The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat sounds like a fast food connection for Dream girl. In reality, the film has no direct connection to this musical or the Motown girl group that inspired it. One of the main characters is an aspiring singer who puts her dream on hold to start a family. Although she sings solo, she is part of an inseparable trio who regularly dine at a restaurant called Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat. Now that we’ve gotten past that long-winded title, what is the story about? In one word: friendship. The cynic in you may roll their eyes at that description, but it’s hard not to be won over by the final curtain call.
Based on the novel by Edward Kelsey Moore, Tina Mabry’s film tells the story of a friendship between three women spanning several decades. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Kyanna Simone dominate the screen as Odette, who claims her mother gave birth to her child in a tree. Whether this is just a fairy tale or not, Odette is fearless from day one. Sanaa Lathan and Tati Gabrielle play Barbara Jean, a shy girl who is encouraged to live more fearlessly. And finally, there are Uzo Aduba and Abigail Achiri as Clarice, the aforementioned singer who kept her voice unheard for the sake of her family. As Clarice grows older, however, she begins to question the sacrifices she made for her husband, Richmond (Russell Hornsby/Xavier Mills).
Odette’s marriage to her husband James (Mekhi Phifer/Dijon Means) is stronger. He has been faithful to her since he came out of his shell and asked her out. Barbara Jean has loved two men. Her romance with a white man named Chick (Julian McMahon/Ryan Paynter) seems doomed to end in heartbreak given the passage of time. She also grows closer to Lester (Vondie Curtis-Hall/Cleveland Berto), an older man who is there for her when no one else is. The real love story is between the three main ladies, who call themselves the Supremes. Whether we’re watching their older or younger counterparts, the bond between these women is always genuine.
Although each woman has individual conflicts to overcome, there is no end goal that the plot is working toward. We spend most of the film simply watching the characters live their lives, which can be engaging as long as the characters are charming. We empathize with all three Supremes, even when the story can tread familiar ground. From the small-town setting to the quirky supporting characters, The Supremes is reminiscent of many other films about female friendship. Films like this also contain more than a few obligatory tragedies that can be manipulative in the wrong hands. The Supremes almost gets into this area, but is repeatedly prevented from doing so by the authentic performances.
The film’s strength lies in its ensemble cast. Both generations of actors are wonderful in their respective roles, although the veteran cast overshadows most of the third act. Even though we’ve seen characters like these before, none of the actors feel like they’re portraying caricatures. They admittedly seem like characters we usually only read about in books and see in movies. That doesn’t make them any less enjoyable to be around. Much like a hot meal at a local diner, The Supremes is comfort food with just the right amount of substance.
