A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

Cast
Lena Younger - Claudia McNeil
Walter Lee Younger - Sidney Poitier
Ruth Younger - Ruby Dee
Beneatha "Benny" Younger - Diana Sands
Travis Younger - Steven Perry

Synopsis
The patriarch of the Younger family has died and the $10,000 insurance check is on it's way. Everyone in the family has their own ideas of what to do with the money, but it's Lena's decision. This play follows the actions of the family during this time.
This is the movie version of the play written by Lorraine Hansberry.

This film gives us a peek into the life of an African American family, and it's not stereotypical at all. What we see is a hard working family that has come into some money and all they want to do is use it to do better for their family.
Whenever we see African Americans in films that aren't portraying a stereotype, it's important. We are all different people. We're not all lazy, uneducated, entertainers. We're not all tough, super strong people who can take on anything and everything without feeling hurt or pain. We see that in Walter who goes to work everyday and then spends his time off trying to find a way to build something for his family. We see that in Lena who is the matriarch of the family and worked as long as she could. We see that in Lena who, even though pregnant, said she would work with her baby on her back to help pay the bills. And we see it in Beneatha who's studying to be a doctor but also continues to educate herself in other things. Beneatha is also eager to learn many different things. Does this sound like a lazy uneducated family to you?
We are also able to see these characters and their range of emotions. They are able to be happy and upset, strong and vulnerable. These characters are not one dimensional.
One character who's influence I only came to understand recently is Beneatha. She is a feminist, and her ideas where very much ahead of her time. I mean, she wasn't going to get married and raise a family until she had a career of her own. She also had many ways of expressing herself with all her different hobbies. I see aspects of her in characters like Denise Huxtable and Freddie Brooks.
Another thing I find important is how the different generations of this household are portrayed. You have the oldest one, Lena, who just wants to use the money to buy a house for a family. This is important to her because she came from the south. Her family were slaves. Buying this house means that her family went from working for white people to living next door to them. Then you have Walter who wants to invest the money into a business. He's more of a risk taker. Lastly, you have Beneatha who would use the money for school. She the biggest risk taker of them all because she wants to enter a field that not a lot of women are in. Instead of just getting married and raising a family, she wants a career of her own. All three of them want more ownership, they just want to achieve it in different ways.

This film is very important and influential. We wouldn't have to read the play in school or have so many remakes of the film if it wasn't. I love it enough to have the play in my book collection and soon I'll add this version of the film to my movie collection.

Pic credit