Cora Unashamed

Why was the film overlooked by the Emmy awards? There were so many good things about this film that deserved recognition. First of all, Ann Peacock's teleplay should not have gone unnoticed. Peacock managed to turn a 10 page short story into a 95 minute film, while keeping true to Hughes's style. The performances by Regina Taylor and Cherry Jones were top notch. The sets, costumes, hairstyling were all so good. This realy was overlooked.

I was honored with being an extra in the town scene shot in Cambridge, Iowa. I was selected last minute to play the racist grocer and Debra Pratt was an incredible director to work with. Sadly, my close up scene was cut (I learned a year later when it aired. LOL Such is Hollywood.) CCH Pounder was incredible, I crept off to her trailer after being fitted for costume to thank her for a line that changed my life many years ago. She even took a photo of me on set with two other cast members. Pure class! Regina Taylor was amazing...I stood face to face with her and stared I'm her down (or rather, my character did.) This film opener my eyes to a stigma I had not even considered existed in the 193s, and it did it in such a way that EVERYBODY loves Cora! A definite MUST SEE!!!

I caught this movie very, very late one evening. (Our PBS station replays the prime time shows after midnight. Good for sleepless night owls!). I have to say, I was floored by the not only the cast, but the plot and direction as well. It is terse, succint, yet eloquent. Right after the showing there was a mini "promo" on other tele-plays to come. These were all from the same series "American Short Stories" Sadly, these other plays never seemed to have come to fruition. But I was glad this one made it. I highly suggest it. Especially for anyone interested in African American literature, a truly under-appreciated, incredibly important form of American writing.

I haven't read much of the original short story but I saw a user complaining about how they didn't like it because Cora changes. That wasn't something that bothers me, character development makes a film better and if the book didn't have it, it might be one flaw it has. I liked to see Cora becoming more confident and assertive as the film went on, it was a nice change from the quiet, grieving woman she was when her daughter died. She is a strong character with a caring personality and wise words and what really shines is the relationships of the characters and no I'm not talking about the Lizbeth, Arthur, and Jessie connection, they had a really unhealthy and abusive relationship with sweet, innocent Jessie that eventually leads to something really bad, which I won't spoil. Lizbeth was uncaring and too dramatic, such as when she nags her daughter over not performing the poetry right and Arthur doesn't even try to protect Jessie most of the time, he just allows Lizbeth to yell at her and only talks to Lizbeth when she's cries a river.

But Cora's relationship with her daughter, Josie and Jessie was heart-warming and really sweet, it helped Cora grow as a character and cope with her grief of losing her daughter by having a motherly relationship to Jessie. Josie and Jessie also had a beautiful, unique friendship that was cute to see. It's too bad their time together was cut short because Josie dies in the beginning. I know that she had some sort of incurable disease but I felt that if Cora gave her more treatments, she probably could've lived a little longer. Her dying didn't really emotionally impact me. When Jessie had went through something really bad at the end, it's more emotionally impacting because we got to know her for a much longer time. I mean, the beginning of the film was weak and rushed overall.

Overall, this film is a really sweet, inspirational, and charming story. It's too bad it's not that well-known. I just gave it a 7 because the beginning was a bit clunky and because of how much I hate Lizbeth and Arthur.

I saw this movie on Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. It was so amazing in every aspect that the story, acting and production were all worthy of a major motion picture release.

People will always say (rightly so) that movies are never as good as the book, however, this movie is one of only two movies I have ever seen that are in my opinion better that the original writing they are taken from (the other being Billy Budd).

I love Langston Hughes and all, but the original short story was a little short and lacking in emotion. That being said, read the story and see this movie if you ever get the chance.