Kingdom Come (2001) User Reviews (39)

A Feel Good Movie, but scarily realistic

[madeline779 · 7/10 · 21 April 2002]

Well, from the little press I saw regarding this movie when it first came out, I'll admit I wasn't running to the theater. (I wasn't even running to the video store.) However, when it came on HBO recently, my sister told me to sit down and watch it, to compare it to our family.

This movie was almost scary in how closely it mimicked our gatherings (especially funerals, but all gatherings in general). I really felt like the writers knew us, as they hit several depictions right on the head.

The Slocums are more the typical Black family than most movies will show nowadays--sure there are a few people who lose their way now and again, but family brings them back around. (What family isn't slightly dysfunctional anyway? It just makes family gatherings more amusing. Heck--my family even has the three holy-terror-boys who run around every gathering destroying everything.)

I'm not going to say that the acting was outstanding, or the script completely original because it wasn't. THE SCRIPT WAS REALISTIC, THOUGH. It wasn't original because anyone could have sat through a funeral in their family and copied things word for word. I do recommend this movie. The last minute is a little cheesy, but hey, the rest of the movie works so well that you accept it. There weren't any unnecessary curses, gratuitous violence or sex. It was just a movie about family. What is more real than that?

This is the ultimate feel-good movie because you feel like it is real. Some movies are just too contrived, but I had to smile to myself at the end of this movie. It shows how the strength of your family helps you cope and heal together.

Could have been better!

[papsdiva · 7/10 · 18 April 2001]

This movie had a great cast, but I think there were too many great cast members that it became impossible to explore each of their characters in the 1 1/2 hours! Toni Braxton had a not-so-big role but a necessary role that had potential of being explored further (like the scene where she goes to try & comfort Vivica when all hell breaks loose, that had a dead ending). She did a great job being her first movie, and I loved "The Chewing Gum Scene" - as I call it!

All in all, I loved the movie. It was funny & touching in some scenes and give it a 6 1/2 out of 10.

Kingdom Come: The BOMB.

[oshiole · 7/10 · 1 December 2001]

First, I'll say bravo!. I haven't seen such mastery. It was not just a movie, but a means to teach everybody not to look down on any person or group of people. With the likes of James Todd Smith (LL COOL J), Jada Pinkett Smith and the others, what else was expected from a movie that comprises of such great Juggernauts.

kingdom Come talks about a family that was in great need of help; a family that had Wayward people, helpless and narrow minded people. But at the end, everybody in the family had a change and got better. This was only achieved by the death of a family member that was regarded as a cold-hearted man.

All I'll say is that it isn't just a movie to be watched, but it is to be pondered over.

There is only ONE thing wrong with this film

[bigpurplebear · 18 May 2001]

There is only one thing wrong with "Kingdom Come": not enough people are going to see it, simply in the mistaken belief that this is a "black" film, which it is not. The film is universal, both in theme and message. It likewise deserves to be universal in its appeal.

The plotline is simple: a "mean and surly" man (widow Whoopi Goldberg's description of him) dies suddenly, leaving the disparate members of his family to struggle with their feelings for him -- and for each other -- as they prepare for his funeral. How they each manage to reconcile their feelings for him -- and, in some cases, reconcile with each other -- is at the heart of the film. And "Kingdom Come" has PLENTY of heart, make no mistake. That heart rings through loud and clear, amazingly enough, in a film that can be outrageously hilarious while simultaneously remaining touching and true.

Yes, all the characters are Afro-American. And yes, the settings, the surrounding culture and the conventions are all Afro-American (by the way, the writers indulge in some sly -- but on the whole, affectionate -- digs at that culture and conventions). More importantly, however, the underlying emotions and motivations have nothing to do with ethnicity. These are people, nothing more and nothing less, coping or at least learning to cope with a traumatic time in their lives. How do they achieve this? How does anyone? Certainly not by being black or white or this or that, but by . . . growing.

