All four main characters reprise their roles from the stage, but it's McDonald who turns in the bravura performance.
The production values are excellent, and never once do we feel as if anyone has skimped to shoot a scene on the cheap. There are far more exterior and multiple-set sequences than in most TV films adapted from plays, and that makes the story of the Younger family seem all the more 3-dimensional. From the opening, when Morgan Freeman reads lines from Langston Hughes' poem ("What happens to a dream deferred?/Does it dry up/like a raisin in the sun?/Or fester like a sore--/And then run?"), to an upbeat ending that celebrates family as much as the black experience, "A Raisin in the Sun" provides that rare blend of entertainment and enlightenment.
Video:
"A Raisin in the Sun" is mastered in High Definition and presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, so it also looks considerably better than the average TV movie. Colors and costume design evoke the '50s in a way that makes us appreciate the slightly drab palette of the south Chicago neighborhood, with brighter colors dancing on the screen during sequences involving rich white families. It's not accidental, of course, but neither does it stand out as an intrusive gimmick. Only in retrospect do you realize that the colors helped to sustain certain moods and impressions. And the detail? For a standard DVD, there's a surprising clarity.
Audio:
The audio is also above and beyond what we normally see in a TV release, with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack (CC) delivering a nice, rich bass, a not-too-tinny treble, and an overall mellow timbre. Subtitles are in English and French, and the rear speakers actually get involved with subtle ambient noises.
Extras:
"Dreams Worthwhile: The Journey of A Raisin in the Sun intercuts photographs and information about Hansberry's life with scenes from the 1961 film and interviews with the cast, Hansberry family members (a sister and a niece), and even a cast member from the 1961 production. It's a very nice, compact bonus feature. I would have preferred more information on Hansberry's other works and her premature death by cancer, but what's here is well done. The only other bonus feature is an audio commentary by director Kenny Leon, who tells how this is his first film though he directed "A Raisin in the Sun" on stage five times, including the 2004 Broadway production. He offers a commentary that's rich in information, though there are a number of dead-air pauses. But he's pretty forthcoming with "secrets," as he calls them, willing to share whatever information he has.
Bottom Line:
No one is going to argue that Sean Combs is even close to Sidney Poitier, but with such talented actors around him--particularly Audra McDonald--he manages to keep his head above water. For that, though, credit Lorraine Hansberry, whose play offers a remarkable series of scenes that rival each other for emotional depth and complexity of issues. The filmmakers said that they wanted to update the 1961 film for a new generation, and they've done so admirably.
Video:
"A Raisin in the Sun" is mastered in High Definition and presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, so it also looks considerably better than the average TV movie. Colors and costume design evoke the '50s in a way that makes us appreciate the slightly drab palette of the south Chicago neighborhood, with brighter colors dancing on the screen during sequences involving rich white families. It's not accidental, of course, but neither does it stand out as an intrusive gimmick. Only in retrospect do you realize that the colors helped to sustain certain moods and impressions. And the detail? For a standard DVD, there's a surprising clarity.
Audio:
The audio is also above and beyond what we normally see in a TV release, with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack (CC) delivering a nice, rich bass, a not-too-tinny treble, and an overall mellow timbre. Subtitles are in English and French, and the rear speakers actually get involved with subtle ambient noises.
Extras:
"Dreams Worthwhile: The Journey of A Raisin in the Sun intercuts photographs and information about Hansberry's life with scenes from the 1961 film and interviews with the cast, Hansberry family members (a sister and a niece), and even a cast member from the 1961 production. It's a very nice, compact bonus feature. I would have preferred more information on Hansberry's other works and her premature death by cancer, but what's here is well done. The only other bonus feature is an audio commentary by director Kenny Leon, who tells how this is his first film though he directed "A Raisin in the Sun" on stage five times, including the 2004 Broadway production. He offers a commentary that's rich in information, though there are a number of dead-air pauses. But he's pretty forthcoming with "secrets," as he calls them, willing to share whatever information he has.
Bottom Line:
No one is going to argue that Sean Combs is even close to Sidney Poitier, but with such talented actors around him--particularly Audra McDonald--he manages to keep his head above water. For that, though, credit Lorraine Hansberry, whose play offers a remarkable series of scenes that rival each other for emotional depth and complexity of issues. The filmmakers said that they wanted to update the 1961 film for a new generation, and they've done so admirably.
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[release]23728[/release]