I'll keep an eye out for those films.

I don't live in the south anymore but I was born and raised there. actually, the book was hardly a presence at all for me. I lived in a rural area and most people didn't read much. I'm not sure I ever heard it discussed. the first person I met who professed an admiration for it was my wife, a Californian. I should probably remedy that at some point and give it a read.