Harriet
The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.
Director:
Kasi Lemmons
Cast:
Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, Jennifer Nettles, Janelle Monáe
Screenplay:
Gregory Allen Howard, Kasi Lemmons
Screening Date:
Oct 26, 2019
Studio:
Martin Chase Productions, Focus Features
Running Time:
2h 5min
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.0% | 30.0% | 20.0% | 10.0% | 0.0% |
“Best film we’ve seen this year, great story, great message. I
could stop there but great performance by Erivo, and Leslie
Odom Jr. is the prettiest thing I’ve seen on screen in a long
while.”
“I agree with those among us who took issue with the (likely)
distortion of facts and I wish this important film was less
‘Disney-fied.’ The director’s comment about wanting to make
history exciting? Nonetheless her story, even if partially
misrepresented is so important that I truly enjoyed the film,
blown away by what Harriet Tubman did.” Thanks Jeanne K
“While some of this story was fictionalized, visually it was also
prettified.”
“Well, I Know this was a biography and as a piece of cinema it
was lush and myth building and very good. I might have
preferred a plainer telling of Harriet Tubman’s story but I knew
very few details about her and am very happy to be
enlightened. We live in a time when Trump has blocked putting
her face on currency. So yes, let’s celebrate her in a grand
way.”
“A definite crowd-pleasing film, she lived until her 90’s?
Sequel? Please!”
“Great subject but clothes were too clean. Background story
too perfect. A movie for young teenagers.”
“John you finally brought us a winner. Should be up for several
Academy Awards!”
“To paraphrase Springstein: I found out more about Harriet in
the two hours of this film than I ever did in school.”
“Too pat for those who do not have a history background. A bit
of a stretch.”
“The world does not need the Disney version of the Harriet
Tubman story!”
“A wonderful, beautifully filmed movie! I want to know how
much is verifiable truth. The word ‘hero’ is over used in our
society. To me, a hero is one who sacrifices something real and
tangible for a cause/goal. Harriet is of course the definitive
hero. Even with all her ‘god nonsense’ she accomplished so
much with skill, foresight, love and courage. This movie tells us
her story but also tells a story that people can do much to serve
humanity.”
"A good movie with some missing intensity.”
“Harriet is another example of an important story produced as
a Hollywoodization. The preachiness of the lead characters’
dialogue was so ridiculous as to make one want to slap the
screenwriter. Cynthia Erivo is saddled with a poor script. She is
a better actress than this screenplay allows her to be. Janelle
Monae is beautiful to look at but so difficult to watch trying to
act.”
“I understand the desire to make her into a legend, much as in
her life she became almost a mythical ‘Moses.” So I almost
forgive the filmmakers for the confrontation scene with her
former owner. Good screenwriting, bad history.”
“A story that needed to be told on the screen. At times the
script was a bit overly melodramatic. Reading a book is
informative but sometimes a picture is worth 1,000 words.
Excellent use of music. I realized where many folk songs come
from. Visually stunning. A nice synopsis of the major parts of
her life that show how much she accomplished. The story of
her leading Union soldiers to free slaves during the Civil War
was new to me. Students should see this! I guess from the
discussion the movie took some artistic license with historical
facts.”
“Can you arrange a screening for Mr. Trump? He and his
followers need the message of this film. Harriet Tubman, a
name I’ve heard since childhood and knew nothing about.
What an education I’ve had this morning. Thank You!”
“Thank you, best film this season. They aced everything from
casting to editing to musical score. No unnecessary scenes.
Just beautifully filmed. And another very educational film
where the story must stay alive to be told.”
If you'd like to know more about the film...
Director Kasi Lemmons with cast and crew discuss the significance of Harriet and the important message it sends to today's society. "When your courage outweighs your fear and you have force of will you can accomplish anything." - Kasi Lemmons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N8sgVS32fY (Q &A)
Biography of Harriet Tubman from history.com/The History Channel that helps clear up what is fact and fiction in the film and also provides information on her later years. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/harriet-tubman
Related Content:
Roots - Chronicles the history of an African American sold into slavery in America and his decsendents. Available on Prime Video. Trailer and synopsis: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3315386/?ref_=tt_sims_tti
Underground - Ficaional series about Harriet Tubman and other heroes of the underground railroad and their fight for freedom. Available on Hulu and Prime Video. Trailer and synopsis: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4522400/
