Hits-EXCELLENT singing. Great acting. Engaging enough to capture the viewers' interest throughout. Refreshingly PG in an age when most new offerings go out of their way to be offensive or push an agenda. Was definitely the kind of movie that could bring in diverse audiences with its general themes and historical angle.
Misses-Overly long. Some of the writing felt incomplete, the plot not fleshed through thoroughly. Examples: 1) The matriarch's first marriage wasn't ever shown and yet it produced one of the Clark singers. And there was a brother birthed from the first marriage and that was mentioned literally NOWHERE in a film that otherwise went out of its way to show how much the mother loved (and fulfilled her dreams through) her children. 2)Denise's leaving the group was not fully explained, seemed to come out of nowhere and was reduced to one blowup scene at a deal signing. Similarly, her sisters' hostility towards her even to the point of shunning her at their mom's funeral seemed out of place. There was nothing shown that would have led to that. 3)Twinkie's abandoning her mom even after the mom fell ill wasn't fully explained. Where did the hostility come from? It wasn't addressed. 4) And what happened to the man Twinkie was shown to go away with? Did they marry? Have a kid? Just a few holes that could have been filled in a two hour plus movie had the writing been a little tighter.
But those details are in the weeds. From a 20,000 foot view, this movie was memorable. It had interesting subject matter and good actors to deliver it. Ultimately a feel-good movie at a time when the world needs just that. It's clear Lifetime is rebranding itself to include more urban content, which is okay if it continues to produce high quality offerings like this.
P.S. A minor squabble, I wish it had showcased one of the Clarks' best songs-"Expect a Miracle." Would have been the icing on the cake. 😉
Misses-Overly long. Some of the writing felt incomplete, the plot not fleshed through thoroughly. Examples: 1) The matriarch's first marriage wasn't ever shown and yet it produced one of the Clark singers. And there was a brother birthed from the first marriage and that was mentioned literally NOWHERE in a film that otherwise went out of its way to show how much the mother loved (and fulfilled her dreams through) her children. 2)Denise's leaving the group was not fully explained, seemed to come out of nowhere and was reduced to one blowup scene at a deal signing. Similarly, her sisters' hostility towards her even to the point of shunning her at their mom's funeral seemed out of place. There was nothing shown that would have led to that. 3)Twinkie's abandoning her mom even after the mom fell ill wasn't fully explained. Where did the hostility come from? It wasn't addressed. 4) And what happened to the man Twinkie was shown to go away with? Did they marry? Have a kid? Just a few holes that could have been filled in a two hour plus movie had the writing been a little tighter.
But those details are in the weeds. From a 20,000 foot view, this movie was memorable. It had interesting subject matter and good actors to deliver it. Ultimately a feel-good movie at a time when the world needs just that. It's clear Lifetime is rebranding itself to include more urban content, which is okay if it continues to produce high quality offerings like this.
P.S. A minor squabble, I wish it had showcased one of the Clarks' best songs-"Expect a Miracle." Would have been the icing on the cake. 😉