Review of Black Nativity (2013) by Thomas W — 26 May 2014

Based on a libretto penned by Langston Hughes and first performed off-Broadway in 1961, this film is an adaptation of Hughes' Black Nativity set in present day about a teenage boy being sent to spend the holidays with his grandparents he does not know by his hard-working mother who had a falling out with those said grandparents years ago.

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson plays that mother and fellow winner Forest Whitaker and nominee Angela Bassett play the grandparents. Jacob Latimore plays the teenager named Langston. I enjoyed a quite solid middle portion of this film but the film's beginning is rather weak (the staged musical numbers are uncomfortably odd) and its predictable conclusion is simply too trite and happy-happy.

The music in church is great but updating the lyrics outside of church -- the name Obi-Wan Kenobi is audible (?) -- to go along with the story isn't as great. It seems forced. The film has good intentions but they aren't enough to save this production.

This is one of director Kasi Lemmon's weaker films -- her early work Eve's Bayou is an excellent one I'd recommend over this.