And grow these characters do, each of them, propelled by a cast that is universally both standout and stand-up, in a film that is fully as wise as it is wild. The gospel number at the end is, perhaps, a bit over the top in its implausibility, and maybe in real life not all of the characters will manage to accomplish all the goals that the film implies, but what of it? Perhaps, in the end, what redeems us as a species are our aspirations, rather than our achievements. That, too, is universal.

Just like this film.

Very good family film

[DunnDeeDaGreat · 5/10 · 8 May 2002]

Kingdom Come is a film that you can watch with your family and enjoy. The cast are all great in this film and the direction by Doug McHerny is good as always. LL Cool J does very good in his lead role as does Toni Braxton in her first role. All in all a good film.

Not Bad. Not Great, But Enjoyable.

[Blackace · 6/10 · 14 February 2002]

This movie has good intentions, but falls a little short due to the execution of the plot. I'm not going to go into the whole storyline, as by now you probably already know. What I do want to say is it's good to have a decent black movie make it to the theater and do fairly well. Besides Soul Food, this is the only other feel good black family movie that has been released in the last 5 years. It's a shame it didn't do that well at the box office. It could be because of the nature of the film or the lackluster storyline. Whatever the case may be, it was worth watching at least once. There are some very funny parts in this film and the acting was decent. I was surprised to see Toni Braxton in this film. She actually did a pretty good job. LL Cool J needs to find his nitch. I think he's still looking for it. I liked him in Deep Blue Sea, but Rollerball was a mess. Whoopie only had a small part, but she really helped the movie along. Overall I give it 6 out of 10.

Some good, some not good at all

[Quinoa1984 · 5/10 · 24 April 2001]

Kingdom Come examines a few parts of a family as they come together for a funeral. Easy setup in turn gives for two shining performances by LL Cool J and Jada Pinkett-Smith, but most of the film falls flat and despite some moments being funny (Cedric the entertainer is as good here as in Kings of comedy), most of the movie falls flat on cliches and lame dialoge. C+

An underappreciated, unpretentious, funny, feel-good family comedy with moments of truth

[mattymatt4ever · 7/10 · 27 September 2001]

This movie received tons of mixed reviews and didn't pan out at the box office. I think it was very underappreciated. Not only is this a feel-good comedy--no sex, no violence, very little profanity--but it will move you as well. I think this is one movie that focuses on a particular minority that actually has a universal theme. This family could've been white, Hispanic, Japanese. It doesn't matter. Everyone can relate. This is not a degrading, stereotypical account of a poorly educated, low income African-American family living in the ghetto.

Let me start off by complimenting the multi-talented cast. I don't think you could've picked a much better ensemble of African-American performers. LL Cool J is really good as the bitter, cynical ex-alcoholic who becomes even more bitter after hearing the news of his father's death. Along with Ice Cube, I think LL is one of our most gifted rapper-turned-actors. He delivers one of his best performances in this movie. I was amused by Whoopi Goldberg, not because she exercised her trademark schtick, but because she delivers an amazingly subdued performance and pretty much takes on the role of the straight person. You can say she is the one civilized person in the family. Whoopi's one of those wonderful actresses who proves to be as effective in her comic roles as she is her dramatic roles. Loretta Divine plays Whoopi's sister, and she gives--next to "Waiting to Exhale"--one of her best performances. Underrated comic actor Anthony Anderson is hilarious as a stressed-out husband now despised by his wife after being suspected of cheating on her. Anderson has become a rising star, ever since his hilarious star-making appearance in "Me Myself and Irene," and I keep hoping to see him in more and more movies. Jada Pinkett-Smith is over-the-top as his suspicious wife. Not one of her best performances. Though Anderson's character cheated on her, you feel more sorry for him having to hear her mouth 24/7. Darius McRary (from TV's "Family Matters") is quite good, and he can have a successful career in film. He plays a role very different from Eddie Winslow, as a chain-smoking, alcoholic smooth-talker who's very bold with the ladies. To add to the talents are Cedric the Entertainer, Vivica A. Fox and Richard Gant.

The film is filled with good humor and belly laughs, but it's the overall message of family values that makes it even stronger. The film focuses on a well-to-do family of nice, decent people. But they have problems. There's tension. There's chaos. And it takes the passing-on of a nasty but beloved family member to bring them together. Conflicts arise and eventually get resolved. But it's not done in a forced Hollywood fashion. There are moments of truth that are beautifully touching and poignant. And you fall in love with each and every one of these characters. The director, writers and actors do a great job at manipulating its audience's emotions.

"Kingdom Come" is smart, funny and touching. I definitely suggest people check out this underrated film and I definitely suggest familes watch it together. Trust me, you'll all be in tears in a big group hug.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Not as funny as advertised

[mrmusic-2 · 2/10 · 17 April 2001]

I saw the film opening day with my botha's & sistah's.

There were funny moments but most of the time we were trying hard to find something worth laughing at. Maybe it was too close to the truth. The funniest moment was Cedric's mexican food problem. All the actors have done better work.

Great gag: Many missed the names of the little girls; Latonya and Lasonya !!!

It's not a bad film, it's just not that funny.

Um, why was this so bad?

[Lizzy-28 · 4/10 · 23 June 2001]

I truly expected something wonderful from this movie. An ensemble cast of talented and funny performers should have boded well.

Words cannot describe how wrong I was. Who would believe that Whoopi is from the South with her dreads and non-accent? Who would believe that with all of their dysfunction that they could pull a funeral together in two days? Who would believe that Jada could be so awful in her role?

Toni Braxton was surprisingly good, and of course if Ced had been given more time, he would have been the movie's saving grace. The plotline was barely there, the characters were all overwhelmingly dysfunctional, and it tied up so neatly, I was perturbed. It's not what you think it is going to be, so go with your expectations firmly nestled in your shoe.

"Mean and surly."

[TuckMN · 10/10 · 25 April 2001]

This absolutely outstanding film is an total delight.

There were lots of big laugh-out-loud scenes, great humour, wit and charm.

LL Cool J absolutely walks away with the film in his amazing acting job as the son of the man that no one likes – but they have all come together to bury.

As my friends and family will tell you, I have always had a not-so-secret crush on Whoopi Goldberg. This film reinforces that crush – she is the rock in the maelstrom of insanity that surrounds the burial of her much-despised husband.

The characters are quietly complex – especially LL Cool J's character – who has demons that pursue him, including the inability to mourn the father that he disliked so much.

Most of the humour is fairly subtle and cerebral – though there is one absolutely great scene that slides into bathroom humour about the affect of Mexican food on the minister (Cedric the Entertainer) that officiates at the funeral.

This is a family story – it could be anyone's family. It is irrelevant that the family is African American: this family crosses all colour lines. They behave badly at times but they are there for each other in a way that all families should be but seldom are.

You would think that with Toni Braxton in the film any singing would be done by her – not so. There is a very nice 3 woman church choir that includes the Saturday Night Live alum, Ellen Cleghorn. The song at the funeral is sung by Jada Pinkett Smith – and she does a great job.

In checking viewer votes there were almost as many `1' votes as there were `10s'… I think that some people just didn't get it. Their loss.

Good intentions, but poor execution. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, always misguided . ** (out of four)

[Movie-12 · 4/10 · 11 May 2001]

KINGDOM COME / ** (out of four)

By Blake French:

"Kingdom Come" opens with a not so tragic death in the midst of a dysfunctional family. The husband of Raynelle Slocumb (Whoopi Goldberg) suddenly kicks the bucket while eating breakfast at the kitchen table. He leaves his wife not with wonderful memories but with only two adjectives to describe him: mean and surly. This incident triggers a family reunion to celebrate the life of their relative. Most of the family members hate each other and are not particularly happy with their awkward ruination.

