Salim Akil's feature directorial debut, "Jumping the Broom," is a predictable, yet funny and endearing, comedy about the clash of two families from different socioeconomic backgrounds coming together for a wedding. As expected, their emotions are high and drama ensues.
After a string of relationships going nowhere, Sabrina (Paula Patton) makes a deal with God that she will save herself if He sends her the right guy. Bam! She crashes into Jason (Laz Alonso)—literally. She runs into him with her car, and they are swept into a whirlwind romance. Before she even meets his mother, Pam (Loretta Devine), the couple is getting married. The families finally get to meet on the weekend of the wedding at Sabrina's family's home on Martha's Vineyard, and neither family is happy about it.
The humor in the film is frequently based on familiar characters and situations, but the screenplay by Elizabeth Hunter and Arlene Gibbs gives nearly each of the characters in the large cast a story arc of his or her own, which allows character development and prevents them from dissolving in to one-dimensional stereotypes. Sabrina's family is the wealthy high-class type, while Jason's family represents the lower class.
At the heart of the drama is the secret Sabrina's mother, Claudine (Angela Bassett), is keeping from her, which threatens to destroy the wedding. At first glance, Claudine is a snobby ice queen. But, as the story progresses, Bassett infuses her with a vulnerability and tenderness that makes her sympathetic. Pam—Jason's religious mother who is ironically in anger management classes—could easily have been a one-note character, bogged down with the one-liners; but, from the start, Devine brings the character to life, imbuing her with emotion and love to keep her well-rounded. Both actors establish their characters as flawed but clearly motivated by love for their children.
Patton and Alonso turn in respectable performances, but despite that the story centers on their characters, the draw is the cast surrounding them. The stellar supporting actors elevate the material, creating authentic characters that make the tale believable despite all the drama going on.
Brian Stokes Mitchell's stoic father of Sabrina soon transforms into a loving, hard-working man who is able to persuade his wife to accept Jason. Mike Epps takes the sleazy character of Jason's uncle and gives him heart, making him the voice of reason when Pam threatens to destroy everything. Julie Bowen turns in a hilarious performance as the wedding coordinator, leaving a solid impression in a short amount of screen time. And Tasha Smith's portrayal of Pam's best friend is fun and authentic.
The multiple storylines combined with the comical characters keep the film moving. Despite the lack of clear connections between the two main plotlines—the families coming together and the family secret—the cast is fun to watch and manages to bring laughter and tears.
Genre: Comedy
Written by: Elizabeth Hunter and Arlene Gibbs
Directed by: Salim Akil
Starring: Angela Bassett, Paula Patton, Laz Alonso, Loretta Devine, Meagan Good, Tasha Smith, Julie Bowen, Romeo Miller, DeRay Davis, Valarie Pettiford, Mike Epps.
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