Play it. Sing it. Shout it. Feel it. Based on the acclaimed autobiographical one-man show by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, this tuneful film is an aspiring coming-of-age drama that concerns a mother and son's love that transcends biological ties. It is the story of Rachel "Nanny" Crosby (S. Epatha Merkerson), a woman who built a community and circumvented segregation in her own determined way. Like a good blues song, the film strikes notes that are painful but beautiful, ones that remain alive to both the heartbreaks and joys of life.
(10 votes)
2.
Cool music, a wonderful atmospheric feel, and first-rate performances by a stellar cast distinguish Lackawanna Blues, a 2005, 90-minute film originally broadcast by HBO. Director George C. Wolfe's theater background (as a writer and/or director he's been responsible for The Colored Museum, Jelly's Last Jam, and Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk) is apparent; adapted by scriptwriter Ruben Santiago-Hudson from his own autobiographical play, Lackawanna Blues is less a story than a reminiscence, told by a young man (an affecting performance by Marcus Carl Franklin) raised by the indefatigable Rachel "Nanny" Crosby (an equally fine turn by S. Epatha Merkerson, known to many from her role in TV's Law & Order) in that upstate New York town. The focus is on Nanny's rooming house, which is populated by all manner of colorful characters (played by the likes of Macy Gray, Jeffrey Wright, and many others, with Jimmy Smits and Carmen Ejogo as the boy's wayward parents). The roomers include drunks, hustlers, ex-cons, and other shady types, but while plenty of bad stuff goes on, it's all coated with a certain patina of sentiment that tends to minimize the hard realities of life for African Americans in the early 1960s. That's fine; Wolfe, with the help of some superb editing by Brian Kates, gives the film such a delightful period vibe that it's easy to overlook its few shortcomings. The music (available on a soundtrack CD), ranging from downhome country blues to uptown swing, jump blues, and more, also makes a major contribution to the delightful diversion that is Lackawanna Blues. --Sam Graham
(11 votes)
3.
The plot of LACKAWANNA BLUES takes viewers back to a turbulent time for the African American community, all set to a soaring R&B soundtrack from an awesome selection of artists. Originally shot for HBO, LACKAWANNA BLUES is based on a one-man play by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and is a moving coming-of-age tale. Drawing on his own experiences, Santiago-Hudson begins his story as a child growing up in the small New York town of Lackawanna. There, he is raised by Rachel "Nanny" Crosby (S. Epatha Merkerson), who provides a refuge for many wandering black folks whose lives have not quite turned out as they wished. Nanny and the residents educate Ruben in a way that no conventional schooling can provide, with the film lovingly painting a poignant slice of life from these heavily segregated times. Merkerson is exceptional as Nanny, while the ensemble cast also includes big hitters such as Rosie Perez and Mos Def among its line up.
(9 votes)
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