DVD
30 Second Bottom Line: A family experiences a spiritual awakening as they learn to live with the disappointment and shame of a son and brother in prison. This principally African American cast delivers a universal story all can relate to. Somewhere, in every family, there's an ache to be healed.
Story Line: Alex (Hill Harper) is serving a 25-year jail term for a rape he alleges he did not commit. While his indignation and possible injustice related to the rape charge may be valid, he is anything but a model citizen. He will soon go before the parole board for the first time, after serving five years in prison.
His only visitor is his brother Tony (Obba Babatunde), who unlike Alex, went to college and is living up to the expectations of their father Henry (Billy Dee Williams). Tony's last visit was 10 months earlier and when he does come, he's alone. Their parents are not with him. Alex would like to see other members of his family and to not be looked down upon by them.
An African American kid, Alex grew up in a stable family of solid middle class means. He committed numerous petty criminal offenses that led to doing some serious time. His drug use and small crimes first created a bad situation with his father, which became worse when Alex stole from him. While Alex's mother Lois (Marla Gibbs) is still supportive and willing to forgive, Henry would rather just forget Alex ever existed.
Alex convinces Tony to visit him more often and to have his parents come to the prison. The process of a visit in prison is not pleasant. The inmate must drop their drawers to have their rear end searched before and after the visit to prevent the exchange of contraband. Visitors go through numerous security checkpoints that must make them realize that the state really doesn't want you to get out, because it's so hard to get in. It conveys a feeling that someone you love is dead when you know they are alive, at least physically.
Alex's chance of being paroled depends largely on the recommendation given by Dr. Coles (Phylicia Rashad). He is trying to tell her what she wants to hear, but her experience and intuition always have her one step ahead.
As a young boy, Alex was friends with Felicia (Rae Dawn Chong), whom he later witnessed being abused. This impacted her life and caused her to take a path similar to Alex's, although on the surface she had a reason and he did not. Felicia comes to visit Alex and her transformation from a life of drugs and prostitution, has a positive influence on him, which sets him on the path to righteousness. Chong delivers a radiant performance, and her character Felicia has a positive effect on every family member.
Tell Me More About It: For a film which I'd heard nothing about, and is not on the radar screen of films with an Oscar buzz, seeing a movie of this caliber was a pleasant surprise.
Hill Harper will be a major leading star in the very near future. While the most obvious comparison is to think of the next Denzel Washington, I think he will take a step forward, just as Denzel did from Sidney Poitier. Harper's strong performance in the TV show City of Angels and his debut feature film Loving Jezebel gives you a glimpse into his potential.
His acting is exceptional, without the need for giving speeches like many of the current crop of better actors such as Denzel Washington, Kevin Spacey and Nicholas Cage. As I was looking at this film, I was reminded of Denzel in Hurricance. Not because of the similar prison setting, but because of the depth of the character being shown in a confined space. Jordan Walker-Pearlman's directing compliments Harper's acting, effectively using flashbacks and luminous dream sequences.
The supporting cast is excellent, creating an ensemble film. Obba Babatunde, Rae Dawn Chong, Billy Dee Williams, Marla Gibbs and Phylicia Rashad all provide memorable performances. Billy Dee even makes up for his shameful supporting, "I really need a paycheck," role in The Ladies Man.
In The Hurricane, the primary villain was a racist white policeman and an insensitive judicial system. In The Visit, the biggest enemy starts out as Alex himself. As in the phrase, "still waters run deep," The Visit is about so much more than a conversation between two people sitting on different sides of a table. Every family has room for a spiritual awakening and there are doors that you may wish to reopen once you see this film.
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