Architect, The

The Architect is a harrowing and ultimately human story of two very different families. Leo Waters (LaPaglia) is an idealistic architect and patriarch of an affluent suburban Chicago family. Tonya Neeley (Davis) is a pragmatic activist who is trying to keep her family together while living in one of the city’s most drug and crime-infested public housing projects. As part of her ongoing campaign to have the projects torn down and decent housing built in its place, Tonya decides that the one signature she needs more than any other on her petition is that of the projects’ original architect, Leo Waters.

Leo’s initial response to Tonya is resistance; he’s reluctant to destroy what he created. As the story progresses, both Leo and Tonya are confronted with questions about their own beliefs, not only regarding the housing projects but their personal lives. Based on a play by David Greig, The Architect tackles not only the questions of class and race but also family and its diversities.