User reviews

I got the chance to see a rough cut of writer/director/actor Malcolm Jamal's film at the Castro Theatre during the 2006 San Francisco Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. As an openly gay black man, he lends a particularly unique and contemporary perspective on the Prodigal Son parable with this tale of a class-conscious New York-based magazine writer whose discovery of a ten-year old son leads him back to the family he left behind years ago in his hometown of Paris, Georgia. Those who have seen Cameron Crowe's "Elizabethtown" or Harvey Fierstein's "Torch Song Trilogy" will recognize the fish-out-of-water comedy that dominates the first half of the movie. However, the movie gradually congeals into a more resonant drama of acceptance and forgiveness without foregoing the humor.

Despite his bare-bones production budget and a sometimes too facile approach to easy laughs, Jamal has a keen eye for his Deep South setting and especially his characters that manage to sidestep stereotypical treatment. What I particularly like about the family interactions is how Jamal chooses to emphasize the son's elitism that has alienated the family, not as much his sexual orientation. Rockmond Dunbar brings a sympathetic core to the uptight son, Patrick in his current life but Sheldon to his family. However, it's Loretta Devine who shines as his mother Evelyn, a hardened, alcoholic washerwoman who holds her own secrets and rails against her son with fervor. She seizes a great movie moment as she delivers a near-soliloquy at the dinner table near the end. With her foghorn, female-impersonator delivery, veteran scene-stealer Jenifer Lewis plays judgmental Aunt Lettuce with her usual gusto and provides the film's biggest laughs.

Most of the cast is terrific - Terri J. Vaughn's supportive sister Jackie, Filipino comedian Alec Mapa as the overzealous metrosexual friend, Sommore's throaty turn as the sassy daughter-in-law, and Jamal's own performance as Sheldon's straight, dim-bulb brother who runs the local butcher shop. The one major fly in the ointment is Joey Costello who comes across far too flighty and naïve as Patrick's partner Ryan. The film has a too-pat though forgivable ending. In a concluding Q&A, Jamal said he just filmed the production in April and is touring this movie in select major cities in special showings through the summer. He hopes for a Christmas release at which point I say check it out. Jamal is a most idiosyncratic comedy talent.

Patrick (Rockmond Dunbar) has created a whole new back-story after leaving his Southern family. Back home after being told to take a leave of absence by his boss, Sheldon (Rockmond Dunbar) finds he has a son and his family is jumping all over him for his Northern elitism.

Things get really interesting when Ryan (Joey Costello) shows up, and the family finds out why Sheldon is now Patrick. But, it is still the elitism that bothers them more than his sexual identity.

I was having computer problems and tuned into this while I tried to fix them. I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed Dunbar's performance. Costello was also good, and they both managed to help out members of the family, while they united with the family.

Loretta Devine was great as his momma, Terri J. Vaughn enjoyable as his sister, and Maurice Jamal did a really good job as his brother.

It was funny, sweet, and what I really imagine as an accurate portrayal of Black Southern life.

Now yall know ya girl is addicted to Black movies. I mean...after watching mainstream television I just NEED to see some Black people doing some thangs ya know?

Well...I rented this movie I thought it was going to be same old same old.

NOT!

Ohmygoodness! THESE CHARACTERS WERE SOOOOOOO WELL DEVELOPED and the story line was so good. This was SUCH a believable movie and all of the dialog was SO REAL! SO REAL!

Wow...I was soooooooooooooo impressed with how they handled such sensitive topics. LOVED IT!

I would give this movie a solid 7 and only because of some really campy dialog about the son's mother. It was very, VERY awkward to me.

Loretta Divine? I think this was the best role I've seen her in since she was strutting her stuff talking bout "Would you like to have dinner with us tonight? It's just leftovers. Collard greens and corn bread, some candied yams, a little potato salad, fried chicken, peach cobbler and a few slices of ham."

This was a GOOD role for her. LOVE YOU GIRL! Rockmond Dunbar, Terri Vaughn and Maurice Jamal did a good job too. Jennifer Lewis? She played the same role she always plays. Bless everybody's heart involved.

