A Raisin In The Sun Movie Review Essay
A Raisin in the Sun, an award winning film based on a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, is considered to be one of the greatest American films ever made. A film about the Younger family and their struggle within Chicagoâs South Side society. Their mother had recently died leaving them with $10,000 life insurance(which they cannot touch for three years after the passing of their mother) A Raisin in the Sun follows Walter Lee Younger who is an ambitious black man with dreams of becoming a successful business owner.
A Raisin in the Sun takes place during the 1950âs shortly after America had changed its laws to make segregation illegal. A Raisin in the Sun uses this new legislation to deal with many themes such as stereotypes, racism and poverty. A Raisin in the Sun is a great example of what was happening during the civil rights movement and how people fought for change. A raisin in the sun follows Ruth Younger who is married to an abusive man named âWalterâ.
Youngerâs son Walter Lee shows interest in his familyâs last $10,000 that he believes they should use it to buy a liquor store rather than invest into an apartment building which would require more work and time. A fight breaks out between Walter and his mother-in-law(Mama) over whether or not Walter should be able to spend the money on himself when his wife wants to purchase their own home with it. A fight between all of the family members breaks out as everyone wants to decide what they should do with the money.
A Raisin in the Sun is a symbol of life during this time period and choices that people made during it. A raisin in the sun shows stereotypes such as those portrayed by Walterâs Aunt and his wife Ruth, who both only care about stereotypical images and appearance. A Raisin in the Sun also shows violence between Walter and his wife Ruth, to show violence within Black couples during this time. A Raisin in the Sun is a well written film that uses art as an element of change for society.
A Raisin in the Sun, a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, was made into a movie in 1961. The movie is an adaptation of the Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun which debuted on March 11 1957. This story revolves around Walter Lee Younger who dreams to have his own business while he argues with his loving wife Ruth about their move to Clybourne Park. This film has many lessons that can still be applied today despite being made several decades ago. A Raisin In The Sun was filmed based on the play by Lorraine Hansberry, it was released in theaters across America on October 13, 1961, by Columbia Pictures.
A movie version also aired at around this time as part of ABCâs Climax! series. A Raisin in the Sun has actors such as Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil. A Raisin in the Sun was also Ruby Deeâs Broadway debut. A Raisin In The Sun shows African Americans had more to worry about than just what color of skin they were; racism was not the only problem they had to deal with. A Raisin in the Sun had many themes that showed how difficult it was for African American families during the 1950s like trying to get ahead, struggling with money and keeping up family ties despite moving out of an all-black neighborhood into a white neighborhood.
A Raisin in the Sun is about Walter Lee Younger (Sidney Poitier) who wants his family to move to the suburbs. A Raisin in the Sun shows how Walter Lee Youngerâs father (played by Louis Gossett Jr. ) provides for his family of nine by working at a liquor store called âRaisin in the Sunâ or as everyone calls it, A Raisin In The Sun. A Raisin in the Sun also goes on to show how Ruth Younger (Claudia McNeil), Walterâs wife, is deeply affected by her sister-in-law Beneatha Younger (Diana Sands). A Raisin In The Sun shows how important religion was to African Americans during that time period and how it helped them get through hard times.
A Raisin In The Sun does not only talk about struggles with finances but also focuses on the family and how A Raisin In The Sun gave them the strength to make it through. A Raisin In The Sun shows how Walter struggles with his fatherâs expectations of him and the reality of what he thought he could accomplish. A Raisin In The Sun also focuses on Ruth who decides she wants to be a nurse but faces obstacles such as not having enough money for college then changes her mind about being a nurse because it is too hard.
A Raisin in the Sun has themes that can still be applied today, racism being one of these main themes that are still going strong even now, characters wanting to better themselves despite circumstances, working together as a family even when there are problems within the family, standing up for yourself despite other peopleâs opinions of you, A Raisin In The Sun showed how these problems were faced by the Younger family during the 1950s and still are being faced today. A Raisin in the Sun can be applied to many different aspects of our lives even though it was made several decades ago because A Raisin In The Sun is so relatable.
A Raisin In The Sun was released to critical acclaim; it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. It was adapted as a feature film also starring Sidney Poitier and produced/directed by Dore Schary, who had previously produced Hansberryâs successful Broadway debut.[6]
A Raisin in the Sun premiered on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 11, 1959. Directed by Lloyd Richards and produced by Robert Nemiroff, A Raisin in the Sun featured an African American cast consisting of Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, Louis Gossett Jr., John Fiedler and Diana Sands. The play was nominated for several Tony awards including best play and best actor (Sidney Poitier), and won the New York Drama Criticsâ Circle Award.[7]
A Raisin in the Sun was also acclaimed for its portrayal of African-American family life. A Raisin in the Sunâs success not only on Broadway but also in film adaptation further hinted at a shift in American society towards acceptance and appreciation of African-American culture and an embrace of race relations.Â
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A Raisin in the Sun review â still challenging its characters and audience
Crucible, Sheffield Lorraine Hansberryâs landmark play about the struggles of an African American family in a Chicago slum is as relevant today as it was half a century ago
L orraine Hansberry (1930-65) is the first black woman to have had a play produced on Broadway â in 1959. How many black women have had plays on main stages in major cities since? The power and craft of the writing make A Raisin in the Sun as moving today as it was then. Entrenched attitudes about race make the challenges its characters face still relevant (the Oscars fiasco is just one small instance).
In a slum in Chicagoâs South Side, fifth and sixth generations of an African American family dream of escape. A grandmother and her daughter-in-law want better for their children; a son/husband/father chafes against his low-paid, dead-end job; a marriage cracks under financial pressures; a daughter/sister aims to become a doctor; a child wants to play. Will their dreams, in the words of black American poet Langston Hughes (1902-67), âdry up/ like a raisin in the sun.../ Or [will they] explodeâ?
As Hansberry once said: âIn order to create the universal, you must pay very great attention to the specificâ, and this drama resonates with other lives similarly cramped by poverty (Irish writer SeĂĄn OâCaseyâs Dublin-set Juno and the Paycock was a partial influence). The main focus, though, is firmly and deliberately on black experience. This, Hansberry said, is âa Negro play before it is anything elseâ.
Four visitors to the familyâs flat site the domestic situation within wider national and economic perspectives: the young Nigerian student, interrogating notions of identity and moral purpose; the well-off, African American student, wondering what ideas have to do with education; the fellow dupe, scammed out of savings; the white representative of the housing scheme âwelcome committeeâ, sent to buy this unwelcome family out of their hoped-for new home.
Under Dawn Waltonâs direction, this strong ensemble compellingly conveys the emotional turmoil of a family under pressure, although a too-slack tempo occasionally cushions the punch of the drama. What this co-production (from Sheffieldâs Crucible, Coventryâs Belgrade and Eclipse theatre) draws out clearly is the main challenge to the characters â to change the world, starting with themselves. This is also Hansberryâs challenge to her audience. Can we do it?
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A raisin in the sun, common sense media reviewers.
Thoughtful, play-based drama examines racism.
A Lot or a Little?
What you willâand won'tâfind in this movie.
Deals with overcoming obstacles of racism in a ver
The African-American Younger family works very har
Family members don't always agree, but they do
In one scene, Walter tries to stroke his wife'
Walter says the "N" word once.
Parents need to know that this movie -- which is based on the landmark play by Lorraine Hansberry -- deals with racism in a very honest, often painful way. Mature topics and themes include abortion and poverty; one African-American character demeans himself by playing into white stereotypes of African-Americans andâŠ
Positive Messages
Deals with overcoming obstacles of racism in a very honest, often painful way. Other issues include stereotypes, poverty, and the possibility of abortion; all are dealt with in a thoughtful, realistic way.
Positive Role Models
The African-American Younger family works very hard to overcome racial prejudice -- despite obstacles like a white man (representing the family's new neighborhood) who offers to buy the family's house to keep them from moving in.
