Review of Jumping the Broom (2011) by Kimberly R — 09 Mar 2012

I want everyone to know that Loretta Devine's character is not in any way over-blown or over-played. That woman is the African-American version of my very own Mother In-Law! I'm not exaggerating. There is a real-live person out there who is just as selfish, pious, vindictive, manipulative and unfeeling as that character. She works every day to break up our now 5-year marriage and short of the sweet potato pie, the two may as well be the same person. And the line about her treating her son as alternately her little 10-year old boy and her husband? I'm sure that surprised a lot of people, you wonder how that's even possible and then realize how disturbing the very idea of it is. That's my husband's relationship with his mother. Needless to say my husband is going to sit and watch this film with me before it goes back to the rental-receptacle. I won't say anything till the end, and I will hope he notices the similarities on his own.

I enjoyed the film for other reasons besides this personal connection. It was genuinely funny, and if there was any trite-ness I just chalk that up to the fact that it's a wedding movie.