SYNOPSIS:
Dirty
Laundry is a 2007 drama film written,
directed, and starring Maurice Jamal. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and
distributed by Codeblack Entertainment. It is available on DVD and is rated PG-13.[1]
After
ten years, Sheldon returns from New York City to Paris, Georgia. His mother
Evelyn, a laundress who is stubborn, ornery, opinionated, mean-spirited,
insulting, and inflexible, has sent a ten-year-old boy who says he's Sheldon's
son up to see Sheldon. Sheldon comes home to straighten things out. Old
arguments flare up - between mother and son and between brothers. Sheldon wants
no part of fatherhood or family. Then, someone else from New York shows up at
Evelyn's door, bringing a new set of challenges. Will this family ever stop
airing its dirty laundry? And what of Sheldon: where is his pride? Can he, in
the words of James Baldwin, go where his blood beats and live the life he has?
REVIEW:
What is Dirty
Laundry? It's Soul Food plus In & Out as
if directed by Tyler Perry. As a large, loud, funny, small-town
African-American family comes to terms with the closeted gay man in their
midst, there's plenty of laughter, recriminations, and tears to go around. It's
a jam-packed 100 minutes, never earth-shattering, but certainly not boring.
The extended family and townsfolk, who love to dish about each other in church
pews and at big barbecues, are equally suspicious of Patrick, whom they
remember as Sheldon. The very fact that he's changed his name is cause for more
whispers. Things really come to a head when Patrick's white
twink-with-a-heart-of-gold boyfriend Ryan (Joey Costello) shows up and starts
to win people over with his oblivious honesty and sense of fun. No one is more
outspoken about all this activity than busybody Aunt Lettuce (Jenifer Lewis),
whose over-the-top fashion sense and horrific gospel singing voice provide the
movie's funniest moments. There's nothing like a hypocritical, foul-mouthed
shrew to inject laughs into a bustling family comedy.
Ultimately, it's up to mother and son to work through some harsh accusations
and hurt feelings before anything resembling a happy ending can take place.
Their fierce verbal battles feel real, and Devine is great in the role of the
aggrieved mother who took in washing for decades in order to put a roof over
her son's head, only to have him walk away. For his part, Patrick blames Evelyn
for years of disapproval both stated and unstated, and only after they both lay
it all out on the table can the two start to accept that both just tried to do
their best, mistakes and all, and maybe forgiveness is the way to go.
Dirty Laundry breaks a bit of new ground by telling its coming-out story
in the context of a southern black community, but other than that, it's run of
the mill, with a few good laughs along the way. Enjoy it for its good
intentions and for the strong performances from Devine and Lewis.
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