A Raisin in the Sun (2008) (TV)

Director:

Kenny Leon

Writers (WGA):

Paris Qualles (teleplay)
Lorraine Hansberry (play)

Release Date:

25 February 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An African-American family struggles with poverty, racism, and inner conflict as they strive for a better way of life. Based on the play by Lorraine Hansberry.

Plot Keywords:

Family | Based On Play

Cast

Paula Boudreau
Alexandra Cheron	...	Anna
Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs	...	Walter Lee Younger
Elle Downs	...	Cocktail Waitress
Ron C. Jones	...	Willy
Sanaa Lathan	...	Beneatha Younger
Justin Martin	...	Travis
Audra McDonald	...	Ruth Younger
Bill Nunn	...	Bobo
David Oyelowo	...	Asagai
Phylicia Rashad	...	Lena Younger
John Stamos	...	Carl Lindner
Paul Stephen	...	North Shore Businessman
Emily Swiss	...	Priscilla
Sean Patrick Thomas	...	George
Morgan Freeman	...	Narrator (uncredited)

Directed by
Kenny Leon

Writing credits (WGA)
Paris Qualles		(teleplay)
Lorraine Hansberry		(play)

Produced by
Susan Batson	....	executive producer
Royce Bergman	....	co-producer
David Binder	....	executive producer
Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs	....	executive producer
John M. Eckert	....	producer
Neil Meron	....	executive producer
Carl Rumbaugh	....	executive producer
Vivek J. Tiwary	....	producer: Broadway Revival
Craig Zadan	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Mervyn Warren

Cinematography by
Ivan Strasburg

Film Editing by
Melissa Kent

Casting by
James Calleri

Production Design by
Karen Bromley

Art Direction by
Rory Cheyne

Set Decoration by
Clive Thomasson

Costume Design by
Gersha Phillips

Makeup Department
Veronica Ciandre	....	key hair stylist
Patricia Keighran	....	makeup department head
Fina Khan	....	hair stylist
Burton J. LeBlanc	....	makeup artist (as Burton Leblanc)

Production Management
John M. Eckert	....	unit production manager
Pasia Schonberg	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Johnson	....	assistant director
Raj Singh	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Jamie Burke	....	construction coordinator
Ric Fernandez	....	head carpenter
Rex Fields	....	leadman
Paul Greenberg	....	graphic designer
Jonathan Kovacs	....	assistant property master
Matthew Lammerich	....	key scenic artist
Erin Leslie	....	assistant scenic artist
Russell Moore	....	set designer
Vic Rigler	....	property master
Jaclyn Shoub	....	set decoration buyer

Sound Department
Susan Cahill	....	adr supervisor
Alan Decker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Douglas Ganton	....	sound mixer
Frederick Howard	....	supervising sound editor
Amy Kane	....	foley artist
Jason McFarling	....	boom operator
Jim Thompson	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Dave Hill	....	key special effects
Martin Malivoire	....	special effects consultant

Camera and Electrical Department
Pierre Berube	....	electrician
Dave Bouskill	....	key rigging gaffer
Jayson Clute	....	first assistant camera
Ciaran Copelin	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Gilles Corbeil	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Gilles Corbeil	....	steadicam operator
Christopher Dean	....	key grip
Anthony Ellis	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Jim Holmes	....	best boy grip
Marcel Janisse	....	assistant camera
Mike Ohorodnyk	....	grip
Ron Schroeder	....	grip
Peter Stranks	....	still photographer
Franco Tata	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Jane Rogers	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Roslyn Hanchard	....	assistant costume designer
Karen Lee	....	costume truck supervisor
Trelawnie Mead	....	costume dyer/breakdown

Editorial Department
Craig Drikis Barnikis	....	assistant telecine colorist
Trudy Yee	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Joanie Diener	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Brian Harney	....	picture car coordinator
Roland 'Buddy' McGrath	....	transportation captain
Bruce McLean	....	transportation coordinator
Steve Russell	....	transportation co-captain
Marco Sousa	....	picture car captain

Other crew
Laurel Bresnahan	....	set teacher
Scott Brophy	....	assistant production coordinator
Connie Contardi	....	assistant to executive producer
Wayne Godfrey	....	on-set supervisor
Cynthia Graves	....	production coordinator
Mark Logan	....	location manager
Mark Nicholson	....	production associate
Esther Scannell	....	construction accountant
Warner Strauss	....	assistant location manager
Michalla Petersen	....	voice-over artist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Sony Pictures Television
• Storyline Entertainment
• Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (2007) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Hand Prop  props supplied by

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Sony Pictures Television

Trivia:

TV version of the Tony award-winning 2004 play revival, with same director and most of the lead-cast: Kenny Leon, 'Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs' , Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, Sanaa Lathan and Bill Nunn.

Goofs:

Continuity: When they are packing up the apartment, Momma is working on putting sticks around a small plant to protect it to wrap it. The number and location of the sticks are not in sync with the timing.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dreams Worth While: The Journey of 'A Raisin in the Sun' (2008) (V)

DIDDY? Oh, no he diddn't!

P-Diddy's performance in the film is P-thetic. Apparently tired of saying the same words night after night on stage has dulled Mr. Combs into a stunned stupor to which his bland expressions and monotone delivery attest. He seems at home with "da Homies" (Willy Harris and Bobo) at "da Club"(The Green Hat) but he can't switch his New York gangsta talk with a Southside Chicago accent. The fact that Willy Harris is a dead ringer for Snoop Dog didn't help. Mama was right; Walter does look (and sound) "like somebody's hoodlum". Mama, by the way, played by Phylicia Rashad, was amazing. She looks younger than other Lena Youngers on screen which is good as Walter is only 35 so Mama is probably not the white haired old lady directors like Daniel Petrie tried to make her look. Besides the youthful look, Rashad gives a very heartfelt performance making me think that Bill Cosby did the world a disfavour by holding her back from honing her serious side. Audra McDonald, in my opinion, is the best performer in the group. As wife Ruth, she really hits home with her every emotion.When she cries, we want to cry with her although at times it seems she's just crying at the atrocious performance by her lesser half, the Puffster. Rounding out the cast is David Oyelowo as the Nigerian Asagai (Oyelowo is, himself, Nigerian) and John Stamos as a handsome Mr. Lindner (alas, the not so handsome John Fiedler is no longer available for the role). I watched this film continually thinking what heights it might have reached if someone more competent was in the Walter role. Maybe they can use Computer Generation to insert Sidney Poitier's performance. That would be great.