A Day Late and a Dollar Short

I absolutely loved this movie. I stumbled on it on Lifetime today & could not bring myself to turn the channel to anything else. The casting of each actress and actor was clearly carefully considered because it was definitely on point. Whoopi Goldberg showed that she can still bring a cast together as the main character. This isn't your typical "Lifetime fluff movie" with no strong acting & flip-floppy characters. It's also not like the majority of African American movies out today that so closed mimic Tyler Perry's creations. And although I love Tyler Perry, it was good to watch something outside of the "new norm" for these types of movies. It still has a "feel good" overall theme, primarily achieved through the ending. But, it is based on a novel written in 2001 by the phenomenal Terry McMillan. I, for one, was happy to see it come alive in a movie that flowed so closely with the book's original theme. If you choose to watch this movie (which you absolutely should), all I will say is to pay attention to each character throughout it & then stick around to watch the ending. Have you seen the 90s movie "Soulfood"? If so, that's how you will feel at this end of this one. Loved it!

"There's a whole lot of mess I have to clean up before I go." Viola (Goldberg) is the matriarch of a family that has fallen apart. Her kids all hate each other, the husband has found a new woman and no one likes her anymore. After a health scare she is given news that changes her life. On the verge of death she decides it time to fix her family before it's too late. I will start with...yes this is a Lifetime movie, I am a guy, I actually did enjoy it. That said though it was a little too sappy for me. I think, like most movies lately, when another movie that is about the same thing comes out comparisons begin. This one is very much like August Osage County in plot and theme. While this movie was good and worth seeing August was so much better. Seeing that one first may have affected how I felt about this one but August had deeper relationships and just felt like a more complete movie. It may have been because it was a made-for-TV movie but this felt really thin compared to the other one. All that said though the movie is good and if you haven't seen August then you may like this more then I did. Overall, a good movie worth seeing but once again a movie suffers from being too identical to a recent movie. I give this a B-.

This is a good movie to watch, it has so many mixed feelings. Made me laugh and cry, a rollercoaster of emotions. They did very well with choosing the characters to portray the crazy broken family. The main character uses her knowledge as a mother to try and reconnect her family. It also shows hard topics that are hard to discuss especially when it is in the family. It shows how secrets can impact you as a person and how the choices they make matter. Everyone has issues but it should never stop anyone from asking for help. It really shows each and everyone's issues and most of them are trying to keep it to themselves.

This movie was so touching...without being corny. The book is one of my favorites and the movie stayed mostly true to it. I just wished it was a little longer...the characters fleshed out more. I was able to follow the storyline easily because of reading the book, but someone not familiar with Viola and her family would not be invested in the characters as much because they get such a short time to impress upon the viewer their perosnalities. Still -great, great job for all those involved! From now on out I know when I pick up my well worn cop I will envision the actors as these characters. They breathed a great new life into an already wonderful story!

This movie was a convincing portrayal of a family in need of solidarity, intervention, and love. Outstanding performances by all actors, also the overall story was moving. I recommend this movie to anyone that appreciates a good ❤ heart felt drama.👍