To Sleep with Anger is a 1990 American black comedy film written and directed by Charles Burnett,[2][3] and starring Danny Glover.
| To Sleep with Anger | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Charles Burnett |
| Written by | Charles Burnett |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Walt Lloyd |
| Edited by | Nancy Richardson |
| Music by | Stephen James Taylor |
| Distributed by | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.1 million[1] |
In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[4] It had a remastered home media release from the Criterion Collection on February 26, 2019.[5]
Plot
editGideon and his wife Suzie live in South Central Los Angeles. Harry, a longstanding friend from the South whom they have not seen for many years, makes a surprise visit. The couple are delighted to see him and insist that he stay with them for as long as he wishes. Harry has a charming, down-home manner, but his enigmatic and somewhat amoral presence brings to a crisis trouble simmering in the family—especially as regards the younger son, Samuel or "Babe Brother", and his relationships with his parents, wife, and older brother, Junior.
Harry's presence threatens to break up Samuel's marriage and seems to be related to an illness Gideon develops. It proves ultimately purgative, though Harry's precise role remains ambiguous.
Cast
edit- Danny Glover as Harry
- Paul Butler as Gideon
- Mary Alice as Suzie
- Carl Lumbly as Junior
- Vonetta McGee as Pat
- Richard Brooks as Babe Brother
- Sheryl Lee Ralph as Linda
- DeVaughn Nixon as Sunny
- Reina King as Rhonda
- Cory Curtis as Skip
- Paula Bellamy as Mrs. Baker
- Wonderful Smith as Preacher
- Ethel Ayler as Hattie
- Beverly Mickins as Neighbor
- Jimmy Witherspoon as Percy
- Julius Harris as Herman
Reception
editThe film has received critical acclaim.[6] On Rotten Tomatoes, To Sleep with Anger holds a rating of 88% from 34 reviews, with an average score of 7.30/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "To Sleep with Anger examines cultural tensions with a deft hand and a potent blend of comedy and drama, stirred skillfully to life by a strong cast led by Danny Glover."[7]
Chuck Bowen of Slant Magazine called it a "neglected masterpiece of African-American cinema."[8] IndieWire's Brandon Wilson has called it Burnett's "other masterpiece," as well as numerous other favorable comparisons to Killer of Sheep, saying "Like all great art, To Sleep With Anger triumphs because it works both on a personal level... and it is provocative enough thematically to fuel hours of discussion about tradition versus modernity and how it has affected African-Americans, for better or worse... [Burnett]'s asking us to think about the generation gap, Christian faith versus backwoods mysticism, the grip of the past versus the pull of the present, African-American yearning for financial prosperity versus our sense of altruism & duty and complications within both sides of each coin."[9]
Roger Ebert, however, called it "too long" in a mixed review.[10] Entertainment Weekly's Owen Glieberman called it "too ambitious" and said it "never finds a mood".[11]
Accolades
editReferences
edit- ^ "To Sleep with Anger". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ "To Sleep with Anger". Walker Art.
- ^ "To Sleep with Anger". Video Detective.
- ^ "2017 National Film Registry Is More Than a 'Field of Dreams'". Library of Congress. December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- ^ "To Sleep with Anger". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ Brody, Richard (February 10, 2016). "The Front Row: "To Sleep with Anger"". The New Yorker.
- ^ "To Sleep With Anger (1990)". Rotten Tomatoes. October 6, 2023.
- ^ Bowen, Chuck (September 6, 2016). "Film Review: To Sleep with Anger". Slant Magazine. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ Wilson, Brandon (August 13, 2014). "Charles Burnett's Other Masterpiece 'To Sleep With Anger'". IndieWire. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (October 26, 1990). "To Sleep With Anger Movie Review (1990)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (November 9, 1990). "To Sleep With Anger". EW.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ "Chicago Crix Laud 'Goodfellas'". Variety. January 20, 1981. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ "6th Spirit Awards ceremony hosted by Buck Henry - full show (1986)". Film Independent. February 9, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Charles Burnett". Oscars.org.
- ^ "New Restoration of Charles Burnett's 'To Sleep with Anger'". Film at Lincoln Center. July 28, 2016.
- ^ Mathews, Jack (December 17, 1990). "GoodFellas' Tops L.A. Critics Poll". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ "Natl. Critics Group Favors 'Goodfellas'". Variety. January 13, 1991. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ "'Goodfellas' Is No. 1 in Film Critics Vote". The New York Times. December 19, 1990. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ "1990 Sundance Film Festival". sundance.org. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
External links
edit- To Sleep with Anger at IMDb
- To Sleep with Anger at AllMovie
- To Sleep with Anger at Box Office Mojo
- To Sleep with Anger at Rotten Tomatoes
- To Sleep with Anger: You Never Know What’s in the Heart an essay by Ashley Clark at the Criterion Collection