A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Daniel Petrie

Writers:

Lorraine Hansberry (play)
Lorraine Hansberry (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 September 1961 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Prize-Winning Drama That Warms The Screen With Its People and Its Passions!...

Plot:

A substantial insurance payment could mean either financial salvation or personal ruin for a poor black family.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Black Family | Argument | Black Culture | Working Class

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 15

12:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Sidney Poitier	...	Walter Lee Younger
Claudia McNeil	...	Lena Younger
Ruby Dee	...	Ruth Younger
Diana Sands	...	Beneatha Younger
Ivan Dixon	...	Asagai
John Fiedler	...	Mark Lindner
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	George Murchison (as Louis Gossett)
Stephen Perry	...	Travis Younger
Joel Fluellen	...	Bobo
Louis Terrel	...	Herman
Roy Glenn	...	Willie Harris

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #19812) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | UK:PG | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | UK:A (original rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario - 2006) | Argentina:Atp | Spain:13 | Chile:14 | South Korea:12 | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Sidney Poitier was nominated for the 1960 Tony Award (New York City) for Actor in a Drama for "A Raisin in the Sun" as Walter Lee Younger and recreated his role in this production.

Quotes:

Lena Younger: [sobbing] Oh God, please, look down and give me strength!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Will & Grace: Marry Me a Little (#5.8)" (2002)

Masterpiece

Diary entry 1996:

For decades I have been waiting for American TV to see fit to exhibit the movie version of "A Raisin in the Sun". The day will never come. So I grabbed the opportunity to check out the video from the library. I didn't expect to be moved as much as I was when I first saw the TV play. After all, I knew the plot. The novelty effect was no longer there. Yet I was tearful throughout the movie, and was wiping away tears for the last half hour. There are wonderful lines like "Seems God saw fit to give the black man nothing but dreams - but He sure saw fit to give'em children to make the dream seem worthwhile". "A raisin in the Sun" is not only the greatest movie drama, but also the greatest American play. This play transcends race and addresses universal issues. It combines drama with humor with admirable balance.