Barreiras Sociais

The box description and Blockbuster's categorization of this film made it seem like it would be a comedy -- and what a reasonable categorization with Glover and Goldberg headlining. But it was far from a comedy....sort of a drama, but not interesting at all....just a real stinker. This movie has no point whatsoever, and should definitely be missed.

Given the two big stars,this was a monumental disappointment. Predictable, stale, and full of cliches Boring!

A moderately decent movie, one that takes a lot of attention to get the full gist of the story since it goes back and forth in flashbacks, few of which really add to the film..

Definitely plays like a vanity film for Glover and Goldberg. Contains some interesting commentary on racial attitudes and the fluidity of racial identity.

Biggest drawback is that several different threads are grafted together (pardon the mixed metaphor) without adding to the story. Is this a story about the generation gap? Racism? Class identity? So difficult to tell.

I like Danny Glover. I think Whoopi Goldberg is brilliant. I thought I'd love this movie, especially since the wrapper specifically says that "the laughs don't stop in this hilarious comedy." Wrong. This was painful.

We've seen aliens meet the neighbors in several forms and trailer trash meets the neighbors. When George Jefferson met Archie Bunker, it was hilarious. Surely the same story could be told in a wealthier community and be funny. This was just sad. Instead of being amused, you feel pain for Whoopi's family and pity for her unenlightened neighbors.

I didn't feel that Tom's (Danny Glover) actions at the end followed either from his history (revealed, I think, too late) or from his prejudice. The lighting on Tom's face, by the way, is about as subtle as the foreshadowing in the 19th century gothic. If you can see it, it doesn't work.

I've seen the racial conflicts of the 1950's-1970's done as drama (Mississippi Burning, In the Heat of the Night, A Patch of Blue) and I've seen it done as comedy (previously mentioned All in the Family, certain episodes of MASH, and any other quality show from the period). The fact that this wasn't funny has less to do with the topic than with the writing.

Nothing new is this tired serio-comedy that wastes the talents of Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg. Considering that this was produced by the stars and Spike Lee, it's pretty tame and tired stuff. And how come the Whoop never changes her hair or glasses over the many years this film covers? Blah!