Sanaa Lathan (left), Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Uzo Aduba play three longtime friends in “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat.” (Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures)
The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat is Searchlight Pictures’ latest direct-to-streaming release, the adaptation of Edward Kelsey Moore’s best-selling 2013 novel premiering this week on Hulu.
Given the production quality, it seems appropriate that the film would be piped straight to home theaters. Sure, they’re fine, but they won’t blow you away.
Still, the friendship—the deep, tested sisterhood—at the heart of director and co-writer Tina Mabry’s film is cinematic.
The bond between black women Odette, Barbara Jean and Clarice is brought to life through two pairs of actresses and two timelines. Together – and unfortunately sometimes alone – they will face racism, illness, addiction, loss and pain. As a viewer, you just hope they come out stronger on the other side.
Although The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat briefly introduces us to Odette (a superb Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor of King Richard and The Color Purple) late in life before taking us back to just before her birth in 1950, the story begins in earnest in 1968. That’s when teenage friends Clarice (Abigail Achiri, The Underground Railroad) and Odette (Kyanna “KeeKee” Simone, All American) befriend Barbara Jean (Tati Gabrielle, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), who has recently lost her mother and is now living alone with her abusive stepfather. (In one funny scene, Odette stands up to him in a way that surprises not only Barbara Jean but also her close friend Clarice.)
Clarice and Odette turn to all-around good guy Big Earl (Tony Winters, “Queen Sugar”) — the owner of the film’s titular diner, where the trio are nicknamed “The Supremes” — who insists that Barbara Jean move into the room vacated by his adult daughter.
At dinner, the young ladies spend time with male admirers. For Clarisse, there is the slick football player Richmond (Xavier Mills, “The Wood”) and for Odette, there is the quiet and shy James (Dijon Means, “P-Valley”).
And while Barbara Jean is being courted by the older Lester (Cleveland Berto, “A Journal for Jordan”), she has her eye on the new diner employee Ray (Ryan Paynter, “Dopesick”), who the girls think is very good-looking for a white boy.
Although Chick doesn’t quite see it, Barbara Jean believes the world isn’t ready for two people like them to be together – and she’s soon presented with terrifying evidence to support her theory.
We spend time with the older versions of Barbara Jean (Sanaa Lathan, “Love & Basketball,” “The Best Man”), Clarise (Uzo Aduba, “In Treatment,” “Orange Is the New Black”) and Odette, starting at the turn of the century as they mourn the loss of someone special, with their husbands Lester (Vondie Curtis Hall, “Harriet”), Richmond (Russell Hornsby, “Seven Seconds”) and James (Mekhi Phifer, “8 Mile”) by their side. (Also, you should know that Chick will reappear, now played by Julian McMahon of “Nip/Tuck” fame.)
Most of the trials and tribulations are still ahead for the Supremes, who still regularly sit at the same table at Earl’s to talk and share the good and bad sides of life.
Mabry (“Mississippi Damned”), who co-wrote with Cee Marcellus, juggles well between the story’s two timelines, switching back and forth smoothly several times.
More importantly, she, aided by the actors, shows a deft hand at the story’s character-driven moments. The moment that hits hardest is when two of the women learn late in the affair that the other has been hiding something deeply disturbing from them and is bearing the burden alone. The looks they give her, which show both incredible frustration with her and great concern for her, are perfect.
And then there’s one moment we won’t give away. It’s early in the film, when we see Odette sitting under a tree. It’s, well, it’s just perfect – something guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
That’s generally true of The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, although there are occasional missteps. For example, the long-foreshadowed and almost obligatory near-implosion of their friendship feels contrived and unearned, considering everything we’ve seen up to that point.
In this story – at least in the film version – a sycamore tree is used as a metaphor for the trio’s strength and longevity. It’s a powerful symbol for three women who are worth getting to know.
“The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat”
Where: Download now.
When: 23.August.
Rated: PG-13 for thematic content, sexual content, strong language including racial slurs, and violent content.
Duration: 2 hours, 4 minutes.
Stars (out of four): 2.5.