The family members all appear to be spoof material from some stale TV soap opera. Actually, "Kingdom Come" is best described as a made for TV Soap Opera spoof. The script gives the variety of eccentric characters unique little quirks that replace development but establish their lifestyles. It's funny how the movie begins and ends with the Whoopi Goldberg character. She is the only person in the family with whom we connect. She realizes that her relatives are resentful fools, and provides us with a kind of wisdom that really benefits the movie.

The film is based on the play by David Dean Bottrell and Jessie Jones, who also wrote the jumbled, unorganized screenplay. Director Doug McHenry does not provide the story with much focus or interest. There's about four subplots of equal importance, but we never actually care about any of the characters. Some of the characters are truly irritating, like a clueless Reverend, played by Cedric the Entertainer, who was so witty and edgy in Spike Lee's "The Original Kings of Comedy." Here he is simply a medium for the film to spew ungraceful humor; his speech mannerism and character development are painfully unfunny. No matter, the movie continuously stretches his stupidity, especially during a closing scene of obligatory fart jokes during a funeral reception. This scene may be somewhat funny, but its context, it is way out of place.

A top-notch cast delivers a variety of situation characters, including Raynelle's alcoholic son (LL Cool J in a performance worthy of the Razzie Award), and his scolding wife (Vivica A. Fox). Her daughter (Jada Pinkett Smith) is married to an adulterer (Anthony Anderson). Another daughter is Marguerite (Loretta Devine), who tries hard to control her slacker son (Darius McCrary). There is also a rich loudmouth Cousin (Toni Braxton) and I already mentioned the gaseous Rev. Hooker (Cedric the Entertainer).

"Kingdom Come" is a movie obviously driven by moral beliefs and powerful conviction, and while its intentions are noble and understood, it never manages to get its point across clearly. The film just cannot successfully display its message in context to the story on screen. It tires to be a warm-hearted, family-orientated comedy like "Soul Food," but does not hold the same standards for itself. What we end up with is a preachy but whimsical comedy that can't make up its mind whether it wants us to laugh or join the chorus.

Leaves you feeling good - and laughed out...

[slatus · 1 June 2002]

I stumbled across this little treasure on cable the other day (luckily for me, right at the beginning) and was treated to one of the funniest and most genuine films I've ever seen. I had never even HEARD of it before so it was a nice surprise. It has a real family feel to it; you will definitely walk away grinning and feeling good! This must be the 4th film in the past few months where I've seen Anthony Anderson crack up the place, and the rest of the cast are no slouches, either. Every character is a gem with no false notes - highly recommended!

I-just-don't-get-it (minor spoiler ahead)

[Superwonderscope · 1/10 · 9 July 2002]

High Expectations-Lower than low results. Just another cute-family-movie that makes me wanna yell 'LAST REEL, PLEAAAAAAAASE' every couple of minutes.

I just don't get how people like Whoopi and Loretta could read, enjoy and accept such a script suffering of terminal cuteness. What is it all about? That african american women are born to suffer, bring babies to the world, clean up the mess their husband is doing and go to church and pray god, sing gospel (of course, every african american woman sings gospel). That african american men are born to be pathetic losers waiting for wellfare, prison or being unfaithful to their wives, being alcoholic,etc,etc... wait... is this being human? nah. The script doesn't know where to go so it makes every character having something bad to confess or to suffer from. Something's got to happen to them in order to keep the audience awake. Which I hardly did here.

So Loretta knows how to scream. So Whoopi can be pouty. LL Cool just looks at everyone, his face screaming "look, I can act like an alcoholic" but it still doesn't work. Toni Braxton is, well, Toni Braxton. And Jada is, hum,well, like what she's been doing these past few years...her best part being Scream 2, I guess. These characters are just one-dimensonial and caricatures of what human beings really are. And this happy end where everyone forgives everyone and all is good in the end, right? Yuck. I remember a time where a director such as Charles Burnett was really directing and having a point of view.

