Director and co-writer Jussie Smollett has his sophomore feature focusing on a married man named Jason Holliday, played by Smollett himself. Jason has a husband called Damien, played by Jabari Redd (The Chi and B-Boy Blues). Jason is the owner and manager of a construction company in Los Angeles. He's the breadwinner and he lets Damien know it, especially during their therapy sessions. Both are in counseling due to their marriage being on the rocks. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that they are in the process of adopting an 8-year-old girl, Arielle, played by Londyn Carter (Snowfall). That would be enough, but this film isn't really about this Black, same-sex, married couple with a child, a rare subject for any motion picture.
Vivica A. Fox (Soul Food and Independence Day) co-stars as Cassandra, the mother to Damien from whom he's estranged. She lives in Detroit. She's fond of peach Moscato, vaping and baking cakes and biscuits. She seems somewhat hip, but she's also conservative in several ways and she didn't know her son had a husband. When she does learn, she's not exactly accepting. She claims not to be homophobic, but it seems as if there is a whiff of it. She does fall in love with Arielle but her relationship with her potential grandchild becomes a sticking point.
Jason believes that Cassandra is homophobic and he initially doesn't want her energy around Arielle. He also clashes with her personality. They argue and bicker. Going back-and-forth with their relationship is what this film is really about. Smollett and Fox worked together on the series Empire (2015), so they have a good rapport. The back-and-forth is entertaining with Smollett getting funny one-liners.
Yet, the film pivots to focus on a romance between Cassandra and the owner of a BBQ restaurant, Garland Kirby, played by Memphis Cade. It's not much of a pivot, but the film spends some time on it. There's supposed to be a connect, as Garland was like a surrogate father to Damien. We get one scene where Garland basically explains that, but it would've been interesting if Smollett showed this relationship or had more of Garland's connection to Damien. Garland and Damien's relationship gets rather short shrift.
A couple of films regarding a gay male couple where one has to deal with the parent, particularly the mother, of the other. Recently, the Japanese film Egoist (2024) and the British film Lilting (2014) tackled the topic. Both those films hit more emotionally. This one had a sentimental ending, but it didn't hit as emotionally as those aforementioned films. It didn't hit as hard as Smollett's previous, debut feature, B-Boy Blues (2022). It also didn't have the cinematic flair as B-Boy Blues. That's not needed, but the film doesn't do enough to make the emotional impact as effective. A lot of it comes from a lack of Damien as a presence here.
Not Rated but for general audiences.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 36 mins.
Premiered at the American Black Film Festival and playing in select theaters.