Thursday, June 16, 2011

A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

Notes: 6/16/11
Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands – all excellent.
Daniel Petrie directs while Lorraine Hansberry adapted her own play.
Louis Gossett Jr. and his 'faggotty white shoes'.
John Fiedler says 'you people' a lot.
Great set design. Subtle music.
Claudia McNeil does great work as the family matriarch.
Great glimpse of African American life.

Review: B
Sidney Poitier stars as Walter Lee Younger in this film adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's play about a black family getting by in their tiny Chicago apartment. The ensemble cast is quite talented with Poitier portraying the right levels of maturity and immaturity in Walter. Claudia McNeil is the standout as Walter's mother, while Ruby Dee and Diana Sands as Poitier's wife and sister, respectively, each deliver sparks. No signs of static or stagy elements keep the play's impact intact.

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