America's Dream Movie Review 1995

Trilogy of short stories covering black life from 1938 to 1958. In "Long Black Song," based on a short story by Richard Wright, Alabama farmer Silas (Glover) lives with lonely wife Sarah (Lifford), who succumbs to the charms of white travelling salesman, David (Donovan). "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black" is young Aaron (Golden), who gives the drawing to his teacher, Miss Williams (Calloway). But the portrait causes a great deal of controversy in Aaron's 1948 Georgia school, especially for ambitious principal George Du Vaul (Snipes). Based on a story by John Henrich Clarke. The last story is Maya Angelou's "The Reunion," about Chicago jazz pianist Philomena (Toussaint), who encounters her childhood nemesis, Beth Ann (Thompson), the daughter of the white family who employed her parents as servants.

Distribution

HBO, 1100 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, Phone: (212)512-7400, Fax: (212)512-7498, URL: http://www.hbo.com, Remarks: Online sales through www.store.hbo.com

Available on VHS
Running time 87 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Anthology, African America, Adapted from a Story, Period Piece: 20th Century

Screenplay

Ron Stacker Thompson, Ashley Tyler

Cast

Danny Glover, Tina Lifford, Tate Donovan, Dan Kamin, Wesley Snipes, Jasmine Guy, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Norman D. Golden, Timothy Carhart, Yolanda King, Rae'ven (Alyia Larrymore) Kelly, Lorraine Toussaint, Susanna Thompson, Carl Lumbly, Phyllis Cicero

Cinematography

Karl Herrmann

Director

Bill Duke, Kevin Rodney Sullivan, Paris Barclay

Music

Patrice Rushen

Producer

David Knoller, Danny Glover, Carolyn McDonald, Carrie Productions