Violence & Scariness
Family members don't always agree, but they don't get violent.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Sex, Romance & Nudity
In one scene, Walter tries to stroke his wife's breast during an intimate moment.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this movie -- which is based on the landmark play by Lorraine Hansberry -- deals with racism in a very honest, often painful way. Mature topics and themes include abortion and poverty; one African-American character demeans himself by playing into white stereotypes of African-Americans and uses the "N" word, but it's understandable within the context of the story. The central family members don't always agree, but in the end they're all working for a better life. Aside from the complex subject matter, the movie has very little iffy content, making it an excellent choice for watching with older tweens and teens. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .
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Based on 2 parent reviews
Excellent story and film, but this review was missing some things.
What's the story.
A RAISIN IN THE SUN began its life as play by Lorraine Hansberry, written right as the Civil Rights Movement was beginning, about an African-American family living in poverty in Chicago and dreaming of more. The action revolves around a $10,000 life insurance check that Lena Younger ( Phylicia Rashad ) receives after her husband's death. Lena's son, Walter ( Sean Combs ), wants to use it to open a liquor store, to earn more money for the family. Lena's daughter, Beneatha ( Sanaa Lathan ), wants to go to medical school. Caught in between is Walter's wife, Ruth ( Audra McDonald ), who's pregnant and not sure she can raise a second child in a home that's already tiny and crowded. Lena chooses to use the money to buy a house in a white neighborhood, with the rest going to finance Walter's dream. Even though she asks him to set aside money for Beneatha's education, Walter sinks everything into his store -- only to have it stolen by one of his partners.
Is It Any Good?
This made-for-TV film was adapted from the play's award-winning 2004 Broadway revival and features most of the same cast in the principal roles -- and the performances are amazing. There's a reason McDonald won the Tony for her role, and the rest of the principal cast members don't miss a step, either. Combs is the weak link, but even he can hold his own. This is a great example of what can happen when really good actors take on truly great writing (even though this is an adaptation, much of the original play's script is in the movie).
The film is beautifully shot and deeply moving. While the subject matter is often uncomfortable and sometimes outright painful, the story remains relevant and rich. As a starting point for talking about the hurt of racism, it's invaluable. But part of what makes it so is that it's such a good piece of work, something that will stand the test of time even when we (hopefully) reach the halcyon days when racism is truly a thing of the past.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how media can be used positively to counteract negative stereotypes. What stereotypes were present in this film? How did the characters fulfill or dispel them? What message did the movie send about stereotypes in the end?
What did you learn as a result of watching this movie?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 22, 2008
- On DVD or streaming : May 5, 2008
- Cast : Audra McDonald , Phylicia Rashad , Sean P. Diddy Combs
- Director : Kenny Leon
- Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors
- Studio : Sony Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 131 minutes
- MPAA rating : NR
- Last updated : March 29, 2024
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New York Theater
by Jonathan Mandell
A Raisin in the Sun Review: Lorraine Hansberry’s classic with some added scenes and characters
Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Joe Morton and Sean Combs have all portrayed Walter Lee Younger on Broadway. Given how admired these performers are,  it may come as a shock that the character himself is hard to see as admirable when Francois Battiste portrays him in the production of Lorraine Hansberryâs âA Raisin in the Sunâ that opened tonight at the Public Theater, directed by Robert OâHara. Â
This Walter is evidently a drunk. Empty beer bottles litter every counter top in the Younger household when the play begins, and Walter seems to take a swig morning, noon and night; occasionally he stumbles around, slurring his words. None of this is in the script; his wife Ruth does complain about his smoking in the script, but not about his drinking.
The portrayal of Walter is one of OâHaraâs many conspicuous choices in this production. Some of his changes work well, especially a couple of outright additions that provide eye-opening historical context for this story of a Black Chicago family deciding to move to an all-white neighborhood. Other OâHara touches, most also meant to deepen the story, prove to be more distracting.
