Michelle Simms Movies
- 1991
Vivian (Janet Hubert-Whitten) goes out of town for a weekend, leaving Hilary (Karyn Parsons) in charge of her younger siblings. Naturally, Hilary turns out to be a tyrant (it's a TV sitcom tradition), but the real "drama" of the story gets under way when Will (Will Smith) sneaks into town and ends up in a high-stakes pool game with a tough hustler named Charlie the Mack (J.D. Hall). Surprisingly, Philip (James Avery) comes to Will's rescue--and saves the family's Mercedes--by showing off his heretofore unsuspected brilliance with a pool cue. The result is an unusual bonding moment between Will and his uncle. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Beulah Land is an edited, movie-length version of the three-part TV miniseries adaptation of Lonnie Coleman's multi-part novels. The film is set in the Old South, with a time span ranging from 1827 to the postwar Reconstruction Era. Lesley Ann Warren stars as Sarah Kendrick, young belle of the Beulah Land plantation, who finds herself in love with a "damn Yankee." Sarah must also contend with a weakling brother (Paul Rudd) and a former slave (Dorian Harewood) who demands freedom as a right rather than a privilege. Beulah Land took forever to get before the cameras due to protests from black historical organizations; when it was finally telecast on October 7-9, 1980, NBC conducted a low-pressure ad campaign, as though the network was still fearful of stepping on toes despite the testimonial of a black Yale history professor, who commended the production for its "special sensitivity." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lesley Ann Warren, Michael Sarrazin, (more)
