A Raisin in the Sun

This move deeply touched me It's hard gritty and feels very real

Worth a watch if only for Sidney Poitier's hyperkinetic performance. It makes me appreciate the play a bit more, but I wouldn't consider it a brilliant film.

The weak link in the cast is Claudia McNeil as the mother. My larger problem, however, is that this is one of those movies clearly adapted from the stage. While I do not demand "realistic" performances in every film, I do have a strong distaste for "stagey" performances. And while a lot of the dialogue is excellent, some of it is a bit overwritten, and not in a good way. Still, it's a compelling story with strong characters and thoughtful messages... and of course, the wonderful Ruby Dee.

As the old Motown song goes, "Ain't nothin' like the real thing!" There are now TWO movie adaptations of Hansberry's play...this version, and some bullshit with P-Diddy and Claire Huxtable. This version betters the made-for-tv version by FAR.

Damn. This is some intense stuff, just magnificently executed. Yeah, it comes across as a play on screen but that doesn't hurt it one bit with the excellent dialogue and fantastic performances and a magnificent exploration of dreams both personal and social. It takes real skill to take something so broad and condense it into a film like this without losing the depth and nuance of the subject.

I watched this is in a film class. It was pretty intense, but overall a pretty good movie.

'So now it's life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life - now it's money. I guess the world really do change...'

A-

Certainly feels like it wants to be important, and admittedly it touches on a myriad of still relevant societal topics in ways that fit snugly with the characters and story. Poitier goes a little hard, as do the general theatrics despite the odd cinematographic touch, but it is important. It lands the mark. And it should probably be a staple of high school social studies classes.

The play is much better.

Poitier is pretty amped up in this one (and sometimes he's juiced up). Perhaps inevitably comes across as a filmed play.

I watched this back in high school when we were reading the play. Poitier really is a charismatic actor, commanding your attention when he's on stage. Fantastic adaptation.

It is just a filmed play, and makes no attempt to hide that, but it's not like Sydney Poitier could be everywhere at once. It is laden with speeches, possibly because it very much wants to be important, but the cast makes it work.

Seems a little over the top at times, but a good portrayal of racial and economic struggles in the mid-20th century.

Tense family drama that still resonates today. Poitier channels his stage adaptation here, which sometimes seems too much, but fits within his character's need to get out of his cramped conditions. There are also times when it feels a little slowed down with monologues; on reflection, I think that also adds to the claustrophobia ("In my mother's house..."). Disappointing that there weren't any Academy Award nominations here.

Eat yo eggs!

Very good.

Unfortunately, All the characters are caricatures. The husband is the discontent worker who feels everyone is out to get him, the wife is the fretter who just doesn't get it, the mother is the old school religioso who is incapable of seeing modern realities, the sister is the head-in-the-clouds academic. All the characters are written to be myopic, unable to empathize outside their viewpoint, and that makes makes this a frustrating movie to watch.

I guess the old me would complain about how this film fails to separate itself from its theatrical origins. It sort of fits perfectly because the physical restrictions of the apartment reflect the societal restrictions of the family. That might sound corny, but it works. Poitier hams it up sometimes, but he's perfect at other points. Maybe this isn't all that far from Faces or one of Leigh's TV productions.