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Blackbird (2014 film)
2014 American film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Blackbird is a 2014 drama film directed by Patrik-Ian Polk and starring Mo'Nique and Isaiah Washington.[1] The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Larry Duplechan and was released theatrically on April 24, 2015.[2]
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Premise
Set in a small baptist community in the south of Mississippi, a 17-year-old high school senior and talented singer juggles with his sexuality and religion while also dealing with the disappearance of his younger sister as it tore his family apart.
Cast
- Julian Walker as Randy Rousseau
- Mo'Nique as Claire Rousseau
- Isaiah Washington as Lance Rousseau
- Kevin Allesee as Marshall MacNeil
- Terrell Tilford as Pastor Crandall
- D. Woods as Leslie Crandall
- Gary LeRoi Gray as Efrem
- Torrey Laamar as Todd Waterson
- Nikki Jane as Crystal
Background
Polk initially tried to get the film made several years earlier, with Jussie Smollett cast as the young lead, however financing fell through.[3] When the funding came through years later, he was forced to re-cast because of Smollett's busy schedule on Empire, and struggled to find a black male actor who would portray a gay love story on screen.[3] However, he later met Julian Walker, who is openly gay, and chose to cast him despite his lack of acting experience.[3]
Polk discussed, in an interview with BuzzFeed, the need for more stories featuring gay men who aren't white:[3]
Through my years of filmmaking, we have seen the gay coming-of-age story from every possible white male point of view ... We’ve seen it over, and over, and over.
Release
The film had a successful run on the film festival circuit, winning awards at several LGBT-oriented festivals including Outflix Memphis, Atlanta’s Out On Film Festival, and the Crossroads Film Festival in Polk’s native Mississippi.[2] The film was the closing night gala screening for Los Angeles’ Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), where it won the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature Film.[2]
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Reception
Blackbird received mixed to negative reviews from critics. As of May 2025[update], 45% of the 11 reviews compiled on Rotten Tomatoes are positive, with an average rating of 4.6/10.[4] The Hollywood Reporter called it "too all over the map to take seriously."[5] The New York Times said that the film has an "impressive, palpable conviction," although it ultimately "suffers from soapy excesses and narrative disjunctures."[6] Slant Magazine wrote: "Blackbird is, like its main character, too naïve to understand or, at least, to deploy the reparative powers of camp."[7]
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See also
References
External links
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