Somewhere in Hollywood there is a place for a great story where Blacks are the lead characters. I don’t mean the Madea archteypes either. I mean the Henry Fonda everyday American types who persevere thru strength of character as opposed to sight gags and off color slanguage.
Anthony Mackie (who stays needing a hairline) and Kerry Washington (who called me a fat sweaty dude on the Hip-Hop Honors red carpet) combine to deliver a heart wrenching performance about a family in south Philadelphia in the mid-1970s. After the Black power movement had been disbanded and discredited what and who was left for the people to believe in? That is the backstory. This movie is really about a family finding its way in life.
‘Night Catches Us’ will open this Friday in the Magic Johnson multiplex in Harlem. I implore you to keep your eyes open for your opportunity to go see this movie. The stories I want to deliver to the big screen don’t stray too far from this theme. There has to be more films of all people which don’t play to the widely held stereotypes of those people. As long as the story is beautiful, and true. ‘Night Catches Us’ is that movie. Support independent films my people.
