Movie Review – A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun (1961) – A poor black family in Chicago faces new stresses when the life insurance check arrives.  Walter Lee (Sidney Poitier) dreams of escaping his poverty while his wife Ruth (Ruby Dee) is simply trying to figure out how to keep her husband happy.  His mother has to figure out what to do with that money as it tears her family apart.

The Tony award winning play is brought to the screen with most of the Broadway cast reprising their roles.  This is the movie debut of Louis Gossett.  The supporting cast includes veteran character actor John Fielder and Ivan Dixon (best known to my generation from his role on “Hogan’s Heroes”).

In many ways this is the classic story of a young man reaching for the mythical “American Dream”.  A dream that has always been as much a curse as a blessing.  Immigrant group after immigrant group have struggled with the desire to join the middle class and the need to assimilate with the dominant culture.  For the African American there is the added layer of racism that forms a barrier to making that change.  All of that stands at the center of the story here.  Walter, his sister and his mother represent three different set of dreams and expectations.  Conflict begins there and then runs head long into the cold, grim reality of real life.

” Raisin in the Sun” is the story of the potential for dreams to both inspire and consume the dreamer.

Rating – **** Recommended