I’m a sucker for a good film based on a book. The Supremes at Earl’s All You Can Eat is based on the 2013 popular book of the same name by Edward Kelsey Moore. It is directed by Tina Mabry and mainly focuses on the lives of three African American women back in the 1960s and in 1999, 30 years later. It’s a slice-of-life film that is mainly aimed at a certain subsection of America.

Odette (Anjanue Ellis-Taylor, Kyanna Simone) and Clarice (Uzo Aduba, Abigail Achiri) befriend Barbara Jean (Sanaa Lathan, Tati Gabrielle) when they are sent to deliver a cooked chicken to her house. They see her father has been abusive to her, and they introduce her to Big Earl (Tony Winters), the owner of the All You Can Eat diner, which they frequent on a regular basis.  Because they get dressed up and hang together Earl dubs the “The Supremes”. He offers Barbara Jean a place to live away from the abusive behavior of her father. From this moment they become best friends and remain so for thirty years.

These three women have their things: they do things such as play the piano and date boys who become their husbands or forbidden love. Like any woman White, Black, Asian, or Latina, they have problems that affect their lives. Such as pregnancy, cancer, death, murder, cheating husbands, alcoholism,  and being born in a tree. All these things help to strengthen their friendship but threaten to tear them apart at the same time. Over the period of thirty years, they’ve been through quite a lot.

The three actresses who play these strong-willed, opinionated, tough women are three actresses who have had their fair share of success in their careers. From Oscar nominations to Emmy wins and everything in between these three ladies have accomplished a lot in their careers. These three roles all have something a little different for each of them.  They all have their ups and downs. They struggle with men, their health, work, and other aspects of their lives. One thing remains constant, though. The bond they have with each other.   

This story is specifically geared toward a certain audience, but in actuality, it could be relatable to any group of women from any walk of life. These themes in this story are very broad topics that could and I’m sure do happen to many women in the world. Because it is specifically geared to the Black community there are specific situations that I’m sure are very familiar with many Black men and women. I can guarantee from being friends with some Black men and women they would agree with me on these points I’m making.

The director uses flashbacks to help tell this story and because of the nature of the flashbacks, there are two descent periods of time focused on in the film. The 60s were a cool time because of the music, cars, clothes, hairstyles, and many other things. It was also a very dangerous time for Black men and women. The characters had to be careful what they said and did and who they interacted with during this time. The 90s were a bit different; they were much more free to do what they pleased during these years in America. 

The Supremes at Earl’s All You Can Eat was considered an awards contender before it was designated as a straight-to-Hulu film. I wouldn’t say it’s on the level of such, but it’s not a bad movie at all. It has the vibe of a Tyler Perry film with much more gravitas to it. The cast including, but not limited to Ellis-Taylor, Aduba, and Lathan are all terrific. They work opposite one another like a well-oiled machine. The director and co-writer Mabry has created a story based on the book that I’m sure a lot of women will relate to. I can see that after watching the film. It’s a strong story and I recommend it to as many people that will take the chance and see it. No matter what race of people it’s about. It’s good that’s all that should matter.

4 stars

Dan Skip Allen