
In his sophomore feature, actor and co-writer Jussie Smollett, stars as the lead character, Jason Holliday, who is married. Jason is married to a man named Damien, who’s portrayed by actor Jabari Redd (The Chi and B-Boy Blues). The plot of the movie revolves around Jason’s character who is a construction company owner and manager based in Los Angeles. He is the head of the house and makes it clear to Damien as he does in their therapy sessions. It’s true the couple has been attending marriage counseling sessions because their marriage is on the rocks that would not be so awful if the couple were not at the same time undergoing the adoption process of their eight-year-old daughter portrayed by Londyn Carter, who acts as the character Arielle (Snowfall). That would be enough, but this film isn’t really about this very Black same-sex married couple with a child which, let’s face it, is an unusual subject matter for any film.
Cassandra is played by Vivica A. Fox (Soul Food and Independence Day), who is Damien’s mother. Cassandra currently resides in Detroit. She is interested in, or obsessed with, vaping, peach Moscato, and baked goods, particularly cakes and biscuits. While she may come across as stylish her political views are slightly outdated because she had no idea about her son being married. When that happens, it’s safe to say she is not the most understanding of parents. She is quick to deny being homophobic, but one sniff at her and you would think otherwise. While she does care for Arielle, her connection with the child she has yet to meet causes some conflict.
Jason thinks Cassandra dislikes gays and that is the kind of energy he does not want for his daughter. He does not appreciate her character either. This leads to quarrels and petty fights between them. This pattern of going in circles in their relationship is what this movie depicts. Smollett and Fox had been coworkers for the series Empire (2015) and it shows in their chemistry. It’s not boring with Smollett delivering hilarious comebacks.
However, the film also turns into a love story that develops between Cassandra and ‘Garland Kirby’, a BBQ restaurant owner played by Memphis Cade. It’s not really a turn but it applies in the sense that the movie takes a little time to show that. There seems to be an explanation of sorts, as Garland was almost a father figure to Damien. We receive one scene where Garland just lays it out there, but it would have been interesting to see Smollett attempt to depict this connection or have her relations with Damien shown in more detail. The connection between Garland and Damien comes off as minimal.
In recent days, many movies have come out focusing on a male homosexual couple where at least one partner has a problem with the mother of his other half. The Japanese Egoist (2024) and the British film Lilting (2014) recently addressed this topic. Both those films hit more emotionally. This one had a sentimental conclusion but as far as impact is concerned it is dwarfed by the aforementioned films. And it wasn’t as strong as Smollett’s previous, debut feature, B-Boy Blues (2022). It also did not have the artistic style as B-Boy Blues did. Certainly not essential, however, it makes the impact and the emotional drama come off weak. A lot of it comes from the absence of Damien as a character here.
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