"Miss Juneteenth" is a surprisingly realistic depiction of poverty, if little else, with its focus on a (mostly) single mother raising a teenage daughter. Despite being about a beauty pageant and the mother's forcing her ambitions upon her daughter (with the potential scholarship for rationalization), it does well to realize the important things--in this case, education and entrepreneurship and supporting others' diverse dreams. Dance may be either an expression of one's joy or their deepest regret, for instance. I also like the depiction of the hollowness made of otherwise hallowed institutions: namely, the black church being turned into snake-oil casting out of devils and Juneteenth celebrated by a parade and an uptight beauty pageant--involving, of all things, the straightening of African-American hair. Rival suitors prove to be just as frivolous. Meanwhile, the humble car repair shop or bar and grill become sites full of potential for redemption.
It's a well-made little movie that graciously doesn't pretend any great message on race or anything else despite subject matter involving the holiday celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the United States that might've seemed to call for such in lesser hands than those of debut filmmaker Channing Godfrey Peoples. The cast overall is good, too, especially Nicole Beharie in the lead. Often, I don't care for these sort of low-stakes slice-of-life dramas, but I'll take a well-enacted one such as "Miss Juneteenth" over an overacted and overwrought picture with pretentions of grand import any day.
