PASSING GLORY

PASSING GLORY - 1999 (TV)

RATED - Not rated but probably PG for language and thematic elements.

RATINGS - 4 Amazon (5/5), 1,489 Netflix (3.4/5), 143 IMDB (6.6/10).

STARRING - Andre Braugher, Rip Torn, Ruby Dee, Sean Squire

AWARDS - Nominated for the HUMANITAS PRIZE in 1999.

THEMES - Relationships, justice, racial discrimination, reconciliation.

STORY - This made for TV movie is based on a true story. It's 1965 in New Orleans and St. Augustine's Catholic High School (boys) does an admirable job of educating young men from the black community and preparing them for life ..... in the black community. They know their place and their limitations. They were turned down by a vote of 185-11 to be a member of the Louisiana State High School Athletic Association so they must continue to compete against other black schools. They have never played a white school in their history. They can only wonder how their championship teams would compete against the white champions. This is all about to change when Father Verrett, a black priest from Baltimore is transferred to St. Augustine. He grew up in New Orleans but has tasted freedom in the North. He doesn't have the patience to be passive while the white community decides the fate of the black community. Father Verrett turns the school, students and parents into an activist community that is willing to take on the system, albeit pretty reluctantly, having already experienced the retaliation of some whites. The film builds to a climax of the first ever racially mixed high school basketball game in New Orleans. Another terrific film about the struggle of black Americans for the equal rights guaranteed to all citizens but at that time only available if you had the correct skin color. The acting is excellent and the screenplay was written by an actual member of the 1965 team, veteran actor Harold Sylvester. Magic Johnson was an executive producer. An overlooked TNT gem. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 03/22/2009.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB

THE COLOR OF FREEDOM

THE COLOR OF FREEDOM - 2007

RATED - R for language. Several brief outbursts of obscenities including some sexual references. Some violence, although not graphic.

RATINGS - 3 Amazon (3.5/5), 30,967 Netflix (3.8/5), 2,413 IMDB (7.1/10).

AWARDS - 2007 Peace Film Award

STARRING - Joseph Fiennes as James Gregory and Dennis Haysbert as Nelson Mandela.

THEMES - Justice, forgiveness, racial reconciliation.

STORY - Based on the true story of James Gregory's life as a prison guard in the South African prison system. Because he speaks the language of Mandela, he is assigned to Robben Island where Mandela has been a political prisoner for 10 years already in 1968. Gregory's assignment is to monitor Mandela's mail and visitors and report any important information to his superiors. Initially, a racist in his views like other South Africans, Gregory slowly begins to see the human side of Mandela, especially when Mandela's son is killed in a car accident (murder), which may have been set up because of information Gregory provided his superiors. It's a fascinating story and a very well done movie. The acting and the script are top notch. It reminds me of the words of U.S. Olympic Champion Jesse Owens: "Let's go for a walk. If we walk long enough and talk long enough, we may begin to understand each other." That's what Gregory and Mandela did for almost 20 years. Forgiveness and reconciliation are possible. This story proves it. As relevant today as it was twenty years ago. Enjoy. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 02/28/2009.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB

BLACK MAGIC

BLACK MAGIC - 2008

RATED - NR but probably G.

RATINGS - 3 Amazon (5/5), 251 Netflix (2.4/5).

STARRING - Earl 'The Pearl' Monroe, Dan Klores (Director), many players and coaches as themselves.

THEMES - Relationships, racial prejudice, justice.

STORY - The first thing viewers have to understand is that this is NOT simply an ESPN basketball highlight film. It is that, too, but much, much more. It is a serious, historical documentary about race and sports, particularly basketball, in our nation as seen through the eyes of those athletes who attended Historical Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU). HBCU's were formed after the civil war to give African-American young people the opportunity for a college education that they were denied at the public & private segregated schools. Examples would be Howard, Grambling, Tennessee A & I, Southern University, etc. There were about a hundred schools. For many decades they produced outstanding students and athletes whose careers were limited by the racial situation in our country after they graduated. This film concentrates on those basketball players who played at one of the HBCU schools. Many you have never heard of and some went to become stars such as Earl Monroe, Bob Love, Avery Johnson, etc. The film moves back and forth between three main tracks: 1) letting the athletes tell their stories about growing up black and trying to succeed in a white world, 2) the civil rights movement that was happening parallel to their careers (including clips from various high and low points in that movement), and 3) their successes on the basketball court as players and coaches (lots of highlights-some of the footage is older and not of high quality but is all that is available). Hearing their stories always makes one wonder 'what if' our world had been different then....? These were some of America's greatest athletes hidden behind the curtain of racial prejudice from ever getting the recognition they deserved. It's a lot like the Negro Baseball League. Ironically, when integration finally happened it became the downfall of the HBCU's as white schools swooped in and recruited many of the best athletes. If you've watched any of Ken Burns's documentaries, this has the feel of one of those. The music is excellent and appropriate. If you really want to understand where much of black American has been, this is an important addition to that conversation and if you like basketball, that's icing on the cake. Enjoy. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 11/8/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, NBA, TRAILER

SOUL OF THE GAME

SOUL OF THE GAME - 1996

RATED - PG-13 for language and brief sensuality. Take the rating seriously for younger children.

RATINGS - 15 Amazon (4.5/5), 17,525 Netflix (3.6/5), 363 IMDB (7.4/10).

THEMES - Racial prejudice, courage, reconciliation.

STORY - This HBO movie is almost a docudrama. While the facts aren't necessarily historically accurate, the people involved are historical and the overall story happened. It's 1945 and it's time for baseball to integrate. There are two 'separate but unequal' professional baseball leagues. There is the Negro League and the Major League. Everyone knows integration has to happen and it will be sooner rather than later. But Judge Landis, the Major League Commissioner keeps trying to stop it. Some of the greatest players in America are being kept out of Major League baseball because of the color of their skin. Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is anxious to bring Negroes into the league, not only because he knows they belong there, but he knows what they can do for his team. Under the pretext of wanting to start another team in Brooklyn for the Negro League, he begins to seriously 'scout' the Negro League for talent. He's really looking for the right one to break the color barrier. He knows it will take a very special player, not only talented, but someone who has the courage NOT to fight back. The film centers around three of the top, if not the top, candidates to be that pioneer: Satchell Paige, the legendary and colorful pitcher, Josh Gibson, a catcher and one of the greatest hitters ever to play the game (white or black) and Jackie Robinson, the college graduate and football star as well as tank commander in the Army who is new to the Negro League. We all know, of course, that Jackie Robinson became the first Negro Major League player and what an amazing career he had and how he opened the doors for scores of great black players to follow. In this film, we see the competition between these three legendary players as they begin to understand what might be happening when a certain white scout keeps showing up at the games. We see the genius of Branch Rickey as he goes through the decision making process, knowing that the first player must be the right one or it will set the cause back for decades perhaps. A terrific movie with a good historical basis as well as some creative imagination about the relationships between these three great players. Language might be a little rough for younger children but older teens and up will definitely enjoy this outstanding made for TV movie. CHECK OUT THE LINK BELOW TO THE 2008 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 'RIGHTING A WRONG' NEGRO LEAGUE DRAFT. My claim to fame is being the freshman coach when Dave Winfield was a freshman at the U of M. Fotunately, for him, he had the good sense not to listen to my advice. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 06/07/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, 2008 MLB NEGRO LEAGUE DRAFT

BROKEN ARROW

BROKEN ARROW - 1950

RATED - NR but probably PG for violence & thematic elements.

RATINGS - 28 Amazon (5/5), 12,788 Netflix (3.8/5), 1,355 IMDB (7.3/10).

AWARDS - 3 Academy Award nominations including Best Supporting Actor (Jeff Chandler as Cochise), a Golden Globe award and several other nominations.

THEMES - Racial reconciliation, courage, relationships, justice, prejudice.

STORY - This is the story of Tom Jeffords (Jimmy Stewart), as told by him, and how he was recruited to 'remove' the Apache tribe that was ambushing the mail carriers in the Arizona area. Jeffords changes his mind after a 'Good Samaritan' experience. Riding through the desert he spots the buzzards circling and looks for their prey. It's a severely wounded young Apache Brave who has been shot 8 times (in the back no less) by American soldiers. Jeffords stops and saves his life and when the tribe finds them both and lets him go after realizing what he did, he comes to believe there is the possibility of negotiating a peace treaty instead of 'removing' them. He spent a month learning the language and customs of the Apaches from a real Apache. He then went alone into Apache territory to try to meet Cochise (something no white man had ever done). What happens is a powerful story of reconciliation and trust between Cochise and Jeffords. Both men must convince those around them that the other can really be trusted, a very difficult challenge. This builds to a tragic, but ultimately hopeful climax. A powerful film in its own right but also a story for everyone who feels we have to 'remove' our enemies. Is it not better to try to understand them first? Would this plan not be a better first step in dealing with our enemies rather than the last? How about in our families, in our communities? Could we not all do better pursuing understanding rather than removing? A powerful film. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 04/28/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB

HEAT WAVE

HEAT WAVE - 1990

RATED - NR but probably PG for language & violence. Rated PG in Canada.