There is nothing wrong doing a family movie but a movie that looks like a tv movie should stay where it belongs : on tv. No swearing (that's BAD), no sex (that's WORSE), God is good, family is good, going to church is good, not going is bad : the character that dies wasn't going and keeping poor Whoopi out of it! No wonder he's considered so mean by almost everyone! That is, I guess, the whole point of the movie.

Being a believer -which I'm not- is probably a great thing. To give a moralizing point of view is sickening. To achieve such a low quality in movie making is beyond redemption. Go rent KILLER OF SHEEP or JESUS OF MONTREAL.

This movie is a just another turkey stuffed with so many clichés that the hoven is about to explode before Thanksgiving.

Superwonderscope says 1

This was a great, down-to-earth film!!

[bgva · 10/10 · 14 April 2001]

This is absolutely the best film I have seen this year! As a black male, I am glad to see that there is a film that does not use excessive foul language (i.e. "F-this, F that") in every other line, or sex in every other scene. This is a film that will probably remind you of your own family. I definitely recommend this light-hearted, but hilarious film.

A really cute movie!

[snowgirl_dk · 8/10 · 14 November 2001]

I hadn't really heard much about "Kindom Come" before watching it except for the fact that Whoopi Goldberg was in it (which was my main reason for seeing this movie) so I didn't have a lot of expectations. However, when seeing it I found it both a funny and touching movie with some great acting, especially from LL Cool J who plays Ray Slocumb, and from Whoopi Goldberg, though her role in the movie is just a small cameo.

What I found most interesting about this movie, though, was the way it describes the Slocumb family. In spite of the all-black cast it isn't just a great and funny movie showing a down to earth black family - it is presenting a family that could be of any color, and it does it in a really warm and touching way that also brings a laugh or two along the way.

Therefore this is certainly a cute, funny and heart warming movie worth seeing.

Warm, wistful, human, laugh-out-loud funny movie about family, love, dreams

[Moxie · 8/10 · 7 March 2005]

What a delightful movie! It's about family, and love, and dreams, and how we get along in this world -- especially with our nearest and not-always-dearest. It's warm and wistful and laugh-out-loud funny!

As for Goldberg's part, though promotions may have given her high billing, in fact her part is minuscule. But even if she'd been absent, this cast did more than enough to entertain.

LL Cool J did a fine job in the lead, only his name betraying his rap origins. He was joined by a host of other talented actors, including a favorite of mine, Loretta Devine, as a classic "momma." Another performance I particularly enjoyed was Cedric the Entertainer's role of the Reverend.

But everybody was good! Great ensemble acting -- _everyone_ was just right, including even the bit players, and they all blended into a very believable whole. The dialogue was witty, capturing exactly the character types, but down-to-earth without resorting to cheap crudity.

I kept thinking, "This would make an excellent play for community theater!" Great character types, great major roles, lots of smaller and non-speaking parts, easy to set. Then the credits showed that it had been adapted from David Dean Bottrell's play "Dearly Departed." It made me long to 'tread the boards' again -- join a great cast like that and take part in the play's warmth, truth and wry good humor.

The funeral of a hard-to-love father brings together his extended family, with their various relational wrinkles, all of which are plausibly solved by the end.

The story is kind, forgiving of human foibles, and in good taste throughout. The 'bathroom humor' mentioned in another review is a very light, one-time thing -- gas due to indigestion -- that is also a necessary plot device. I don't see how it could have been handled any better another way.

My satellite service will be showing this film all month, and I plan to watch it a couple more times. And beyond its humor, because of its warm heart and human hope I intend to buy the video.

Sweet and hilarious

[pnauha · 10/10 · 13 September 2001]

What a joy to watch a film that showed a white guy like me the true black family - much like mine! Just goes to prove that we're all just plain ol' humans. Loved the witty writing and the understated performances of good actors. This movie just kept on growing on me until I just noticed that it got me. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a hearty laugh and even a couple of tears mixed in between!

Hysterical!