If you have an opportunity...I say rent this movie. It was good. Not for the kids though. Just for you. :)

Monica Mingo dot com

I just watched the DVD last night. I laughed, I cried, I laughed, I cried, and I laughed again. The characters are so outrageous and funny. The issues and topics touched upon in this movie are so taboo in African American culture that's it's refreshing to see an director/writer take such chances. It has paid off in an exhilarating and thought-proving movie experience. The actors, particularly Rockmond Dunbar, Loretta Devine, and Jennifer Lewis gave superb performances. The movie was about 10 minutes too long though. The ending is terrific. This is a must see. If the subject matter wasn't so taboo to African Americans, I'm sure it would have won more 1st class nominations. Hats off to Maurice Jamal, a gifted writer and director.

This was a good film - well acted, good cinematography, overall decent production values. Loretta Devine (sp?) as usual did an excellent job with the material..her voice and presence are so distinct she stands out in any film that she does. The direction was also solid and I enjoyed it. The storyline with the bisexual father was also something different so points to the director for originality. However, I thought the sister of Loretta's character (she's also a well known actress) was a bit over the top...and I'm sure the director wanted that but he should have massaged her performance a bit.

A good film indeed. This film was a good effort.

I caught this at a film festival, and I won't be surprised if it gets pulled the weekend after it opens in its limited release in New York and Los Angeles. It's just not watchable.

This is a disappointing sophomore attempt by Jamal, who resorts to the same old one-liners delivered by stereotypical characters - so wooden and absent of any development that the viewer never quite connects with any of them.

Loretta Devine is good - but not great. I've seen her in far better work. Her skills are out of place with the pedestrian acting capabilities of the rest of the cast and the "phone-it-in" direction.

The only thing worse than the terrible production values is the predictable story. I found myself looking at my watch half way through the film, hoping for the end after I finally realized I didn't care about the story, the characters, or the outcome of the plot. What a disappointment for the black LGBT community.

Save your money - my hunch is that this will be buried in the 99 cent give-away bin at local drugstores.

I agree Loretta Devine is a joy to watch. Even with the sub-par dialog she's given, she works wonders.

The plot is shopworn, but I wouldn't care if it were done cleverly. It isn't, but what really torpedoes this movie is the lackluster dialog, especially as the main character is supposed to represent a writer. I'm not speaking of those colorful explosions of verbosity that occasionally punch through--I'm speaking of all the exposition. All that dialog about who is where and why and how. It's as dull as donuts. The writer missed a lot of potential fun with words, I think.

I also think this film suffers from poor editing. There is a lot of slow cutting, probably for anticipated laughs, but the situations rarely generate the laughs to fill up the time. Not from me, anyway. Truly, I think cutting 15 or 20 minutes out of this film would help it a lot.

The performances are generally good, though I thought combining over-the-top caricatures with low-key realism made for a confusing mix. Pick a style and stick to it.

Dirty Laundry was hysterical! It certainly puts you in the mindset of a typical Southern family gathering. There were definitely some hints of Tyler Perry influence.

Loretta Devine is always a joy to watch. She carries herself with a great deal of charisma and dignity. Jenifer Lewis is the grand-dam of divas! She carries herself in a manner that dares someone to challenge her authority.

Dunbar and Jamal certainly carried themselves in a very classy, self assured manner. The entire cast was well chosen to give an even balance, varied perspectives, and display of skills and talents.

I am even more impressed by the boldness of the production team to step out as independents and produce such a powerful product. Bravo! Hope to see more from you!

I saw this movie twice this morning, love it already. I love the story line and all the characters were in place. I think the writer/director Jamal did a wonderful job w. his first project out the running gate. I'm not impressed by much, but I do enjoy great films. Wish I had of supported this film on the big screen. (I didn't see any trailers on it) Jamal, be prepared for the haters to roll in...jealous because they don't have anything out there and you did it! It's what every household goes through. I know I did w. my family. As my own cheerleader, I left Mn. to pursue my dream as a filmmaker/writer in Hollywood. I had to do it. I to barely speak w. my family...(just my four kids) Sometimes people don't see your vision and their not supposed to. Your dreams and visions are your and no one else's. But if we don't get away to pursue our dreams you you will slowly die inside.

Sometimes we can be our own interruptions.

So I say to you, good job Jamal. I hope to meet you soon and work w. you in the near future.

AN MAYS

This was such a great movie.. i see why the movie Ideal Home, stole the concept