RATINGS - 6 Amazon (5/5), 913 Netflix (3.2/5), 70 IMDB (7.0/10).

STARRING - Cicely Tyson, Blair Underwood, Sally Kirkland, James Earl Jones

AWARDS - EMMY for Best Supporting Actor (Jones) plus five other wins & one nomination.

THEMES - Racial discriminiation, injustice, relationships, family.

STORY - The film, based on a true story, begins with a scene from the Watts riot with two cousins (Bob Richardson & J.T. Turpin) arguing over whether to throw a molotov cocktail. It then flashes back to show how they and their family arrived at that point. How did a routine traffic stop flare into one of the worst riots in our history? How did the flames of racial prejudice get so hot? Richardson (Underwood) moved, along with cousin J.T. Turpin and their family, from Alabama to LA. It was supposed to be the land of opportunity but for the Turpins it becomes another racial ghetto and they end up in dead end jobs and alcohol. Richardson goes on to college and a tour of duty in the military. He returns and gets an entry level job as a messenger with the LA Times. He has finally entered into the lowest level of a white dominated profession and has ambitions of advancing. When the riots continue, the white reporters don't dare return to the scene and Richardson volunteers. A very realistic and sobering look at the racial situation in our country during that time (today?). There are several hopeful relationships such as the one Richardson formed with a young white police officer and with Junius Johnson (Jones), both of whom tried in their own way for reconciliation among blacks and whites. Those were voices ignored by both sides for the most part. An overlooked and underrated film. Still relevant and important today. Very well done. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 04/26/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB

A PATCH OF BLUE

A PATCH OF BLUE - 1965

RATED - NR but probably PG for minor violence & language.

RATINGS - 52 Amazon (4.5/5), 61,259 Netflix (3.9/5), 1,903 IMDB (7.9/10).

AWARDS - 1966 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Shelley Winters) plus 5 Academy nominations. 1967 BAFTA Best Actor nominee (Sidney Poitier).

THEMES - Racial reconciliation, relationships, love, justice.

STORY - Imagine, you're 18 years old, blind, uneducated and virtually a prisoner of your own home. Your father is gone, your mother is abusive, demanding and overbearing and your grandfather is a hopeless alcoholic. Salina (Elizabeth Hartman) is that young woman, who is confined to a dumpy, small apartment and for practical purposes, is the personal slave of her mother(Shelley Winters) and 'ol granpa'. She knows her way around the apartment without hesitation and cooks, cleans and washes their clothes. She also strings beads to earn money and has a daily quota. On a rare day, someone takes her to the park and leaves her until night when 'ol granpa' picks her up on his way home from the bar. One day, she's noticed by Gordon (Sidney Poitier) who befriends her. They eventually become friends. She remarks one day that 'friend' is her new favorite word and asks Gordon what his is. He replies 'tolerance'. While Salina is color blind (literally) Gordon is struggling with his own racial feelings. His brother, a doctor, belittles him for helping a white girl. 'Let Whitey take care of their own', he says. This is a story about friendship, racial prejudice and what it means to be truly color blind. This movie was made in the middle of one of the most racially charged decades of our history to put it into perspective. The story builds to an emotional climax when the mother discovers she's been seeing a black man. Another gem with Sidney Poitier. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 04/25/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB.

THE LONG WAY HOME

THE LONG WALK HOME - 1990

RATED - PG for some language and some non-graphic violence toward African-Americans.

RATINGS - 41 Amazon (4.5/5), 870 IMDB (7.2/10), 82,715 Netflix (3.8/5), Roger Ebert (3.5/4).

STARRING - Whoopi Goldberg, Sissy Spacek.

THEMES - Racial discrimination, non-violent protest, loyalty, family, civil rights.

STORY - It's 1955 in Montgomery and the Rosa Parks incident has precipitated the bus strike by African-Americans against the City of Montgomery. The film BOYCOTT does an excellent job of telling the overall story of the strike and the people organizing it. THE LONG WALK HOME is the story of two people directly involved in the strike. No one thought it would go on for over a year. Most African-Americans relied on public transportation for getting to work and Odessa Cotter (Goldberg), who worked as a domestic in the home of Miriam Thompson (Spacek), paid her fare in the front of the bus and got off to enter and sit in the back of the bus to ride the 9 miles each way to the Thompson home. The Thompsons were upper middle class socialites whose lives centered around the Country Club, entertaining, and Norman Thompson's successful real estate development business. Miriam, without telling her very segregationist husband, initially picks up Dessa a couple times a week, more for her own benefit than Dessa's but as the strike wears on and it becomes more and more contentious, Miriam begins to understand the pain of the African-Americans and puts her marriage and physical safety on the line by getting involved in driving Dessa back and forth as well as driving for the car pool. Goldberg does a great job of restraining her usual overpowering personality in this film so that you really feel the pain of walking 9 miles each way only to come home and do all over what you've been doing at work all day. Even if you know the story of the boycott this is worth watching to better understand how it played out at the individual level for both whites and blacks. Another reminder of a very sad chapter in American history. Let us all pray that we never treat people as 'possessions' again and that we work to rid our world of racial discrimination wherever we find it. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 02/23/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, TRAILER, ROGER EBERT

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER - 1967

RATING - NR but probably PG for language and adult themes.

RATED - 118 Amazon (4.5/5), 7,545 IMBD (7.7/10), 386,582 Netflix (3.9/5), Roger Ebert (4/4)

STARRING - Sidney Poitier, Katherine Houghton, Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn.

THEME - Racial prejudice.

AWARDS - 2 Academy Awards (Best Actress & Original Screenplay) plus 6 Academy Award nominations, AFI Top 100 Passions, AFI Top 100 Movies, 1969 BAFTA Best Actress & Actor (Hepburn & Tracy).

STORY - The film begins with Joey Drayton (Houghton) and Dr. John Prentice (Poitier) arriving at San Francisco Int'l Airport and we soon learn that after meeting 10 days ago in Hawaii and falling head over heels in love they are going to inform Joey's parents (Hepburn & Tracy) of their plans to be married and ask for their blessing. The problem, of course, is that John is African-American. A perfect son-in-law in every possible way, Joey is absolutely positive her wealthy, liberal (progressive) parents will wholeheartedly endorse their 'mixed' marriage. Wrong!! Being progressive was fine as long as it was someone else's life that was affected. Can the Draytons reconcile their values and the values they raised Joey to live by and the real-life situation at hand? To complicate matters, John is leaving the country that evening and has told them privately, he will cancel the marriage plans if they do not unreservedly support their marriage before he leaves. Many, if not most, of you are familiar with the story. It was shocking at the time. No black man had ever kissed a white woman on the 'big screen'. There were 16 states with laws on the books that made interracial marriages illegal. Stanly Kramer was indeed making a social statement with this movie. As a Jewish man, he knew prejudice first hand. As a result of this movie the laws were changed in all 16 states. Do movies influence culture?? Remember GIDEON'S TRUMPET. Watch this movie for what it was-a statement about racial prejudice but also ask yourself where are the injustices today that need to be fixed? How can we become part of the solution? A great movie then and still today. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 2/17/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD, ROGER EBERT

BRIAN'S SONG

BRIAN'S SONG - 1971

RATED - G, very family friendly

AWARDS - Emmy, Peabody plus many nominations.

RATINGS - 50 Amazon (5/5), 2,483 IMBD (7.6/10)

THEMES - Courage, love, friendship, racial reconciliation.

STORY - This 1971 EMMY AWARD winning film about the friendship between Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo of the Chicago Bears is one of the great sports and human interest stories. Brian & Gale were rookies together in 1965, both running backs and great college football players. They became the first black and white players to room together on the Bears. It's hard to believe it was only 40 years ago and many teams still had not broken the racial barriers off the field. I remember watching it on TV when it first aired and it was as good or better the 2nd time. Their friendship transcended their racial difference and their competition for the same position into a genuine love and respect for each other. As Gale experiences a potential career ending injury and Brian is diagnosed with cancer, their friendship grows into something very special. The selflessness of Brian helping Gale to recover from his injury which will ultimately put him back on the bench after replacing Gale is an inspiration. A great family film and especially for young athletes. Many clips of Gale's outstanding touchdown runs and he was one of the all time greats. Have a Kleenex handy for the end. Enjoy!! Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/27/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD