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A Raisin in the Sun by Kenny Leon
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DVD Cover InformationActor: Audra McDonald, Bill Nunn, John Stamos, Phylicia Rashad, Sean Combs Director: Kenny Leon Brand: Sony Cinematographer: Ivan Strasburg Composer: Mervyn Warren Editor: Melissa Kent DVD: Region Code 99 Audio: English (Original Language); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled) Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen Picture Format: 1.78:1 Running Time: 131 minutes DVD Release Date: 2008-05-13 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Studio: Sony Pictures
Movie Reviews of A Raisin in the SunMovie Review: It Is Okay To Like This Production Summary: 5 StarsWhat happens when a film classic is revived? Sometimes it flops, but at other times it shines in a way not like the original but stands alone as a fine production. Such is what happens with Kenny Leon's revival of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun," which is a new version for a new audience while still remaining faithful to the original play. Having just seen again the original 1961 movie I was all set to not like the 2008 film. Not to worry. Mr. Leon has every reason to be proud of his work here. The three women are exceptional. Phylicia Rashad as the matriarch of the Younger family brings a youthfulness to the character of a woman still very much engaged in life and seeping with quiet strenth. Audra McDonald becomes the charcter Ruth, and Sanaa Lathan as Beneatha literally shines as the young twenty-year-old so full of ambition and hope for a better life. While Sean Combs is no Sidney Poitier and is not always completely believable as Walter, he redeems himself in the climatic scene when he delivers his "we just want to be good neighbors" speech to John Stamos, the spokesman for the white neighborhood where the Younger family will be moving to shortly.
There are nice touches added to this film not in the original version, if you have to compare the two. There are more scenes outside of the cramped, claustrophobic apartment where much of the action takes place. Additionally the voice over of Morgan Freeman reading the Langston Hughes poem "A Raisin in the Sun" is beautiful.
Incuded with the DVD is a version of the film with running commentary by Mr. Leon as well as interviews with practically everyone connected with the film. Much is made by all of them that this is a classic, that it is all about living one's dreams, the ability to love, etc., etc., etc., all of which is true. But there is an elephant in the room that these folks are too kind to mention: that at the heart of this movie is the ugly word "racism." Unfortunately too many white people in this country still do not want a black family moving into their neighborhood.
"A Raisin in the Sun" is in the same league as other American classics: "A Streetcar Named Desire, "Death of A Salesman" and "Long Day's Journey into Night." It will be produced anew for each generation, whether on stage or in film. Mr. Leon's version certainly gets an A-.
Summary of A Raisin in the Sun Pride and poverty collide in this excellent television movie of the classic play A Raisin in the Sun. When Walter Younger (Sean Combs, a.k.a. P. Diddy), his wife Ruth (Audra McDonald, Private Practice), and his sister Beneatha (Sanaa Lathan, Something New) learn that their deceased father has left their mother Lena (Phylicia Rashad, The Cosby Show) with $10,000 in life insurance, their separate ideas of how to spend it threaten to pull the family apart. Lorraine Hansberry's passionate play ranks in the same tier as Death of a Salesman and Long Day's Journey Into Night. This version is taken from an acclaimed stage production, but the actors have expertly re-pitched their performances for the intimacy of the camera and the script has been subtly but effectively opened up to allow scenes to take place at multiple locations. Lathan, McDonald, and Rashad all deliver rich, multilayered performances; the casting of rapper Combs could have been a mere stunt, but though he lacks the chops of the powerhouse women, he acquits himself decently. Excellent supporting performances from Bill Nunn (Do the Right Thing) and John Stamos round out the cast. All in all, a rewarding adaptation of a play that continues to resonate with America's ongoing struggle with race. --Bret Fetzer Based on the play that inspired a generation, A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of a family living and struggling on Chicago's South Side in the 1950s. A fiercely moving portrait of people whose hopes and dreams are constantly deferred, A Raisin in the Sun was the first play written by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway. The classic, still-relevant story now will be showcased in this totally new television movie adaptation.
Sean Combs reprises the role which brought him critical acclaim in the highly anticipated, special three-hour television movie adaptation of the award-winning Broadway revival. Joining him is the cast of the award-winning production, including Emmy and Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad, four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, Tony Award nominee Sanaa Lathan, plus ER star John Stamos.
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