Sometimes an all-you-can-eat buffet is not as good as a well-prepared course. Such an approach to compiling a menu seems to be the dilemma with The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat. This adaptation of Edward Kelsey Moore’s beloved novel offers a little bit of everything. But the quick bites of the book’s narrative highlights may not be a satisfying meal for everyone at the table.
The screenplay by Cee Marcellus (The Women King(known under a pseudonym as Gina Prince-Bythewood) and director Tina Mabry loads the plate as best she can. The Supremes is one of those adaptations that plods through the plot points of a book. It deals with heartbreak, joy, love and death as it follows the friendship of three women over three decades. It’s a lot to digest, frankly.
With a buffet, mind you, a plentiful plate with a scoop of everything, there are bound to be some good bites. The good food comes largely from the three performances of the titular Supremes. Played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Odette, Uza Aduba as Clarice and Sanaa Lathan as Barbara Jean, the Supremes offer heart and humor. If the film gets the recipe just right, there are some quality comfort foods here.
However, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat has a second trio of actors playing the friends. The innocent Kyanna Simone as Odette, Abigail Achiri as Clarice and Tati Gabrielle as Barbara Jean admittedly deliver some notable breakthroughs. But the casting is completely off: The two groups of actors don’t look alike at all.
As the film jumps from steam bowl to steam bowl, telling how Odette and Clarice befriended Barbara Jean, a girl from across the tracks (literally), and formed a bond at the Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat diner, and then jumps forward to observe the continued friendship in the adult years, The Supremes proves to be disorienting. It’s hard to develop an emotional connection to characters while experiencing an ongoing game. Guess who.
The separation dampens much of the first and second acts, in which the young and mature Supremes each reach milestones in life. These acts act like a highlight video of black trauma as racial disparities shape the community. The Supremes lose loved ones, sometimes under superstitious and sometimes under suspicious circumstances. Husbands, boyfriends, children, and mentors all suffer different dire fates. Add in cancer, an affair, alcoholism, and a murder plot that only comes up once or twice, and one may wonder what kept these women alive from the 1968-1999 time period in which the story takes place.
It’s the friendship. The film has some great moments of levity, enjoying the support these women give each other. The warm, easygoing humor is easy to enjoy, as is the moral of sticking together during difficult times.
It also helps that both sets of actors have strong chemistry. The actors rise to the challenge of conveying a bond that endures but becomes more complicated as the characters age. What the actors lack in similarity, they make up for in synergy.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor particularly shines in her role as the older Odette. She is arguably the rock of the group, the strongest Supreme who inspires her friends to be their best. It’s also the most dynamic part, as the film opens with Odette sitting under a lush tree, visibly stricken by illness. As the film meanders through Earl’s funeral, a death that inspires Barbara Jean’s alcoholism, and another violent death that heightens racial tensions, it seems as though death is at Odette’s door – and the Supremes’ milkshake-fueled sessions.
The small cloud of death that hovers over many scenes is a reminder to enjoy every moment. As inconsistent as the film may be, the bond of friendship remains a common thread. These women are good company, and the people you share a meal with are often more important than what’s on your plate.
The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat will stream on Disney+ starting August 23rd.
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