Al Freeman Jr. Does an outstanding job portraying Uncle Earl, the relative down in the Delta who agrees to host his niece Loretta and her children for the summer. They live in Chicago where Loretta's mother Rosa is convinced her daughter is heading for a tragic ending, due to booze, drugs and unemployment. Grandson Thomas may be heading towards a violent future, too, simply because of the state of his neighborhood.
Down South, life is slower, safer and quieter. Earl proves to be a grand teacher of what is important in life and what is not. Loretta learns how to stick with a job, how to appreciate employment, and how to quickly acquire new skills. She also learns the importance of family and ancestry. Thomas learns shooting a camera will probably provide a much better future than shooting a gun ever would.
What will happen at the end of the summer? Will they stay down in the Delta or go back to Chicago? What about Rosa and the important family heirloom she possesses, which Earl firmly believes belongs back with family members in the South? Why is that heirloom so special? The ending of the movie was both satisfying and sad. Sad not only because it explained the history of the heirloom, but sad because it was the end of the movie.
Down South, life is slower, safer and quieter. Earl proves to be a grand teacher of what is important in life and what is not. Loretta learns how to stick with a job, how to appreciate employment, and how to quickly acquire new skills. She also learns the importance of family and ancestry. Thomas learns shooting a camera will probably provide a much better future than shooting a gun ever would.
What will happen at the end of the summer? Will they stay down in the Delta or go back to Chicago? What about Rosa and the important family heirloom she possesses, which Earl firmly believes belongs back with family members in the South? Why is that heirloom so special? The ending of the movie was both satisfying and sad. Sad not only because it explained the history of the heirloom, but sad because it was the end of the movie.