Jennifer Beals battles to reconcile `A House Divided'

She was the most modern of stars when "Flashdance" made her famous, but Jennifer Beals has a genuine respect for history.

That made her eager to tackle "A House Divided," a Showtime drama that has its first showing at 8 p.m. Sunday. Adapted by Paris Qualles ("The Tuskegee Airmen") from Dr. Kent Anderson Leslie's book "Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1949-1893," the film casts Beals as Dickson, born in mid-19th century Georgia to a slave (portrayed by "The Practice's" LisaGay Hamilton) who was raped by her wealthy owner ("Law & Order" regular Sam Waterston, also a producer of the movie).

Unaware of her full heritage for many years, Amanda eventually realized its impact after the death of her father, who left her the bulk of his fortune.

Her inheritance was challenged by her uncle (Ron White), but she fought back by hiring an attorney (Tim Daly) while resisting a fuller relationship with her mother, whom she had known only as a worker on her father's plantation.

"I had known about the book," Beals says, "and I had approached (Showtime programming chief) Jerry Offsay about doing it. He told me that Sam Waterston's company had already pitched the project to him, then I was called and asked if I would attach myself to it. That was a happy day. This is a wonderful story to be able to tell, because it's the history of America in a nutshell. It deals with race, class, gender and power, all in one shot."

The essential quality of Amanda Dickson, Beals maintains, was "absolute strength. She did not have to be coerced to defend her property. In fact, she hired four of the best lawyers in the South to defend her interests." She also had the fortitude to face prejudice head-on, and being biracial herself, Beals respects what Dickson endured. However, she adds that times have changed drastically.

"It's the year 2000," the actress says, "and by the middle of the next century, California will be predominantly Hispanic. My place in the world is very different from Amanda's, and I think people today are wiser than might be imagined. It was a leap to put myself back in that time (mentally), but it wasn't like playing an alien.

"I went to Sparta, Ga., and visited the house where Amanda grew up. I experienced what the community was like and projected how it would have been 160 years ago. I also went to the cemetery where Amanda is buried, and I realized that the day of the date she died was the same day I was supposed to leave for Toronto and start work on the movie. That was an interesting coincidence."

While doing her research, Beals was surprised by "all the misconceptions and misinformation" about Dickson.

"People knew about her because hers was a very prominent family. It was the quintessential rags-to-riches story on the part of her father. He became one of the wealthiest plantation owners in the state, but some people were under the impression that he neglected his white children and gave all his property to his biracial child."

Beals enjoyed the process of making "A House Divided," claiming everyone around her shared her devotion to it. "It was a wonderful shoot. Every single person on the crew had not only read the script, but knew what we were doing each day. That sounds really obvious, but it's not the norm."