Down in the Delta

All THat and More
I wasn't able to see this film initially due to me moving back south, but the minute I saw it on video, I rented it, the minute I saw it on sale, I bought it and don't regret it. I am not surprised that this film is not up there as one of the best family films ever made. Here you have a movie made by one of the most talented and versatile women in this country, a cast of some of the best black actors around, and when the movie comes out,it gets little notice. Go figure. When I first saw this movie, I fell in love with it. The fact that this guy took the very object that his father was sold for and it stayed in that family from generation to generation. Beautiful. I think that the movie should be viewed in schools,churches,wherever you have an audience.

First-Rate Drama
Once again, Alfre Woodard shows us why she's one of the top American actresses. I do not understand why she isn't in more big-budget films. Just remember, this is the actress that lit up the stage twenty years ago in Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide. . . ."

Down in the Delta is a splendid film, rich in character development, themes, and filmmaking. Angelou is to be applauded.

We need more films like this!

A well-acted family story
"Down in the Delta," directed by Maya Angelou, tells the story of Loretta (played by Alfre Woodard), a single mother who lives in Chicago and faces economic hardships. She and her kids move to the family's rural ancestral home to live with her uncle (Al Freeman, Jr.). This change of setting has a profound impact on the family.

Those familiar with Angelou's fine books will probably see similar themes explored in this film. Solid performances are turned in by the excellent ensemble cast. I was especially impressed by Mpho Koaho as Loretta's young son. And veteran performer Esther Rolle turns in particularly moving performance as Loretta's Alzheimer's-afflicted aunt.

This film does a good job of exploring a variety of interconnected relationships in this multigenerational context. The film celebrates family ties and family tradition, as well as one's capacity to overcome adversity.

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