But whatâs most effective about this production of âA Raisin in the Sunâ is not the obvious handiwork by the director. It is the core of capable if not always outstanding acting, led by the almost unrecognizable Tonya Pinkins giving a powerful performance as the matriarch Lena Younger. It is also a design team quietly attentive to the inner lives of the characters. Their competence allows Lorraine Hansberryâs craft to emerge, her ability to make a family drama a prophetic piece of social commentary — with issues ranging from redlining to abortion to African colonial struggles to the African-American generational shift — without losing sight of the family.
It would be hard to argue that OâHaraâs Off-Broadway production does more justice to Lorraine Hansberryâs masterpiece than the most recent Broadway revival, eight years ago, starring Denzel Washington, which was more straightforward; it won three Tony Awards, including best revival and best director (Kenny Leon.) But Hansberryâs 1959 play, the first by a Black woman ever produced on Broadway, proves sturdy enough in this version to be worth a revisit.
It might seem surprising that OâHara would take on this play at all, judging from some of his previous work as a director and a playwright. His plays â Bootycandy â and â Barbecue â both look at the African American experience in pointed and provocative ways, but do so with some outrageously broad strokes. Entertaining, clever, satiric, trickster comedies, they seem implicitly to mock the kind of earnest realism of plays like âA Raisin in the Sun.â OâHaraâs influence is palpable on Jeremy O. Harrisâs more visible âSlave Playâ â which OâHara directed.
But, at the same time, OâHara also likes to try his hand at classics. This is the third he has directed this year alone, after Richard III at Shakespeare in the Park starring Danai Gurira in the title role, and âLong Dayâs Journey Into Nightâ at Audibleâs Minetta Lane Theater, which OâHara (slickly) cut in half, and (unwisely) updated so that the characters are living during the COVID lockdown of 2020.
In contrast to the liberties he took with Eugene OâNeillâs play, some of OâHaraâs revisions of âA Raisin in the Sunâ can be counted as restorations. There is a scene involving the next-door neighbor Mrs. Johnson (Perri Gaffney) who pays a visit to the Youngers. The scene and the character were cut from the script in the original Broadway production, and left out of the two Broadway revivals. The scene is not essential, but it serves two purposes. Mrs. Johnson is catty and crude, a counterpoint to the Younger familyâs decency and race pride; at one point Mrs. Johnson (who is herself Black) uses the n-word, and then quickly apologizes, saying she knows that the Youngers donât allow that word in their home. Mrs. Johnson also brings the dayâs newspaper into the apartment, and tells them about the article âbout them colored people that was bombed out their placeâ â driving home the high stakes involved in matriarch Lena Youngerâs decision to buy a house in a white neighborhood. (Another, brief scene added to the production that puts the plot in historical context is a stunner, but would be a spoiler to describe.)
This production also injects a sense of desperation that’s stronger than in previous productions I’ve seen. This is largely achieved through Clint Ramosâ set, which reveals not just poverty but neglect: peeling wallpaper, flaking paint on the ceiling, a blackened wall near the corner of the room that serves as a kitchen, wooden flooring missing some sections, and the spot-on detail of black smudges in the areas that people touch, such as around the door knob. The landlord clearly hasnât maintain the property as required by law, including a paint job at regular intervals.
OâHara places another character on stage, the ghost of Lena Youngerâs husband, portrayed mutely by Calvin Dutton in several scenes. If this feels more stagey than some of OâHaraâs other choices, it does serve a purpose: Since the actor is young, it led me to consider that the father must have died relatively young, perhaps from overwork. It is also the directorâs way to emphasize how the father remains a presence even in death. When he died, he left his widow a life insurance payment of $10,000, which drives the story. Lena uses some of it to put a down payment on a house in Clybourne Park. She plans to give some of it to her daughter Beneatha Younger to pay for medical school. But her son Walter Lee Younger wants that money to buy a liquor store.
That a liquor store is Walter Lee Youngerâs dream makes his portrayal as a drunk an ironic choice by the director. But it is also apt to make him a drinker. It drives home how damaged he is by the societyâs racism that has held him back â a reflection of the Langston Hughes poem âHarlemâ that gives Hansberryâs play its title:
âWhat happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun?
