In December 1961, poet Langston Hughes’ retelling of Mary and Joseph’s sojourn to a barn in Bethlehem landed Off Broadway.
Guiding light of the Harlem Renaissance, writer of the enduring query “What happens to a dream deferred?” Hughes used gospel renditions of hymns in his take on Christianity’s founding tale. For many churchgoers, “Black Nativity” has been a staple ever since. Yet, its screen adaptation is likely to be a revelation.
Writer-director Kasi Lemmons has gathered a mighty cast — headlined by Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett and Jennifer Hudson — and relocated her contemporary musical to Hughes’ Harlem haunts.
Youngster Jacob Latimore plays Langston Cobb, a manchild coming of age in Baltimore. He’s starting to push the bounds but is also dedicated to mother Naima (Hudson).
When they are served an eviction notice as Christmas approaches, hardworking Naima puts Jacob on a bus to stay with her estranged parents. Langston leaves the city of “The Wire” headed to the one-time hub of African American cultural life.
It’s good to see Hudson in a major film again. As an actress, she’s still a work in progress, but she has a commanding gift for depicting vulnerability and strength almost simultaneously.
