Jumping the Broom

It was a great movie. The writing and acting were exceptional. I'll give credit where credit is due. I've already seen it twice.

It was not a Ghetto movie as some call it. It's nice to see blacks portrayed in a more positive light. I thought the entire setting from Brooklyn to Martha's Vineyard was interesting. I liked the whole transition. The social classes was typical. I can go on and on about what I loved about this movie but I would rather let people go see it for themselves. They'll be pleasantly surprised.

It's not a "BLACK" movie. I never say, I'm going to see a "White movie or a black movie.

I've read quite a few disparaging and very bias comments. I hate all the labels and brands on this board. It's appalling and so unfair. You actually have to go and see the movie first before you critique it. Stop listening to the media's perception of other races.

both families don't get along. The movie was OK but nothing original. Sabrina and Jason are getting married in swanky Martha's Vineyard, and they are about to meet each other's families for the first time. Sabrina's family is rich and throwing the wedding of the year. Jason's mom, Mrs. Taylor, is a tough talking postal worker, whom brings her friend, his uncle and his cousin to the wedding. Needless to say, their lifestyle is completely different from the Watson's. From the beginning, Mrs. Taylor is at odds with Sabrina and her mom and flies off the handle at the littlest of things. She finds it offensive they want her recipes, they sent a driver to pick them up, Sabrina wants her to wear a dress she bought, they don't want to jump the broom, etc... pretty much everything. And Sabrina's mom doesn't think Mrs. Taylor is sophisticated enough. The two families arguing soon leads to Sabrina and Jason arguing. Then Mrs. Taylor over hears a family secret and just has to tell the hurtful secret to Sabrina. But will they still get married?

FINAL VERDICT: I say just watch it if you like wedding movies.

These type of African-American comedy movies that make their way to the market are among the few. Jumping the broom is a type of movie that avoids many of the typical and overused stuff of the genre yet provoke a fair degree of an enjoyable experience. It's not a perfect movie but hey, c'Mon who needs that tension, we are going for fun. The movie has enough entertaining and funny moments that will provide satisfaction to your movie watching experience thanks to the award-winning cast for their great performances.

This takes us to the movie theme and plot. In a simple style and scale the director Salim Akil presents a family and culture clashing comedy that is well filmed with progressive shots with a bright tinch of melodrama. As in many romantic movies, the story is about two lovebirds, but here the story is all about class and status. The film features two love-birds Sabrina Watson (Paula Patton) and Jason Taylor (Laz Alonso) planning to marry each other. However the main setup of the film is that these two love each other but their families don't.

Apart from the storyline the film works only because the script is a juggling stuff with a dozen of jokes and gags. Another coup for the film is it's amusing supporting characters which prevents a hard collision and bloodbath when these two entirely different families meet each other. This film also has other shining moments such as it's elegant wedding feel and well coordinated cinematography. The casting is well chosen and diverse. Overall, by most standards it's not enough for a movie to be a hit but will attract the audience as a funny and an interesting flick.

I just came from watching and I must admit it was much better than I thought it might be. It was your typical boy meets girl, boy wants to marry girl, and their families clash picture. It was enjoyable but not without it's flaws. Loretta Devine once again plays the same mother character for the umpteenth time, albeit with a somewhat evil twist. Mike Epps and DeRay Davis were there to provide comic relief. Most disappointingly, Julie Bowen was the proverbial fish out of water. I like her on Modern Family but she just wasn't good in this feature. I had expected some more laughs from her. Meagan Good also makes her obligatory appearance as the tramp character.

What was good about the film was the abstinence message. It was present but not forced on the audience. That's not done often in today's cinema. I also enjoyed the fact Tasha Smith for once wasn't loud. That made her stand out more. Angela Bassett was the perfect snobbish mother. It's criminal that she does not have an Academy Award. It was also nice to see Black people that own something. We all don't live like the Huxtables, but we don't all live like the Evans family either.

Overall you won't regret dropping $10 on Jumping the Broom.

I used to look at IMDb regularly and base whether or not I went to a movie on the reviews. With this currently rated so low, I would have normally stayed away, but thankfully I found Roger Ebert's review, which was wonderfully objective. Is this movie perfect? No. Is it fun? Yes. Will you laugh? Probably. I've read several comments included in reviews on here about the side story lines, how little body fat there is on the actors (Really?! Maybe showing fit people is a really good idea.), and a few other things. My basic answer is, so what? Enjoy the movie for what it is. It's a brief look at the life of a two very chaotic and dysfunctional families. Sometimes that's how life works. It may not be your life, but it may be close to someone else's. There are times when the dialogue is so over the top, it was obviously to achieve a certain comedic or dramatic moment, and I'm OK with that. One of the important aspects to me is that in this day and age of movies that portray the worst of society, this portrays the successful black families. The characters were very believable for me. In several instances, I could have sworn I met them at some point in my life. The main characters are certainly the core of the movie. Sabrina and Jason are the young couple whose wedding is affected by the vastly different backgrounds they come from. The mothers are given a very powerful place in the film, with their actions affecting everyone else, as they should. The dynamics are interesting to watch at first, but by the end of the movie, it's very easy to see how and why people are the way they are. Some of the climaxes in the movie are easy to spot, others not so much. In the end, this was a very enjoyable movie, and definitely worth seeing. I almost never choose a romantic comedy as my first choice, but this was such a well rounded movie, even I found it very enjoyable (as a guy) to go to. It wasn't sappy, it wasn't cheesy, it was just plain fun.