The life of Maya Angelou is just one of many black lives that need to be told. The legendary poet and novelist not only told her story, but the story of a culture and how perseverance over tragedy can lead to greatness. An All-Star cast of some of the greatest black actors of the 20th century flushes out the story of Miles early life, starting with her arrival along with her younger brother at her paternal grandmother's home, and how life with little Parental guidance didn't necessarily mean they wouldn't grow up to be beautiful people.
The performances of Constance Good as young Maya and John Driver as her older brother Bailey (somehow smaller in stature though) are excellent, and the fact that these two young people again is a testament to the direction they received an obvious guidance from the people around them on the set. Esther Rolle and Ruby Dee are the grandmother's, with Rolle earthy and simple, and Dee imperious and domineerong, especially when banging hurricane.
Diahann Carroll is their flamboyant mother, not the greatest judge of men, married to a man that comes and goes and involved with another man who brutally rapes Maya, only to be murdered. The trauma of the rape and the murder afterwards leads to Maya not speaking for 5 years, and of course, her mother can't handle the drama. It's only with the support of her brother that she's able to maintain and he says he, and of course being sent back to the loving and supportive arms of Grandma Rolle.
There is also a nice cameo from veteran actress Madge Sinclair as the pretty teacher who initially points out Maya's writing challenge to her. She's certainly an improvement over the nasty teacher in the opening scene, and it's nice to see her return later in the film. This is a beautiful film although I would have liked a bit more connectivity overall, possibly another 10 minutes. Stories like this you don't mind how long they go for. There are many moments of humor among the sadness of Maya's early years, and of course, the relationship between her and her brother is a beautiful thing to see. Good makes the same impact here that the young actress playing Celie in "The Color Purple" did, and if this film has any impact on audiences today, it's to find out more about the fascinating Maya Angelou, an angel who once walked the Earth and left her poems and stories for eternity.
The performances of Constance Good as young Maya and John Driver as her older brother Bailey (somehow smaller in stature though) are excellent, and the fact that these two young people again is a testament to the direction they received an obvious guidance from the people around them on the set. Esther Rolle and Ruby Dee are the grandmother's, with Rolle earthy and simple, and Dee imperious and domineerong, especially when banging hurricane.
Diahann Carroll is their flamboyant mother, not the greatest judge of men, married to a man that comes and goes and involved with another man who brutally rapes Maya, only to be murdered. The trauma of the rape and the murder afterwards leads to Maya not speaking for 5 years, and of course, her mother can't handle the drama. It's only with the support of her brother that she's able to maintain and he says he, and of course being sent back to the loving and supportive arms of Grandma Rolle.
There is also a nice cameo from veteran actress Madge Sinclair as the pretty teacher who initially points out Maya's writing challenge to her. She's certainly an improvement over the nasty teacher in the opening scene, and it's nice to see her return later in the film. This is a beautiful film although I would have liked a bit more connectivity overall, possibly another 10 minutes. Stories like this you don't mind how long they go for. There are many moments of humor among the sadness of Maya's early years, and of course, the relationship between her and her brother is a beautiful thing to see. Good makes the same impact here that the young actress playing Celie in "The Color Purple" did, and if this film has any impact on audiences today, it's to find out more about the fascinating Maya Angelou, an angel who once walked the Earth and left her poems and stories for eternity.