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| Available at Amazon.com |
Hollywood knows how to milk a critically-acclaimed piece of work for all its worth. In 1959, Lorraine Hansbury created a play called A Raisin in the Sun and it soon became a classic theatrical hit. Soon afterwards in 1961, a movie was made based on the play starring Sidney Poitier. A few years back the same play was revived on Broadway and became a hit once again for a new generation. So it was only a matter of time before another movie was made based on this play. This time it was a “made-for-TV” movie on ABC starring Phylicia Rashad and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs.
A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of a poor African American family struggling to make ends meet in the South Side of Chicago. When Lena Younger (Phylicia Rashad), the family’s widowed matriarch, learns that she will be receiving a $10,000 insurance check from her husband’s estate, emotions come to a head. Lena’s son, Walter Lee (Sean Combs), wants to “invest” the money in a hair-brained business opportunity. Lena’s daughter, Beneatha (Sanaa Lathan), has hopes of being put through medical school. Walter Lee’s wife, Ruth (Audra McDonald), doesn’t feel any entitlement to the money, but she certainly feels the pangs of poverty. But the youngest, Younger, Walter Lee and Ruth’s son Travis (Justin Martin), would just like to stop sleeping on the couch.
The majority of the cast in this TV movie was the same one that appeared in the Broadway revival of this play. The much talked about and debated performance is from Sean Combs. Combs is a hip-hop entrepreneur. He has inserted himself in every aspect of pop culture, but this is his first attempt at dramatic acting. He is no Sidney Poitier, but he is not as bad as you might think. He won’t be winning any awards for his acting, but he certainly doesn’t bring down the movie at all. It helps that he is surround by three strong leading actresses. Phlicia Rashad and Audra McDonald are both excellent in their roles as are Sanaa Lathan and Justin Martin. The acting is a little “over-the-top” at times, but overall it’s above average.
The story for this movie hasn’t been changed that much from the play, which is a good thing. It is a heartfelt story that has some smooth dialogue throughout. But there are negatives for this version of the classic play. First, the camerawork can be a little bit distracting in this version of the play, though. The movie is shot mainly with a hand-held camera that provide a lot of close-ups. That is fine for a play, but for a movie not so much. Secondly, the first part of the movie also move along too slowly and it’s really hard to get into the story at first.
That being said, A Raisin in the Sun is a classic play that everyone should watch. It is not for everyone, but the story and dialogue are great. As for which version of the play to watch, well this updated version is not bad. The acting performances are pretty good here. But you still can’t really get past the fact that this just feels like a play shot for television in an attempt to “cash in” more on the success of the original source material. You may want to check out original film version of A Raisin in the Sun before this version, unless you are curious of how good of an actor Puff Daddy is.
The video is given in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen color, which is enhanced for 16:9 TVs. The video is good and makes it feel like a theatrical movie rather than a “TV movie of the week”. No problems at all.
The audio included is available in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound. There are subtitles available in English and French as well. The dialogue and music come out loud and clear, so no major problems here either.
Audio Commentary –
There is a full-length commentary with the director, Kenny Leon. It’s fairly informative, but not as entertaining as it could have been if the cast would have been more involved in it.
“Dreams Worthwhile: The Journey of A Raisin in the Sun” Featurette –
This runs 23 minutes and it details the history of A Raisin in the Sun. They get into the Hansberry family history including interviews with Lorraine’s sister, as well as the history of the original Broadway and film adaptations. It’s very interesting to watch so check it out for sure.
The strong performances from the females in this cast make this version of the play worth a watch. But unless you are hardcore fans of Rashad or Combs you may not want to buy this version. The original film version of the play is overall better than this version, but if you have never seen this play or film before the modern “TV movie” version would pass as a good rental.
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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment presents A Raisin in the Sun. Directed by Kenny Leon. Starring Sean Combs, Sanaa Lathan, Audra McDonald, Phylicia Rashad, Justin Martin, Bill Nunn, Sean Patrick Thomas, and John Stamos. Written by Lorraine Hansberry (play) and Paris Qualles (teleplay). Running time: 131 minutes. Rated PG-13. Released on DVD: May 13, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
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