[kimmishy5 · 9/10 · 25 June 2020]

I don't care how many times I see this movie.... Makes me laugh every time. Black folks have to be the funniest people on the planet! Talk about laughing through the tears!!!

A Really Impressive Performance

[slimm · 8/10 · 30 August 2002]

I accuired this film on DVD about a month or so back and i wasn't really expecting a hell of alot of it until i actually got round to watching it, I watched it and was blown away by just how good it was, with stunning performances from Cedric The Entertainer, LL Cool J, Anthony Anderson and a good performance from a name that is quite new to me of Darius McCrary who really brought the comedy to the film.

I love this movie!

[ElizaDoolittle_76 · 31 August 2002]

I rented this movie just because my family kept telling me I had to see it. They kept telling me how funny it was. Well, as soon as Whoopi's character started speaking, I automatically recognized the dialogue from a play called "Dearly Departed" in which I played Jada's character "Charrise". In the play, Junior's wife was named "Suzanne". I was so excited that my favorite comedic play had become a movie. I love this movie.

outstanding film!

[Hotlanta76 · 10/10 · 22 July 2005]

This movie was outstanding. It was very funny, and very similar to the play. It only added or changed dialog in a few places, and it was always an improvement over the (already amazing)play.The cast was one of the if not the best ever assembled for a movie. LL Cool J is an even better actor than Rapper and gives an AMAZING performance. Jada Pinkett Smith is very talented and funny. As is the (always) hilarious Anthony Anderson. I could go on and on but there is no need- this classic film speaks for itself and in my opinion is one of the greatest movies ever made. (top 20 easily) (yes of all time). If you have not seen this you MUST see it immediately!

Amazing Film

[smooth_op_85 · 8/10 · 5 September 2015]

When the Patriarch Bud keels over at the breakfast table in the middle of one of his saved, sanctified & filled with the Holy Ghost sister Marguerite (Loretta Devine) the family comes together dealing with their own baggage on top of it Jr & Sherese (Anthony Anderson and Jada Pinkett--at the time) deal with going bankrupt after Jr foolishly created a machine that cleans parking lots. He also has 3 kids who are terrors.

Ray Bud & Lucille Slocumb (LL Cool J & Vivica Fox) contend with Lucille being unable to bring a baby to term despite their best efforts, and due to the funeral he says to his wife in one of my favorite lines "When I die don't say anything Just bury me in the backyard and tell everybody I left you" Marguerite and Royce (Darius McCrary) deal with an antagonistic relationship and Royce going down the wrong path and is on the way to a cell next to his brother LeVar All of this self examination of their feelings toward the Dearly Departed (which was the play this film was based on) and each other come into the forefront.

Also featuring Cedric The Entertainer as Rev Lee Hoooker and Masasa Moyo who is a Harpo Marx character that as Daddy Bud puts it "in love with the refrigerator" 3 church ladies that act as a Greek Chorus and characters that are true to life. It is a delightful romp through a family as they deal with the day all families will contend with, the death of a patriarch So strap in for the ride and enjoy the music written and produced Kirk Franklin and delightful voices of Tamar Braxton, Tamela Mann and a nice song at the end of the movie as they say their final goodbyes

One of the best films you've never heard of!

[benoit-3 · 10/10 · 4 December 2006]

Just caught this on local TV here and I had no idea this film ever existed. It's funny, it's human, it's warm, it's truthful but it's hopeful. I may be miles removed from the demographics pictured here but I remember a certain funeral in my own family that had all the hallmarks of this one...

As far as the storytelling is concerned, this film/script/play has all the intricacies and finely observed and rendered detail that makes the films of Marcel Pagnol about the life of Southern Frenchmen so universal yesterday, today and tomorrow, all around the world.

Fine ensemble cast where none of the stars detract from each other. A class act all the way.

Two Times a Charm

[kidrico · 16 April 2001]

I had the privilege of viewing this movie twice and laughed just as hard the second time around. The film does well at portraying the strong bonds within an African American family despite any circumstances. I recommend this family film to all.