Tina Mabry (Mississippi Damned) directs this story based on Edward Kelsey Moore’s 2013 bestselling novel about a trio of friends—Odette (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Kyanna Simone as young Odette), Barbara Jean (Sanaa Lathan and Tati Gabrielle as young Barbara Jean), and Clarice (Uzo Aduba and Abigail Achiri as young Clarice)—known as The Supremes, who over the decades have weathered the trials and tribulations of life but now find their friendship tested as they face new challenges. (124 min.)
Glen: I never read this book, but I have a feeling it was able to go a lot deeper into the dynamics of these three women’s complicated relationships and lives. The story seems like it skips along the surface. Yet, this is the kind of feel-good film you can’t help but like. It’s a warmhearted exploration of the depths of lifelong friendship. These women are flawed, and separately they’re vulnerable, but together they’re one another’s support system through all the ups and downs of life. They help each other through bad romantic relationships, personal loss, and dealing with racism, illness, and more. Their strength is their bond, and as their challenges mount, that bond is threatened, but for me the tension wasn’t quite there because the end was never in doubt. Still, I enjoyed watching it.
Anna: It borders on feeling a bit like treacle sometimes, but the women’s long-standing friendship is endearing. They’ve all had to make sacrifices over the years and have suffered from both loss and looming feelings of what if things were different. Clarice is a talented piano player whose decision to marry Richmond (Russell Hornsby) changed her possible life path and her chance at a musical career. Barbara Jean has lost her husband, and we learn through the film it isn’t the first time that her world has been upended by loss. Odette is the tough one who too often tries to shoulder an unbearable load. I do like films that offer sweeping glimpses of lifetimes, and having six actresses carry three characters’ stories is an interesting dynamic. It’s a bit of feelgood, a bit of feel-sad, and overall, a sweet look at what friendship over a lifetime can be.
Glen: Jumping back and forth through time made the plot a lot more interesting than if it had followed direct chronology. I enjoyed both sets of actresses, and casting did a commendable job of finding younger and older actresses that looked close enough alike to keep track of who was who. The bottom line is this is a straightforward melodrama with some laughs and some effective emotional moments. I liked these characters and had empathy galore for their troubles, and though they had moments of doubt in their friendship and got fed up with each other, in the final tally, the film was a portrait of a deeply enduring and mostly unconditional friendship. We’d all be lucky to have a lifelong friend set like The Supremes—their moniker awarded by Big Earl (Tony Winters), whose classic old-school diner was their gathering spot. It’s a pretty sweet story.
Anna: The film hits on the difficulties of life for the Black teenagers back in the ’50s. There’s racial turmoil and the small town the girls live in isn’t always the most welcoming. But Earl’s is a place of safety and a home base where the Supremes can work out all of life’s woes over the years. The casting director was smart to pull these talents together; the actresses really felt like old friends who have been through it together. It definitely dips into some corny territory here and there, but if you don’t mind the sweet aftertaste, you’ll likely find it to be a delightful, funny film with heart through and through.
New Times Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at [email protected].
