Watch Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years For Free
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
Tells the story of Sadie and Bessie Delany, two African-American (they preferred "colored") sisters who both lived past the age of 100. They grew up on a North Carolina college campus, the daughters of the first African-American Episcopal bishop, who was born a slave, and a woman with an inter-racial background. With the support of each other and their family, they survived encounters with racism and sexism in their own different ways. Sadie quietly and sweetly broke barriers to become the first African-American home-ec teacher in New York City, while Bessie, with her own brand of outspokenness, became the second African-American dentist in New York City. At the ages of 103 and 101, they told their story to Amy Hill Hearth, a white New York Times reporter who published an article about them. The overwhelming response launched a bestselling book, a Broadway play, and this film.
| Release : | 1999 |
| Rating : | 7.5 |
| Studio : | |
| Crew : | Director, Producer, |
| Cast : | Diahann Carroll Ruby Dee Amy Madigan Lisa Arrindell Audra McDonald |
| Genre : | Drama History TV Movie |
Watch Trailer
Cast List
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Reviews
Redundant and unnecessary.
Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
The acting in this movie is really good.
After seeing the play that this is based on, I was surprised to read that it was being made into a film for television. The entire play consisted of two old women cooking dinner and talking. How could they get a movie out of that? Well, they certainly did! As powerful and moving as the play was, this film adds voices and images that bring the past to life -sometimes warmly, and sometimes in a chilling manner that shocks our modern sensibilities. All of the performances are excellent -There's no one to single out because everyone involved did fantastic work. The real stars are the Delaney sisters themselves, and their personalities emerge with crystalline clarity in every scene. This American classic is long overdue for a deluxe DVD release with commentary and other bonus materials. Until then, it is at least available from the Having Our Say website.Don't let the subject of this film fool you. It's not just for women and/or people of color. It's a remarkable trove of insight and wisdom from two accomplished women who lived -and thrived -through precarious times and emerged with dignity and grace. We need more people like the Delaney sisters in our world.
I really enjoyed watching this movie about the Delany sisters. I knew of them, but that was all. This movie opened my eyes to their bravado and courage. What a pair. What sacrifices they made to live life on their own terms. This is not only a movie for African Americans, but for all Americans. It is sort of a history lesson and a documentary rolled into one and combined with an entertaining movie biography. The acting was superior by all included and we really do get a glimpse of the hardships these two sisters went through for many years. Both sisters are quite different from each other. They came from a very loving and very strict family with high, maybe even impossible standards of perfection. It is sad to see how Sadie's father refused to allow his daughter to continue to see her boyfriend due to a possible misunderstanding. I thoroughly recommend this movie and I am glad I caught it on television the other day.
The autobiography on which this movie is based remains one of the most heart-rending books I have ever read. It tells the amazing stories of two sisters, both who earned devotion and respect working well into their 70's as a teacher and a dentist, then lived another 30 years with dignity. Ruby Dee steals the film with her perfectly nuanced performance as the rebellious "blacker" Bessie, the dentist. She not only expresses her anger, angst, and wisdom well; she lets you know exactly where they've come from using an economy of words. Diahnn Carroll has the feel of the older sister, the teacher, down perfectly, but I'm afraid she never makes me believe that she's over 100. No matter -- the stories are well worth telling. Amy Madigan is a bit too extreme and intrusive in acting overwhelmed and insecure in the first half of the movie as the Caucasian NY Times reporter. This, too, is only a minor distraction. The stories, all true, are the attraction and although two or three get slightly damaged in the translation, most of them make it through just fine.I recommend the book as essential reading to all people I recommend any books to. I cannot quite but this TV-movie in that rarefied air, but it certainly captures enough of the flavor to be highly worthwhile in its own right.
This was a fine example of how an interesting film can be made without using big stars and big effects. Just tell a true story about the struggles of two African American women over a turbulent century.This movie challenges us all to look at our own personal prejudices and see that people are people, not white, black, etc.Good movie with a good message.
