Bringing a stage play to television is a pretty ballsy thing to do. Plays are an entirely different art form—a much
slower art form. Even a brilliant play like “A Raisin in the Sun” moves at the speed of sloth at times. The whole first scene (aka Exposition Central) takes forever to lay out the plot. When do cars start exploding and stuff?
What is it? “A Raisin in the Sun” is a Very Important Part of the American Canon. It’s the story of an African-American family living in Chicago in 1959. The patriarch has died, and the matriarch (and entire three-generation clan) is waiting on a $10,000 insurance check.
Who's that? Phylicia Rashad is awesome, as always, as the put-upon grandmother. Her character Lena is like a more folksy Mrs. Huxtable. So how’d she get such bratty kids?
Her daughter Beneatha (Sanaa Lathan) is a college student who’s written as a selfish, impetuous snotbag. And she comes with her Nigerian professor/crush Asagai, played by David Oyelowo, an epic hottie better known in Britain. He’s a good actor, too: the scene where he presents Beneatha with gifts and puts up with her endless attitude is totally charming. Give him more work! American women demand it!
The 'Diddy' factor: But what you really want to know is if Sean Combs’ can act, right? (Yes, it's Sean Combs now—P. Diddy is
sooo 2006.) He played the role of Walter, the man of the house, to mixed reviews on Broadway, and while he’s not a polished actor, P. Doodles actually kind of works for the part. You know how, for all the millions he’s amassed in life, he actually seems pretty immature? Well, his character Walter is immature, too. On a much less blingy level, but his basic selfishness and obliviousness is essentially the same.
The verdict: "A Raisin in the Sun" is totally watchable, but you’ll need lots of snacks to sustain yourself. May we suggest... raisins?
