First Thursday Films presents “Claudine”
Partners: MSP Film & MN Historical Society
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A 1974 heart and soul comedy. Can you dig it?
Directed by John Barry and starring Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones.
Claudine (Diahann Carroll) is a single mother in New York City who endures an exhausting commute to the suburbs where she works as a maid for wealthy families. In one carefully tended white community, she meets Roop (James Earl Jones), a charismatic but irresponsible garbage collector. Romance quickly ensues, but Claudine doubts that their relationship is good for her six children, and Rupert, despite his good nature, is reluctant to take on fatherhood.
“…Claudine boasts performances that leave impressions upon the heart long after the film is over.” Imran Kahn, popmatters.com
“Claudine, despite its seemingly modest story, budget, and scale, was something of a revolutionary film, one that took the basic template of the romantic comedy and used it to explore the lived experiences of a single Black mother trying to make it financially, emotionally, and romantically in Harlem. The film deals directly with issues of female sexuality, motherhood, economic disparities and the so-called “welfare state,” and the struggles of being Black in the immediate post-Civil Rights era—all topics that were largely left off the Hollywood screen.” James Kendrick, Network Film Desk
Diahann Carroll – Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role
NAACP Image Awards: Diahann Carroll: Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture; James Earl Jones: Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Come for the movie — and stay for the conversation, led this month by MSP Film programmer, Craig Laurence Rice, and Natalie Morrow, Founder/CEO of the Twin Cities Black Film Festival.
These conversations at the Capri on the Northside are always thoughtful and rich. Plan to stay, listen, speak up, enjoy.
We have popcorn, candy and beverages for sale, too.