A Raisin in the Sun, the highly acclaimed play, movie, and now Sony Television movie adaptation, is on DVD. This version stars Sean Combs (Walter Lee), Phylicia Rashad (Mama), Audra McDonald (Ruth), and Sanaa Lathan (Beneatha).
Any fan of the original play by Lorraine Hansberry or the original movie version starring Sidney Poitier (as Walter Lee) will want to check out this version. Some might not be happy with the changes made to this adaptation, but it is worth seeing for a comparative view.
The original movie (Poitier version) stuck pretty close to Hansberry’s award winning play. The main set and focus takes place in the Younger’s apartment. Arguments and drama ensue as the Younger family decides what to do with a $10,000 insurance check. The family could definitely use the money, but the problems and arguments lie in how they will use it.
Walter Lee is driven by anger and disappointment and wants to provide for his family by investing the money in a liquor store/bar. Mama wants to invest in a home for the family, as she says, “It means a lot to a man when he can walk on floors that belong to him.” Beneatha is going to medical school and needs the money for schooling. Ruth is pregnant and wants to do something, anything, that will save her family.
That is the basic background of the plot. However, this version takes some liberties. This adaptation takes the viewer to places outside of the Younger apartment and gives us at look at the street, the grocery store, the house where Mama works, and the hair salon that Ruth visits for reasons only alluded to in the play. Scenes are added to give us more of a sense of the world in which they live, not just their humble apartment.
The other aspect that was changed is the higher element of racism. In the original play, and even the Poitier movie version, racism is only hinted at. This version takes us to new levels. Scenes are added to add to the element of racism. For instance, Mama goes to the grocery store and asks for better apples from the back.
The white man waiting on her is rude and finally break down and goes and gets her apples… rotten apples with worms. During the scene, he also waits on a white customer and is overly nice and helpful (while being rude to Mama). There is another scene where a white cop harasses Bobo and Walter Lee as they talk on the street.
And, to add to the discomfort of the viewer, in the final scenes while Walter Lee is on his knees, he says the ‘N’ word. Hansberry did not write this word into her play, and I wish that it had been left out. For this reason, I felt that this version wanted to play the action over the top and add things that were not there in Hansberry’s dialogue.
I can deal with some change, but a drastic change in dialogue as this scene made me feel that, somehow, Hansberry’s memory and masterpiece was dishonored.
While watching, I couldn’t help but compare the strengths and weakness of both main actors in both versions. I love the work of Sidney Poitier, and he brought an unmatched anger and frustration to the screen that I felt Combs did not.
Combs internalizes more of his anger. He is also more tender with Ruth, whereas Poitier’s character of Walter Lee is, at times, a real jerk. There is an added scene where Combs and McDonald are more tender with each other after a fight, whereas in the original film, Poitier‘s Walter Lee simply walks out.
Also of comparison are the characters of Mama. Rashad plays Mama more compassionately and with more regret (there is a scene of remorse after she slaps Beneatha). Claudia McNeil played the original Mama in the film version and is the strong matriarch of the family with no visible signs of weakness (expect maybe her love for her children).
One change I did like was that the character of Joseph Asagai was given more depth in this adaptation. He is shown as a college teacher on a working professorship (added scenes). He is the voice of reason, but his scene with Beneatha on the stairs was a welcome addition.
Beneatha in both versions in full of life and the actresses bring that across. However, I felt that Lathan gave a stellar performance and lit up the small screen with her smile. There is an added scene that is great - Lathan’s Beneatha is looking over the house Mama has bought and sees neighbors peeking out of their curtained windows. She yells “Howdy do neighbors!”
With the dialogue changes, I felt this version was weaker than the original, but it has solid acting and worthy performances. It is worth watching, and it is note worthy that this was the very first broadcast network television film to screen at the Sundance Film Festival.
A Raisin in the Sun is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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