Today's entry is a part of the 10th Grade English curriculum, as we're reading the Lorraine Hansberry play together in class. And the version of the movie that we have is not the 1961 film with Sidney Poitier, but rather the made-for-TV remake from two years ago starring Sean Combs, among others. This is my first experience with this particular piece, and I'm a big fan. A student of mine said that she found it boring, because it's just about a family and there's some problems. Well, you have to really pay attention to the literature and everything I'm telling you about how much denser it is. Good try.
When it comes to the film, the range of acting goes from truly pedestrian (Combs) and overwrought (Sanaa Lathan) to outstanding (the wonderful Audra McDonald- who has very few IMDb credits, but that's likely due to the fact that she's won four(!) Tonys- as well as the instantly recognizable Phylicia Rashad). The on-screen dynamic is often powerful, but at times, it lacks the true dash of Hansberry's play. Combs and Lathan, especially, try to make more out of parts that don't need it, while McDonald and Rashad just get it. In fact, the parts of the play that allow just the two of them to play off each other are easily the most successful.
Score: 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment