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A Raisin in the Sun (TV movie)
Encyclopedia
A Raisin in the Sun is a 2008 television film directed by Kenny Leon
. The teleplay
by Paris Qualles
is based on the award-winning 1959 play of the same name
by Lorraine Hansberry
. The film debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
and was broadcast by ABC
on February 25, 2008. According to Nielsen Media Research
, the program was watched by 12.7 million viewers and ranked #9 in the ratings for the week ending March 2, 2008.
family living on Chicago's
South Side
. They're anticipating a life insurance check for Lena's husband's death in the amount of $10,000, and each of them has an idea as to what he or she would like to do with this money. Matriarch Lena wants to buy a house to fulfill the dream she shared with her deceased husband. Walter Lee would rather use the money to invest in a liquor store, believing the income would put an end to the family’s financial woes. His wife Ruth, wanting to provide more space and better opportunities for their son Travis, agrees with Lena. Beneatha would like to use the money to pay her medical school tuition
.
Lena spends $3,500 for down payment on a house in Clybourne Park, and after being agitated many times by Walter, gives him the remaining $6,500 and tells him to save $3,000 of it for Beneatha's medical school and take the remaining $3,500 for his own investments.
Ruth discovers she is pregnant and, fearing another child will add to the financial pressures, considers having an abortion
, a suggestion to which Walter voices no objection, but Lena is strongly against, saying "I thought we gave children life, not take it away from them". Lena puts a down payment on a house in Clybourne Park, an entirely white section of the city. When their future neighbors find out the Youngers are moving in, they send Karl Lindner from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association to offer the Youngers money in return for staying away, but they refuse the deal. Meanwhile, Walter has lost the balance of the insurance payment to his friend Willy Harris, who "took the cash to invest in the liquor store" but in reality made off with the money. It turns out that Walter did not even put the $3,000 for Beneatha's schooling in the bank.
Beneatha rejects her suitor George, believing he's blind to the problems of their race. She receives a marriage proposal from Nigeria
n Joseph Asagai, who wants her to complete her medical studies and return to Africa
with him.
Walter, depressed and angry, forms a new idea about the "takers and the tooken", an idea that repulses everyone in the Younger household. When Walter calls back Lindner to confirm the deal, he has a last-minute change of heart and seeking to restore the Youngers' pride, rejects Lindner's offer again. The Youngers eventually move out of their apartment, fulfilling their dream. The future seems uncertain and slightly dangerous, but they believe that they can succeed through optimism, determination, and remaining together as a family.
' reflection that a deferred dream dries up like a raisin in the sun.
Sean Combs
, Audra McDonald
, Phylicia Rashad
, and Sanaa Lathan
reprised the roles they played in the 2004 Broadway
revival, which also was directed by Kenny Leon. It ran at the Royale Theatre for 31 previews and 89 performances. McDonald and Rashad both won the Tony Award
and Drama Desk Award
for their performances, and Lathan was honored with the prestigious Theatre World Award
.
, Dennis Harvey said, "Strong performances and a brisk pace downplay the original script's more dated, preachy aspects . . . No one will mistake this well-produced but inevitably dialogue-driven piece for pure cinema, but Leon and adapter Paris Qualles open up the play just enough to avoid the usual stage-to-screen claustrophobia
. Mervyn Warren's score is a bit more earnest and old-fashioned than would be ideal for this essentially faithful yet refreshed take on a dramatic golden oldie."
James Greenberg of The Hollywood Reporter
said, "A Raisin in the Sun never totally transcends its origins on the stage and it's a long way from cutting edge cinema. But those who can relax into the leisurely pace and lush language will be rewarded with an earnest and moving night at the movies . . . As he did on stage, Leon gets the most out of his actors and with Hansberry's words, that's what carries the film. Rashad beautifully captures the wounded pride and hopes of the older generation, while the rapper and music entrepreneur Combs holds his own in his first major movie role. Balanced between her mother-in-law's idealism and her husband's pragmatism is Walter's wife Ruth, who may be getting the worst of both worlds. McDonald gives the role a heartbreaking dimension."
In the Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Rabinowitz observed the three-hour production "flies by with lightning speed - and that cast led by Ms. Rashad as Lena, is no small part of the reason. Ms. McDonald is heartbreaking as Ruth, desperate to understand her husband's descent into misery, and Mr. Combs, who portrays that husband, delivers a sterling performance."
Joanne Ostrow of the Denver Post said, "Overall, this Raisin is a proud, important addition to the history of stage adaptations for TV, one that could touch many more millions of people than ever saw the play, thanks both to its star power and the reach of the medium."
In Entertainment Weekly
, Ken Tucker rated the production B+ and called it "a model of subtle adaptation."
but lost to Recount
. Phylicia Rashad was nominated Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
but lost to Laura Linney
for John Adams
. Audra McDonald was nominated Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie but lost to Eileen Atkins
for Cranford.
Kenny Leon
Kenny Leon is an African-American director notable for his work on Broadway and in regional theater. His success on Broadway has made him one of its foremost African-American directors....
. The teleplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
by Paris Qualles
Paris Qualles
Paris Qualles is an American screenwriter and television producer.Qualles was born in Harlem in New York City and raised in Long Branch, New Jersey. He attended Rutgers College where he majored in English literature and minored in Photography. He then went to UCLA for graduate school...
is based on the award-winning 1959 play of the same name
A Raisin in the Sun
A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes...
by Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry was an African American playwright and author of political speeches, letters, and essays...
. The film debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
2008 Sundance Film Festival
The 2008 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 17, 2008 to January 27 in Park City, Utah. It was the 24th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival. The opening night film was In Bruges and the closing night film was CSNY Déjà Vu.-Films:...
and was broadcast by ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on February 25, 2008. According to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, the program was watched by 12.7 million viewers and ranked #9 in the ratings for the week ending March 2, 2008.
Plot synopsis
Set in 1959, the story focuses on the Youngers, an African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
family living on Chicago's
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
South Side
South Side (Chicago)
The South Side is a major part of the City of Chicago, which is located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Much of it has evolved from the city's incorporation of independent townships, such as Hyde Park Township which voted along with several other townships to be annexed in the June 29,...
. They're anticipating a life insurance check for Lena's husband's death in the amount of $10,000, and each of them has an idea as to what he or she would like to do with this money. Matriarch Lena wants to buy a house to fulfill the dream she shared with her deceased husband. Walter Lee would rather use the money to invest in a liquor store, believing the income would put an end to the family’s financial woes. His wife Ruth, wanting to provide more space and better opportunities for their son Travis, agrees with Lena. Beneatha would like to use the money to pay her medical school tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
.
Lena spends $3,500 for down payment on a house in Clybourne Park, and after being agitated many times by Walter, gives him the remaining $6,500 and tells him to save $3,000 of it for Beneatha's medical school and take the remaining $3,500 for his own investments.
Ruth discovers she is pregnant and, fearing another child will add to the financial pressures, considers having an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, a suggestion to which Walter voices no objection, but Lena is strongly against, saying "I thought we gave children life, not take it away from them". Lena puts a down payment on a house in Clybourne Park, an entirely white section of the city. When their future neighbors find out the Youngers are moving in, they send Karl Lindner from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association to offer the Youngers money in return for staying away, but they refuse the deal. Meanwhile, Walter has lost the balance of the insurance payment to his friend Willy Harris, who "took the cash to invest in the liquor store" but in reality made off with the money. It turns out that Walter did not even put the $3,000 for Beneatha's schooling in the bank.
Beneatha rejects her suitor George, believing he's blind to the problems of their race. She receives a marriage proposal from Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Joseph Asagai, who wants her to complete her medical studies and return to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
with him.
Walter, depressed and angry, forms a new idea about the "takers and the tooken", an idea that repulses everyone in the Younger household. When Walter calls back Lindner to confirm the deal, he has a last-minute change of heart and seeking to restore the Youngers' pride, rejects Lindner's offer again. The Youngers eventually move out of their apartment, fulfilling their dream. The future seems uncertain and slightly dangerous, but they believe that they can succeed through optimism, determination, and remaining together as a family.
Production notes
The title was inspired by poet Langston HughesLangston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
' reflection that a deferred dream dries up like a raisin in the sun.
Sean Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
, Audra McDonald
Audra McDonald
Audra Ann McDonald is an American actress and singer. She currently stars in the ABC television drama Private Practice as Dr. Naomi Bennett. She has appeared on the stage in both musicals and dramas, such as Ragtime and A Raisin in the Sun...
, Phylicia Rashad
Phylicia Rashad
Phylicia Rashād is an American Tony Award winning actress and singer, best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show....
, and Sanaa Lathan
Sanaa Lathan
Sanaa McCoy Lathan is an American actress and voice actress. She has starred in numerous movies, including the box-office hits Love & Basketball, Alien vs. Predator, Something New, and The Family That Preys. Lathan was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun...
reprised the roles they played in the 2004 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
revival, which also was directed by Kenny Leon. It ran at the Royale Theatre for 31 previews and 89 performances. McDonald and Rashad both won the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
and Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for their performances, and Lathan was honored with the prestigious Theatre World Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
.
Cast
- Sean CombsSean CombsSean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
as Walter Lee Younger - Sanaa LathanSanaa LathanSanaa McCoy Lathan is an American actress and voice actress. She has starred in numerous movies, including the box-office hits Love & Basketball, Alien vs. Predator, Something New, and The Family That Preys. Lathan was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun...
as Beneatha Younger - Audra McDonaldAudra McDonaldAudra Ann McDonald is an American actress and singer. She currently stars in the ABC television drama Private Practice as Dr. Naomi Bennett. She has appeared on the stage in both musicals and dramas, such as Ragtime and A Raisin in the Sun...
as Ruth Younger - Phylicia RashadPhylicia RashadPhylicia Rashād is an American Tony Award winning actress and singer, best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show....
