Product Description
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Producers T. D. Jakes and Tracey E. Edmonds invite you to the
marriage of Sabrina Watson (Paula Patton, Precious ) and Jason
Taylor (Laz Alonso, Fast & Furious), who just might be the
perfect couple. Unfortunately, their families are a perfect
recipe for disaster. Mrs. Watson (Angela Bassett) has an
upper-crust sensibility that matches her family’s Martha’s
Vineyard estate, where Jason’s straight-out-of-Brooklyn mom
(Loretta Devine) seems utterly out of place. When the families
gather for Jason and Sabrina’s wedding, it becomes clear that
each side has its traditions... and its secrets. When uptown
meets downtown, the truth comes out – and only one question
remains. Will this couple endure the hysterical and harrowing
trials of love and finally jump the broom?
.com
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It's significant that Jumping the Broom and Tyler Perry's
African-American family romp Madea's Big Happy Family came to
occupy entertainment and cultural space at the same time. They're
both addressed to similar themes of class and some specific
matters of comic or deeply serious family dysfunction through an
underlying core of spiritual messaging. Jumping the Broom manages
a more polished and broadly entertaining view as it follows the
princess-and-commoner wedding weekend of Jason and Sabrina on her
wealthy family's fantastical Martha's Vineyard estate. Jason
comes from blue-collar Brooklyn, but has made it big on Wall
Street and is a perfect catch as far as Sabrina is concerned,
particularly since she's made a vow to God to stop giving away
her "cookies" after a series of demoralizing hook-ups. After just
five months Jason and Sabrina become engaged, and rushed
arrangements supervised by Sabrina's imperious mom (a steely
Angela Bassett) are being made on the Vineyard. Jason's
working-class family crew is wrangled by his mom (Loretta Devine,
who also plays a mom in the Madea movie), a hot-tempered
matriarch who won't 'llow no foolishness from anybody, especially
her son and his snooty in-laws-to-be. There's so much raucous
head-butting activity and interaction among all the friends,
cousins, uncles, sisters, spouses, chefs, maids, wedding
planners, and guests that the movie almost loses its way.
Everyone has a back story and business that involve everything
from romantic encounters and family dynamics to ethnic
stereotypes and profound, secret shames. Fortunately all the
elements come around and the busy bickering recedes into
resolution as the wedding comes off with plenty of spiritual
uplift. The very large cast (all those crazy stories!) is also
very good in fulfilling roles that are distinctive and well
drawn. In addition to Bassett and Devine, Mike Epps, Tasha Smith,
Brian Stokes Mitchell, Gary Dourdan, Romeo, and Julie Bowen as
the clueless white planner create an ensemble that deftly
entertains against some classy backdrops and lots of laughs.
Mega-church pastor and popular self-help author T.D. Jakes is one
of the movie's producers, and he has a small but effective role
that serves to define the spiritual and moralistic back of
the movie. Like Tyler Perry's message, it's nothing but
traditionalism and common sense, and in Jumping the Broom it's no
impediment to the overall charm. --Ted Fry