Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (1999)
Tells the story of Sadie and Bessie Delany, two African-American (they preferred "colored") sisters who both lived past the age of 100. They grew up on a North Carolina college campus, the daughters of the first African-American Episcopal bishop, who was born a slave, and a woman with an inter-racial background. With the support of each other and their family, they survived encounters with racism and sexism in their own different ways. Sadie quietly and sweetly broke barriers to become the first African-American home-ec teacher in New York City, while Bessie, with her own brand of outspokenness, became the second African-American dentist in New York City. At the ages of 103 and 101, they told their story to Amy Hill Hearth, a white New York Times reporter who published an article about them. The overwhelming response launched a bestselling book, a Broadway play, and this film.
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Very well executed
Instant Favorite.
It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.
This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
After seeing the play that this is based on, I was surprised to read that it was being made into a film for television. The entire play consisted of two old women cooking dinner and talking. How could they get a movie out of that? Well, they certainly did! As powerful and moving as the play was, this film adds voices and images that bring the past to life -sometimes warmly, and sometimes in a chilling manner that shocks our modern sensibilities. All of the performances are excellent -There's no one to single out because everyone involved did fantastic work. The real stars are the Delaney sisters themselves, and their personalities emerge with crystalline clarity in every scene. This American classic is long overdue for a deluxe DVD release with commentary and other bonus materials. Until then, it is at least available from the Having Our Say website.Don't let the subject of this film fool you. It's not just for women and/or people of color. It's a remarkable trove of insight and wisdom from two accomplished women who lived -and thrived -through precarious times and emerged with dignity and grace. We need more people like the Delaney sisters in our world.
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.
"Having Our Say" brings new meaning to "coming of age" as it tells the story of two black American sisters, both 100+ years old. Carroll and Dee make a delightful centerpiece for this film which, through a series of flashbacks, recounts their growing up and growing old in a racially divided America. A highly sanitized film, "Having..." is a light hearted reflection on the black experience.
A wonderful film version of the best-selling book and smash Broadway play about the lives of Sadie and Bessie Delany, two African-American sisters who both lived over the age of 100 and told their story of witnessing a century of American history. Ruby Dee and Diahann Carroll give very good performances as Bessie and Sadie, respectively. Amy Madigan also is good as Amy Hill Hearth, the white New York Times reporter whose article about the sisters launched the book, etc. Many of the flashback scenes and even many of the present-day ones are very powerful, if not quite as inspirational as in the book. That is the only real drawback, combined with the fact that certain aspects of the story are not presented clearly, such as the inter-racial background of the sisters' mother and why their father was so stern. But other than that, a very well-done, excellently performed, powerful movie.