholars like Cofer.
"Having Ethan Hawke direct a biopic is certainly going to elevate her work," Cofer said. "Even though not every detail's right, I really enjoyed it. I loved what he was trying to do. It's a very different kind of biography, but I think that's appropriate because Flannery O'Connor's a different kind of writer, and that's part of the point of the movie."
"Wildcat (2023)" is showing at the AMC Classic Theater in Milledgeville starting Thursday, May 16. You can find showtimes here.
O'Connor was a 1945 graduate of the school that is now Georgia College, which has turned her childhood home into a museum.
If you're interested in a tour, you can visit the Andalusia Interpretive Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays.