Jean of the Joneses

Stella Meghie offers up a cute tale in Jean of the Joneses, a story about a 20 something woman who is losing control of her life and gets perspective after her estranged grandfather dies in front of her.

We met Jean as she is getting dumped by her boyfriend. She's in a bad place as she is now temporarily homeless and in danger of losing her book contract as she's spent her advance money on clothes while being unable to write a world. When she answers the door to her grandmother's house and a strange man asks for her grandmother before dying none of her aunts will tell her who the man is. It's only after rifling through his belongings that she finds out he was her estranged grandfather. And while the rest of her family are hell-bent on pretending he doesn't exist, Jean sets out to uncover where he was all those years and why he appeared on her grandmother's door step.

The acting for this is great and the script is solid, if a little conventional. You can almost feel how this was developed in writing labs and workshops, it neatly follows very particular beats. This isn't a bad thing, it leads for easy, digestible viewing. This is the kind of movie where everything is wrapped up in a neat bow by the end and even if we know where we're going it's a fun and enjoyable ride getting there.

Loved the characters, loved the amazing soundtrack, loved the humorous undertones, and the film work.. no shaky camera tricks, no yelling.. the scenes were wonderfully true, especially the wake! ..and loved the music legacy angle, hopefully foreshadowing with more to come

I enjoyed watching the actors. They did a fantastic job and the comedy was on point. I sent short clips to friends of funny scenes. I enjoyed the jazz music. Family secrets - they come out when people die.

Taylour Paige got the advance for her first novel two years ago, but has been drifting since then. She moves in with her mother, but when the father she doesn't remember drops dead on the doorstep, she realizes that it's a downward spiral for her and her two sisters. But is this part of bottoming out, or merely a signpost on the way further down?

Stella Meghie wrote and directed this movie, and it's hard to not believe it's at least martially autobiographical. The characters are well written and performed, the setting ranges over Manhattan from Harlem down to Soho, and if the three sisters are in the grip of depression, their paralysis does not extend to their family relations. I don't find the story compelling, but the performances kept me watching.

I loved this so much. I cannot believe how well the family dynamics fell in line with many of a West Indian households. Actors were great on timing, dryness, and humor. A real gem for those you get it or are open.