as Lena Younger - Justin Martin as Travis Younger
- Bill NunnBill Nunn-Early life:Nunn was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of William G. Nunn, Jr., a well-known journalist and editor at the Pittsburgh Courier, as well as an NFL scout. Nunn's paternal grandfather was the first African American football player at George Westinghouse High School.Nunn was a...
as Bobo - David OyelowoDavid Oyelowo- Background :Oyelowo was born in Oxford, England of Nigerian descent. He is married to actress Jessica Oyelowo and they have three sons.Oyelowo first attended a youth theatre after being invited by a girl to whom he was attracted. He then studied Theatre Studies for A level and his teacher...
as Joseph Asagai - Ron C. Jones as Willy Harris
- Sean Patrick ThomasSean Patrick ThomasSean Patrick Thomas is a Guyanese-American actor. He is perhaps best known for his co-starring role in the 2001 film Save the Last Dance, as well as his television role as Detective Temple Page in The District and also "Barber Shop".- Early life :Thomas is the son of immigrants from Guyana and was...
as George Murchison - John StamosJohn StamosJohn Phillip Stamos is an American actor, singer and musician best known for his work in television, especially in his starring role as Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. Since the cancellation of that show in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous television films and series. From 2006...
as Karl Lindner - Sandi Ross as Earline Johnson
- Rudy Webb as Mr Johnson
- Martin RoachMartin RoachMartin Jamie Roach is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles on Aaron Stone as T. Abner Hall and in the films Cube Zero, Diary of the Dead, and The Lookout.-Filmography:* Producing Parker as Dr...
as Walter Lee Sr - Rosemary DunsmoreRosemary DunsmoreRosemary Dunsmore is a Canadian TV, film and theatre, actress, born in 1953.She has starred in some well known Canadian productions, that include, The Campbells, Anne of Green Gables, Road to Avonlea and Murdoch Mysteries.-External links:...
as Mrs. Arnold - Paul StephenPaul StephenPaul Stephen is an American voice actor. He is best known for voicing Kou Uraki in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. He also did the voice of Sion Barzahd, the main protagonist in The Bouncer.-Animation/Anime Roles:...
as Mr. Arnold
Critical reception
In his review in VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, Dennis Harvey said, "Strong performances and a brisk pace downplay the original script's more dated, preachy aspects . . . No one will mistake this well-produced but inevitably dialogue-driven piece for pure cinema, but Leon and adapter Paris Qualles open up the play just enough to avoid the usual stage-to-screen claustrophobia
Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is the fear of having no escape and being closed in small spaces or rooms...
. Mervyn Warren's score is a bit more earnest and old-fashioned than would be ideal for this essentially faithful yet refreshed take on a dramatic golden oldie."
James Greenberg of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
said, "A Raisin in the Sun never totally transcends its origins on the stage and it's a long way from cutting edge cinema. But those who can relax into the leisurely pace and lush language will be rewarded with an earnest and moving night at the movies . . . As he did on stage, Leon gets the most out of his actors and with Hansberry's words, that's what carries the film. Rashad beautifully captures the wounded pride and hopes of the older generation, while the rapper and music entrepreneur Combs holds his own in his first major movie role. Balanced between her mother-in-law's idealism and her husband's pragmatism is Walter's wife Ruth, who may be getting the worst of both worlds. McDonald gives the role a heartbreaking dimension."
In the Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Rabinowitz observed the three-hour production "flies by with lightning speed - and that cast led by Ms. Rashad as Lena, is no small part of the reason. Ms. McDonald is heartbreaking as Ruth, desperate to understand her husband's descent into misery, and Mr. Combs, who portrays that husband, delivers a sterling performance."
Joanne Ostrow of the Denver Post said, "Overall, this Raisin is a proud, important addition to the history of stage adaptations for TV, one that could touch many more millions of people than ever saw the play, thanks both to its star power and the reach of the medium."
In Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, Ken Tucker rated the production B+ and called it "a model of subtle adaptation."
Awards and nominations
The film was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Made For Television MoviePrimetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
but lost to Recount
Recount (film)
Recount is a 2008 made-for-TV film about the 2000 Presidential election in the United States. The political drama was written by Danny Strong, directed by Jay Roach, and produced by Kevin Spacey, who also stars in the film....
. Phylicia Rashad was nominated Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie
This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.From 1973 to 1978, the category was divided into two separate categories .Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, guest performances in regular television series were...
but lost to Laura Linney
Laura Linney
Laura Leggett Linney is an American actress of film, television, and theatre. Linney has won three Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has been nominated for three times for an Academy Award and once for a BAFTA Award...
for John Adams
John Adams (TV miniseries)
John Adams is a 2008 American television miniseries chronicling most of President John Adams's political life and his role in the founding of the United States. Paul Giamatti portrays John Adams. The miniseries was directed by Tom Hooper. Kirk Ellis wrote the screenplay based on the book John...
. Audra McDonald was nominated Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie but lost to Eileen Atkins
Eileen Atkins
Dame Eileen June Atkins, DBE is an English actress and occasional screenwriter.- Early life :Atkins was born in the Mothers' Hospital in Clapton, a Salvation Army women's hostel in East London...
for Cranford.