âŠOr does it explode?â
It also helps explain his almost criminally reckless action.
Iâll hold back on spelling out exactly what that is for those people who donât know the play, but his action now has a palpable effect thatâs not in the script. Shortly afterwards, Tonya Pinkinsâ Lena acts as if she has had a stroke; her hand shakes uncontrollably; whenever she moves, she limps.
This is another conspicuous touch; it works.
I felt more ambivalent about Walterâs portrayal. His drunkenness makes his turnaround at the end, when âhe finally come to manhood today,â as Lena puts it, feel more abrupt, and perhaps not quite as credible.
But still, again thanks to Lorraine Hansberry, when Walter Lee Younger says to Karl Lindner, the white member of the Clybourne Park Neighborhood Association whoâs trying to give him cash to stay out of the neighborhood, âMe and my familyâŠwe are very plain peopleâŠwe are very proud people,â it remains one of the most moving moments in all of American theater.
Beneatha (Paige Gilbert) with her two suitors, Joseph Asagai (John Clay III) and George Murchison ( (Mister Fitzgerald)
A Raisin in the Sun At the Public Theater through November 20 Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes with one intermission. Tickets: $80 Written by Lorraine Hansberry Directed by Robert OâHara Scenic design by Clint Ramos, costume design by Karen Perry, lighting design by Alex Jainchill, sound design by Elisheba Ittoop, sound system design by Will Pickens, hair and wig design by Nikiya Mathis, video design by Brittany Bland, prop management by Claire M. Kavanah, fight and intimacy direction by Teniece Divya Johnson, and movement direction by Rickey Tripp. Cast: Francois Battiste as Walter Lee Younger, Tonya Pinkins as Lena Younger, Mandi Masden as Ruth Younger, Paige Gilbert as Beneatha Younger, Toussaint Battiste (Travis Younger), Almeria Campbell(Understudy Ruth Younger/Mrs. Johnson), John Clay III(Joseph Asagai), Vann Dukes(Understudy Moving Man), Bjorn Dupaty(Moving Man), Calvin Dutton (Bobo and ghost), Mister Fitzgerald(George Murchison), Perri Gaffney (Mrs. Johnson), Skyler Gallun(Understudy), Christopher Marquis Lindsay(Moving Man), Camden McKinnon (Travis Younger), Jesse Pennington(Karl Lindner), Nâyomi Stewart (Understudy).
Photographs by Joan Marcus
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A raisin in the sun.
While it never totally transcends its origins on the stage, those who can relax into the leisurely pace and lush language will be rewarded with an earnest and moving experience
By James Greenberg
James Greenberg
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Note: A longer version of this review was published Feb. 6 from the Sundance Film Festival, where the film screened in the Premieres section.
9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25 ABC The Bottom Line Empty
PARK CITY — ABC’s “A Raisin in the Sun” never totally transcends its origins on the stage, but those who can relax into the leisurely pace and lush language will be rewarded with an earnest and moving experience.
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It’s the story of the Younger family set on Chicago’s South Side in the early 1950s. The dream of freedom — the ultimate goal for people like family matriarch Lena Younger (Rashad) — has been replaced by the pursuit of the American dream by her son Walter (Combs). A chauffeur for a rich white family, he feels like he’s missing his big chance. His sister Beneatha (Sanaa Lathan) feels she can be whatever she wants to be, alternately including an actor, a Nigerian dancer, an artist and a doctor. Each has a different idea of how best to use the $10,000 life insurance check from the death of Walter’s father.
Director Kenny Leon, who also helmed the show on Broadway, attempts to open up the action, drawing on Paris Qualles’ screenplay, which in turn is adapted from a TV version of the original play by Hansberry herself. The staging remains a bit creaky, but none of this diminishes the spirit of the play or the cast’s commitment to the material, which almost seems palpable. It’s still a provocative, powerful piece of work.
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