Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

good back-story, and good acting

Brilliant and touching

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Dirty Laundry Patrick Davis has made a wonderful life for himself. All the way from Paris, GA he has an apartment in NYC with his partner and has refined his tastes a little. So what happens when you're forced to confront everything you've buried in the hamper of your life? Well, return to the source and deal with it. With the aid of little Gabriel, Patrick returns to his Paris, GA home to find his mother (Evelyn Davis) and sort out the mess that apparently started before he left town. We find out two things: Patrick is his middle name and his real first name is Sheldon. Patrick has a sister Jackie who seems to be not only his confidant but also the one who is best with the kids (in a few scenes she gets the kids and takes them elsewhere while the adults talk--rather fight).We're introduced to Aunt Lettuce aka "Lettie" who is the loud, hypocritical stereotype during choir rehearsal as the lead singer who showboats her talent she drops by to see Patrick but runs into his Mother (her sister)Patrick tries to adjust to his life in the small, rural town of Paris when he's woken up on a Sunday morning (his 'rest day') and told by his Mother: IN this house, we do church on Sunday. We see Aunt Lettuce again and how she married money, a little argument between Evelyn and Lettuce goes on in church. Upon returning, Patrick murmurs about how Sunday brunch was dignified with Egg White Omeletes and a glass of champagne on the pier at a restaurant he'd frequent in NYC with his partner Ryan as opposed to getting Sunday dinner at a chicken shack with biscuits and various side dishes.While Patrick is whispering about how dignified Sunday brunch is we see that Ryan has made his way down to Paris, GA and he blurts out one thing to Sheldon/Patrick "Baby", Evelyn is angered about that but also that he was ashamed of his family. Evelyn says: How dare you bring your partner in my house, a white boy...and On a Sunday too? Everyone is initially shocked but they don't focus on him being gay (which I think is interesting but unrealistic because my experience shows me that it tends to be a big deal when they first find out you're gay) but on the fact that he was embarrassed by his family. In the front room, Ryan remarks on how good the simple food is while Evelyn asks him to excuse them while Evelyn and Eugene (local butcher shop manager) tell him about how ashamed he is at his family, Sheldon says: You wanna know why I left? Because I didn't want to wake up and realize that I had become YOU! and storms off The brothers make up after a BBQ (and Mother Davis and Abigail Eugene's wife also have a funny argument I don't know where that falls into the sequence, you have to admit the egg jokes Mother Davis makes are hilarious!) and tings are on the road to recovery. Ryan shines in a scene where he encourages "Pudge" to think Diva and she aces a dance tryout, and in a pie eating contest (at a church picnic) when he and Sheldon/Patrick blurt out the fact that they are lovers (albeit inadvertently and to hilarious reactions of Lettuce, Clarine and a group of church gossips) and they both talk about what they are going to do with their kid.When dinner rolls around which is supposed to celebrate Sheldon leaving the next day, Aunt Lettuce comes in with her 4 sons (who all look like they'd be in their element in jail--just an observation) Lettuce makes a mockery of the family and how twisted she feels it is hence "airing out the Dirty Laundry" although Evelyn points out that her parents were mean to her and Lettuce was mean to Evelyn and in turn, she was mean to her kids it is in Evelyn's words: That Lion King (expletive)...The Circle..The Circle of Life..." Evelyn then corrects Lettuce saying that if she calls her fat again she's going to "go upside your big hat wearing head with a biscuit". Obviously drunk, but being as blunt as she can be, she accepts the fact that her son is gay and accepts Ryan because she loves her baby boy. Patrick manages to tell the family that they are going to stay in Paris--for a while anyway. The scene ends with Evelyn drunk and passed out Next scene opens up with Gabe, Patrick and Ryan as a family,then the scene ends with a wonderful quote by James Baldwin I love this movie! I really enjoyed it, although the job storyline wasn't resolved, I believe that it was a part of the exposition that didn't really need to be resolved, because life's issues aren't always resolved by its parties.Hope this helped you out and enjoy the movie as I have countless times!

I just watched the DVD last night. I laughed, I cried, I laughed, I cried, and I laughed again. The characters are so outrageous and funny. The issues and topics touched upon in this movie are so taboo in African American culture that's it's refreshing to see an director/writer take such chances. It has paid off in an exhilarating and thought-proving movie experience. The actors, particularly Rockmond Dunbar, Loretta Devine, and Jennifer Lewis gave superb performances. The movie was about 10 minutes too long though. The ending is terrific. This is a must see. If the subject matter wasn't so taboo to African Americans, I'm sure it would have won more 1st class nominations. Hats off to Maurice Jamal, a gifted writer and director.

I caught this at a film festival, and I won't be surprised if it gets pulled the weekend after it opens in its limited release in New York and Los Angeles. It's just not watchable.This is a disappointing sophomore attempt by Jamal, who resorts to the same old one-liners delivered by stereotypical characters - so wooden and absent of any development that the viewer never quite connects with any of them.Loretta Devine is good - but not great. I've seen her in far better work. Her skills are out of place with the pedestrian acting capabilities of the rest of the cast and the "phone-it-in" direction.The only thing worse than the terrible production values is the predictable story. I found myself looking at my watch half way through the film, hoping for the end after I finally realized I didn't care about the story, the characters, or the outcome of the plot. What a disappointment for the black LGBT community.Save your money - my hunch is that this will be buried in the 99 cent give-away bin at local drugstores.

I caught a screening of this movie last year in Atlanta, GA. While the depiction of the Rockmond Dunbar's character was a bit trite, that facet didn't overwhelm the story. Loretta Devine was consistent, delivering a wonderful performance as the mother, and Sommore surprised the room with (1) her appearance at the screening and (2) her dramatic performance in this movie. This film is full of laughs, awkward moments, and, hopefully, a bit of enlightenment for men who continue to live separate lives...one when with their hometown family and another life hundreds of miles away in 'the life'.The main character's stereotypical high-voiced, dainty gay man character really bugged me. In reality, most gay men do not act like this--even when you find one, there are seldom two of them in a relationship (as shown in the movie). I'm not sure why the character was written this way, but, it's not my movie...I hope this film is well received. I will be seeing it again when it is released--not with my family, of course ;)