I think it's safe to say that Black History Month 2019 has been a bit of a shitshow. Before we cancel it, let's try to turn this ship around by uplifting some Black excellence in the form of comfort-giving films. With the Oscars around the corner, I thought we should honor some of the movies that never made it to that prestigious stage, but deserve their own accolades for what they represent to the culture. Grab a plate of mac and cheese -- leave the Kraft, Velveeta, and breadcrumbs at the store! -- and cuddle up to these 15 classics that every Black American has probably seen and love.
B*A*P*S, 1997
Halle Berry's best role to date -- yes, better than her Oscar-winning turn in Monster's Ball -- is as Nisi in Robert Townsend's B*A*P*S. Opposite a fabulously hilarious Natalie Desselle Reid, the two are hairdressing homegirls from Atlanta who move to Los Angeles to become dancers in a Heavy D music video. But once they get to Hollywood, they become actresses (sort of) by scamming a dying millionaire (the legendary, late Martin Landau). Fun fact: The Oscar-nominated costume designer of Black Panther, Ruth E. Carter, also designed the iconic look of this film, the poster of which I may or may not have on my wall at home.
Baby Boy, 2001
Before the world came to know Taraji P. Henson as the Golden Globe-winning lead of Lee Daniels' Empire -- because y'all keep forgetting she was nominated for a supporting actress Oscar for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button -- she fell into the hearts of Black America as the lovable Yvette in this John Singleton-directed drama. She starred opposite Tyrese's Jody, a good-for-nothing, deadbeat just trying to survive. I also feel compelled to tell you Ving Rhames is ass-naked in a scene, because that's just what he does.
The Wood, 1999
Omar Epps, Richard T. Jones, and Taye Diggs star in this coming-of-age film from Rick Famuyiwa about a group of friends reminiscing on their high school years in advance of one of their weddings. Malinda Williams, LisaRaye, and Sanaa Lathan also star in this Inglewood, CA set romantic dramedy. It's very The Best Man, but less beloved. A travesty, truly.
Kingdom Come, 2001
Whoopi Goldberg. L.L. Cool J. Jada Pinkett Smith. Vivica A. Fox. Loretta Devine. Anthony Anderson. Cedric The Entertainer. Toni THE Braxton. I can literally go on and on and on about the Black comedic excellence in this Doug McHenry comedy about a family coming together to plan the funeral of a lovingly despicable family member. If you ever wanted to see what happens when a pastor has to take a shit while preaching, this is your flick.
Holiday Heart, 2000
This made-for-TV movie starred Ving Rhames as the titular, larger-than-life drag queen and effeminate gay man who takes in a drug addict mother (superbly played by the legendary Alfre Woodard) and her child (Jesika Reynolds). But things get complicated when another man, played by Mykelti Williamson, comes into their life. Woodard earned a Golden Globe for her role, the true definition of acting with a capital A!
Eve's Bayou, 1997
Written and directed by Kasi Lemmons, Eve's Bayou follows the chain reaction of events that follow a daughter witnessing her father having an affair. A young Jurnee Smollett-Bell leads a powerful cast including Lynn Whitfield, Meagan Good, Samuel Jackson, Debbi Morgan, and Diahann Carroll. Admittedly, some white people had to have seen this film as it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry last year.
The Player's Club, 1998
I never knew the joy I'd get out of seeing strippers fight, but The Player's Club gives me all that I need. Written and directed by Ice Cube and about a woman who must contend with rival dancers and her boss in an attempt to make a legitimate living, the film stars LisaRaye, Bernie Mac, Monica Calhoun, Jamie Foxx, Charlie Murphy, Terrence Howard, and Faizon Love.
Set It Off, 1996
"What's the fucking procedure when you have a gun to your head?" When I tell you Vivica A. Fox proves her acting chops in this film, I mean it! Pair that with a gun in Dana Owens' (that's Queen Latifah to you plebeians) hands and you can sign me up anyday. Along with Jada Pinkett Smith and the not-talked-about-enough Kimberly Elise, this action drama follows four women who stage a bank robbery as a means of survival.
Lean on Me, 1989
I love when a song written by a man is sang -- and I do mean sang! -- by a Black woman, and that's exactly what this Morgan Freeman-led picture gives us. Based loosely on the real-life story of Joe Clark, an New Jersey high school principal whose school is at risk of being taken over by the state unless students improve their test scores, this film takes its title from the notable 1972 Bill Withers song of the same name. But when Sandra Reaves-Phillips as Mrs. Powers wraps her vocal cords around it? Transcendent!
The Five Heartbeats, 1991
You know a film is good when it's about fictional people, but everyone believes they're real. Robert Townsend accomplished that feat with this musical drama about the rise and fall of a Black singing group, a la The Temptations. Black aunties everywhere are still running around the family reunion talking about, "Them Five Heartbeats sho' could sing," with a watermelon wine cooler in her hand.
Waiting to Exhale, 1995
When four legends come together, what else do you have but greatness? Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon -- okay, three legends and a fourth who nonetheless held her own -- lead this romantic drama based on icon Terry McMillan's novel of the same name about four very different Black women and their relationships with the lesser gender. It's the film that gave us the illustrious meme of Bassett setting a car on fire that I use everytime I talk about toppling the white, cis, hetero patriarchy, or quitting my job.
School Daze, 1988
Spike Lee's greatest film -- I'm ready to fight, already. That's okay! -- is about the experience of a student on a historically Black college campus interested in pledging a historically Black fraternity. It's packed full of original music, massive dance numbers, and fashions for days. Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, Tisha Campbell-Martin, and Jasmine Guy join Lee for a supremely talented cast.
Love Jones, 1997
Never has Black (hetero) love been captured so well on screen. Theodore Witcher's debut stars Larenz Tate as a young poet named Darius Lovehall and Nia Long as Nina Mosley, a photographer, who fall in and out, and in again, love. Set in Chicago's spoken-word scene, Love Jones showcases a different aspect of Black life, one where struggle and strife did not dictate one's circumstances, where one's group of friends -- played by Isaiah Washington, Lisa Nicole Carson, Bill Bellamy and Leonard Roberts -- were more like family.
Phat Girlz, 2006
Big girls in Hollywood deserve more starring vehicles and Mo'Nique has been leading that charge for some time. (Sorry, Rebel Wilson!) In this comedy, the Skinny Women Are Evil author and eventual Oscar-winner stars with Kendra C. Johnson as two large-and-in-charge ladies who meet the men of their dreams who don't mind a little extra cushion for the pushing.
Soul Food, 1997
I'm not sure I even need to explain the Black classic that this is, but just in case, Soul Food is one of the greatest contributions to the cannon of the Black experience captured on film. About how one person can keep a family together and how when that one person dies, a family can be torn apart, this George Tillman drama stars Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Michael Beach, Mekhi Phifer, and Brandon Hammond. Trust me, Soul Food is required viewing. Oh, and "I let the family in my house and the family fucked my husband!"
