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A Raisin In The Sun (2008) DVD Review
A Raisin In The Sun (2008) DVD Credits:
A Raisin In The Sun (2008) Directed by:
Kenny Leon
A Raisin In The Sun (2008) Written by:
Paris Qualles
A Raisin In The Sun (2008) Cast:
Sean Combs, Sanaa Lathan, Audra McDonald, Phylicia Rashad, Justin Martin, Bill Nunn, David Dyelwod, Ron Cephas Jones, Sean Patrick Thomas, John Stamos
A Raisin In The Sun (2008) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
A Raisin In The Sun (2008) DVD Release Date:
12th May 2008
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A Raisin In The Sun (2008) Synopsis:

Dreams can make a life worth living, but they can also be dashed by bad decisions. This is the crossroads where the Younger family find themselves when their father passes away and leaves them with $10,000 in life insurance money. Should they buy a new home for the family? Perhaps a liquor store? Or even pay for medical school tuition? While no choice is easy, life on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s is even harder.

A Raisin In The Sun (2008) DVD Review:

A Raisin in the Sun, a made-for-TV movie that aired on ABC, is the most recent adaptation of the famous book written by Lorraine Hansberry. The book set a historical landmark in that it was the first book written by an African American writer to be produced into a major Broadway stage play. The most famous of these productions is the 1959 iteration which starred such (now) famous individuals as Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Ivan Dixon, and Louis Gossett. Many people might be familiar with that production through its filmed incarnation which was later released in 1961. A Raisin in the Sun has been revived in various forms many times since then, but the original play and film are still the two standouts among the various interpretations.

And here we are with yet another interpretation of the book to pass the time. This ABC movie is a direct translation of the 2004 Broadway production that featured such actors as Sean Combs (the artist previously known as P. Diddy…who was the artist previously known as Puff Daddy), Phylicia Rashad, and Audra McDonald. The film not only features these same actors, but the director of the Broadway play, Kenny Leon, even carried over to direct this feature film version.

Here’s the deal: this newest version of A Raisin in the Sun is perfectly serviceable; in fact, it’s pretty good. The problem is that it’s just so unnecessary. A Raisin in the Sun has been produced countless times before in various mediums, and yet every time it feels as if the creators are trying to fix something that’s not broken. The original Broadway show and the accompanying film are near-perfect adaptations of the book, so why even touch them? Therein lies the rub. This 2008 adaptation is good, no doubt about it, but the 1961 film is inarguably better, so why not just watch that one instead?

Let’s look at the source material: it’s virtually impossible to make a bad film out of Lorraine Hansberry’s novel. It’s not only exceptionally well-written, with three-dimensional characters and a strong use of language, but no-holds-barred story about an African American family trying to take their piece of the American dream in a white neighborhood is about as timeless as they come. The clothing styles may have changed and the racist sentiments might not be quite as strong, but the general premise remains just as relevant today.

Perhaps one of the biggest flaws (or saving graces, depending on your point of view) of the 2008 version of A Raisin in the Sun is its faithfulness to the book. Every adaptation thus far has followed the book to a “T” and while that might seem like an admirable quality, it doesn’t help set the productions apart from each other in any noticeable way. After all, this new edition is still a period piece set in the 1950s and it still contains some of the more dated qualities of the original story. It would have been nice if the filmmakers had tried something new to set their version apart, whether it was updating the story to a modern setting, or even just rounding out the characters are a little bit where it was needed. Unfortunately, they didn’t do anything to make their version unique, so all we’re left with is the acting, and let’s face it, Puff Daddy’s got nothing on Sidney Poitier.

The extra-features are definitely worth looking into. There’s only two of them on the disc, but they’re both worthwhile. The first is a featurette entitled “Dreams Worthwhile: The Journey of Raisin in the Sun,” and it traces the history of the book and its various stage productions. The other great feature is an audio commentary from director Kenny Leon. There are some gaps in the track, but whenever he’s talking he has lots of interesting things to say about his history with the production (he’s directed the stage play 5 times) and his experiences working on the film iteration, which is his first feature film.

A Raisin in the Sun is a good movie, it really is. Especially for a made-for-TV film, the production values are good, the acting is serviceable, and of course the script is wonderful. On those qualities alone, it’s worth checking out. The biggest knock against it is that despite those aforementioned qualities, it’s really rather useless. The original film version is a vastly superior film, so you’d probably do well to watch that one instead. If you’re a connoisseur of all A Raisin in the Sun adaptations, then feel free to watch this one too.

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A Raisin In The Sun (2008) DVD review written by: Anthony Berk

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