Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (1999) (TV)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Lynne Littman

Writers (WGA):

Sarah L. Delany (book) and
A. Elizabeth Delany (book) ...

Release Date:

18 April 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Tells the story of Sadie and Bessie Delany, two African-American (they preferred "colored") sisters who both lived past the age of 100...

Plot Keywords:

African American | New York | Sexism | Racism | Sister

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Diahann Carroll	...	Sadie Delany
Ruby Dee	...	Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany
Amy Madigan	...	Amy Hill Hearth
Lisa Arrindell Anderson	...	Sadie in her 20s
Audra McDonald	...	Bessie in her 20s
Mykelti Williamson	...	Papa Delany
Lonette McKee	...	Mama Delany
Richard Roundtree	...	Booker T. Washington
Della Reese	...	Martha Logan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cameron Arnett	...	Lemuel
Nate Bynum
Brandon Crawford	...	Bag Boy
Annie Joe Edwards	...	New tenant
Carter Gaston	...	Manross Delaney
Micki Grant	...	Actress playing Sadie on Broadway
Kiara Harris	...	Sadie, age 7
April Jones	...	Harriet
Rebecca Koon	...	Miss Moseley
Patty Mack	...	Mildred
Lizan Mitchell	...	Actress playing Bessie on Broadway
Terry Nienhuis	...	Mr. Milliam
Haleigh Porter	...	Bessie, age 5
Clifton Powell
Alison Robertson	...	Teacher
Bumper Robinson	...	Frank
Christopher Simmons
Bobby Tyson	...	Hap
Alex Van	...	Drunk White Man

Also Known As:

Having Our Say (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Company:

C&J Productions

Trivia:

The original Broadway production of "Having Our Say" by Emily Mann opened at the Booth Theater in New York on April 6, 1995, ran for 317 performances and was nominated for the 1995 Tony Award for the Best Play. Emily Mann also wrote the teleplay for this filmed production.

Quotes:

Bessie in her 20s: I know what kind of professor he is, I've seen his kind before.

Sublime Dignity Earned Through The Suffering Of Untold Dignities

The autobiography on which this movie is based remains one of the most heart-rending books I have ever read. It tells the amazing stories of two sisters, both who earned devotion and respect working well into their 70's as a teacher and a dentist, then lived another 30 years with dignity. Ruby Dee steals the film with her perfectly nuanced performance as the rebellious "blacker" Bessie, the dentist. She not only expresses her anger, angst, and wisdom well; she lets you know exactly where they've come from using an economy of words. Diahnn Carroll has the feel of the older sister, the teacher, down perfectly, but I'm afraid she never makes me believe that she's over 100. No matter -- the stories are well worth telling. Amy Madigan is a bit too extreme and intrusive in acting overwhelmed and insecure in the first half of the movie as the Caucasian NY Times reporter. This, too, is only a minor distraction. The stories, all true, are the attraction and although two or three get slightly damaged in the translation, most of them make it through just fine.

I recommend the book as essential reading to all people I recommend any books to. I cannot quite but this TV-movie in that rarefied air, but it certainly captures enough of the flavor to be highly worthwhile in its own right.