The story built around the original play's series of poems features some wild coincidences and seemingly every tragedy in the playbook, but it is grounded in nine fully realized central characters, each honest and deeply human. The story largely takes place in a single grim Harlem walk-up, where Crystal (Kimberly Elise) and her children suffer at the hands of their abusive father (Michael Ealy), Juanita (Loretta Devine) struggles with a live-in boyfriend who doesn't appreciate her, Tangie (Thandie Newton) drowns her insecurities in flings with an endless string of men and Gilda (Phylicia Rashad) watches all with a disapproving glare as the building manager. Kelly (Kerry Washington) visits Crystal in her role as a social worker, while somewhere nearby lives Tangie's religious fanatic mother (Whoopi Goldberg) and her younger, ambitious sister Nyla (Tessa Thompson), who takes dance lessons from sweet and optimistic Yasmine (Anika Noni Rose). On the outside of nearly all these stories is Jo (Janet Jackson), Crystal's boss and a high-end magazine editor cribbed almost directly from The Devil Wears Prada 's Miranda Priestly, right down to the husband who won't do right by her.
this movie comes out TODAY!!!
Friday, November 5th.
