Rated PG-13 for some sexual content
Cast: Angela Bassett, Paula Patton, Laz Alonso, Loretta Devine, Tasha Smith
Director: Salim Akil
Movies that take place solely within the span of the preparation / ceremony / reception of a wedding are becoming a genre in themselves. "Jumping the Broom" is the latest entry into this genre and while it doesn't rank as the best, it does manage to hold its own.
Sure, it indulges a few cliches here and there, and does rely on the occasional clunky narrative technique of having a character stumble into the exact right place to hear a crucial conversation containing information that will have to be imparted later in the story. But while a film like "Something Borrowed" feels weighed down by such contrivances, "Broom" finds a way to rise above them, thanks mainly to some sharp lead performances that are both funny and layered.
The story opens in strict fairy tale mode, with a Meet Cute between the previously crestfallen Sabrina Watson (Paula Patton) who repeatedly berates herself for "giving up the cookies" to a man not worthy of her affections, and successful businessman Jason Taylor (Laz Alonso) who grew up in Brooklyn but whose job has taken him into the echelons of Manhattan. While distracted, she bumps into him with her car, knocks him to the pavement. Fate's hand at work, they fall in love. Cut to "five incredible months later" (as a title graphic tell us), where their whirlwind romance leads to a proposal. Are they rushing into this? Nah, it's just too perfect.
We know what follows will run counter to the seemingly nonpareil romance depicted early on. The story mostly takes place in Martha's Vineyard, which will serve as the backdrop for the upcoming nuptials. As with any wedding, there are eclectic personalities galore. Yet the biggest potential hurdle could be the origins of the families themselves. The two matriarchs have not met.
Jason's mother, Pam (Loretta Devine) adores her son, yet makes no effort to shield her disgust at the prospect of him marrying someone bred from perceived lucre. Of course, she has no reason to suspect the family's fortune was gained in a dishonorable way, but having an estate on the Vineyard already puts the potential in-laws square into her vitriolic crosshairs. To Pam, subtlety is a needless inconvenience. She relishes the windup. Sparing no critical expense, Pam manages to take offense at everything, but mostly at the couple's refusal to follow the tradition of "jumping the broom," a historical reference to the ritual where slaves would profess their love for one another as they weren't permitted to marry.
Sabrina's mother, Claudine (Angela Bassett), meanwhile, struggles to conjure up some semblance of serenity in the face of this chaos, yet has her own demons to contend with, mostly in the form of a long lost sister (Valarie Pettiford) with a secret that could derail the entire wedding. Adding to her mounting cafard is a painful admission from her husband (Brian Stokes Mitchell) regarding the estate itself.
The movie's more dramatic elements are offset by a slew of humorous exchanges and various romantic interludes, some more effective than others. I did like the efforts of young cousin Sebastian (Romeo Miller) to woo Pam's best friend, the several-years-older Shonda (Tasha Smith). At first, she tries to convey the silliness of a May-December romance, but eventually comes to the same conclusion we do... that trying to not like this guy is too monumental a task. And Julie Bowen has some nice moments as the caterer who tries to be helpful while hoping not to be offensive toward the African-American heritage of her employer. ("Is sunscreen something you would use?")
As the blushing bride, Paula Patton has a wide-eyed hopefulness that carries the movie. At times she's excruciatingly naive, yet she respects herself enough to overcome the painful family secrets revealed. Angela Bassett's character exists in a babel of compassion, heartache, pride, and resentment, and her performance is so nuanced that it crystallizes the complexity of each relationship. Loretta Devine plays Pam as far less complicated, but conveys just enough of a gentle side so we can understand her apprehension, even if we don't share it.
The film doesn't break any new narrative ground and there's little here that will be etched into my memory for long, but the humor was effective enough, the cast was likable enough, and I did end up caring for the leads. It honors the genre with its happy ending while honoring itself by appreciating the struggle it took to get there.
* * * out of * * * * stars
Sure, it indulges a few cliches here and there, and does rely on the occasional clunky narrative technique of having a character stumble into the exact right place to hear a crucial conversation containing information that will have to be imparted later in the story. But while a film like "Something Borrowed" feels weighed down by such contrivances, "Broom" finds a way to rise above them, thanks mainly to some sharp lead performances that are both funny and layered.
The story opens in strict fairy tale mode, with a Meet Cute between the previously crestfallen Sabrina Watson (Paula Patton) who repeatedly berates herself for "giving up the cookies" to a man not worthy of her affections, and successful businessman Jason Taylor (Laz Alonso) who grew up in Brooklyn but whose job has taken him into the echelons of Manhattan. While distracted, she bumps into him with her car, knocks him to the pavement. Fate's hand at work, they fall in love. Cut to "five incredible months later" (as a title graphic tell us), where their whirlwind romance leads to a proposal. Are they rushing into this? Nah, it's just too perfect.
We know what follows will run counter to the seemingly nonpareil romance depicted early on. The story mostly takes place in Martha's Vineyard, which will serve as the backdrop for the upcoming nuptials. As with any wedding, there are eclectic personalities galore. Yet the biggest potential hurdle could be the origins of the families themselves. The two matriarchs have not met.
Jason's mother, Pam (Loretta Devine) adores her son, yet makes no effort to shield her disgust at the prospect of him marrying someone bred from perceived lucre. Of course, she has no reason to suspect the family's fortune was gained in a dishonorable way, but having an estate on the Vineyard already puts the potential in-laws square into her vitriolic crosshairs. To Pam, subtlety is a needless inconvenience. She relishes the windup. Sparing no critical expense, Pam manages to take offense at everything, but mostly at the couple's refusal to follow the tradition of "jumping the broom," a historical reference to the ritual where slaves would profess their love for one another as they weren't permitted to marry.
Sabrina's mother, Claudine (Angela Bassett), meanwhile, struggles to conjure up some semblance of serenity in the face of this chaos, yet has her own demons to contend with, mostly in the form of a long lost sister (Valarie Pettiford) with a secret that could derail the entire wedding. Adding to her mounting cafard is a painful admission from her husband (Brian Stokes Mitchell) regarding the estate itself.
The movie's more dramatic elements are offset by a slew of humorous exchanges and various romantic interludes, some more effective than others. I did like the efforts of young cousin Sebastian (Romeo Miller) to woo Pam's best friend, the several-years-older Shonda (Tasha Smith). At first, she tries to convey the silliness of a May-December romance, but eventually comes to the same conclusion we do... that trying to not like this guy is too monumental a task. And Julie Bowen has some nice moments as the caterer who tries to be helpful while hoping not to be offensive toward the African-American heritage of her employer. ("Is sunscreen something you would use?")
As the blushing bride, Paula Patton has a wide-eyed hopefulness that carries the movie. At times she's excruciatingly naive, yet she respects herself enough to overcome the painful family secrets revealed. Angela Bassett's character exists in a babel of compassion, heartache, pride, and resentment, and her performance is so nuanced that it crystallizes the complexity of each relationship. Loretta Devine plays Pam as far less complicated, but conveys just enough of a gentle side so we can understand her apprehension, even if we don't share it.
The film doesn't break any new narrative ground and there's little here that will be etched into my memory for long, but the humor was effective enough, the cast was likable enough, and I did end up caring for the leads. It honors the genre with its happy ending while honoring itself by appreciating the struggle it took to get there.
* * * out of * * * * stars
