The Old Settler

I happened to come across this movie quite by accident, and fell in love with the movie. Thank God that being single at 40 doesn't constitute being called an old settler, yet I really enjoyed the movie. I am also sad that they don't do more justice on this site about the movie.

I saw this film of a story written by Willa Cather twice on the local black public television network, out of Howard University. I wish I'd stayed to watch the credits, but I do know the names of two of the actors: Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen play sisters who, with several of their neighbors, move to Harlem from South Carolina to change their lives. Some of them change their names, but none of them changes his personality.

Forty-something and terminally spinstered Rashad rents out a room in her Harlem home to a young man, named "Husband," from back home. They soon fall in love and he convinces her and the viewer that he is not like the other emigrants who have fallen into a life of drugs, theft and prostitution.

Rashad and Allen show us black people as whites rarely see them in films: thoughtful, conservative, human.

I don't know if you could rent this film, but it's worth seeing. And I don't know why IMDB doesn't have more information on it.

Mag

The black The Heiress, and just as good. I love the way Ms. Allen's movies can be set in a world populated by all blacks, the way whites often make movies populated by all whites. If the flick is set in 1940s Harlem their world would be all black. The story is exquisite, telling a kind of dynamic between the sisters that family fosters, i.e., love/hate, expertly expressed. We see clearly the teetering of their relationship, the way it turns on a dime. The emotional expression is on a masterly level, pretty much across the board, which, this being a film based on a play, is only a handful of people. A May/December relationship develops between a young man and a middle-aged woman. It's heartfelt on both sides, until a young woman decides to do something about it. Both of the female stars, Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen, are crazy stupid good in these rolls. Actually they neither of them have ever disappointed; but still, this being such a well-directed and written movie, it highlights the talents of everyone.

I've always liked Phylicia Rashad, and this was a pleasant surprise. It took about 30 seconds for me to be hooked. By the end, I was totally engrossed, and empathetic. We've all been stood up, or worse; left at the altar. Elisabeth was so confident and so trusting, and the viewer was right there with her. But in the end she was vulnerable and hurt. Great story, beautiful characterizations, powerful performances. Complex and bittersweet, just like the lives of most humans.

The Old Settler is now one of my favorite movies. I ran across it at Wal-Mart about a month ago and have watched it over and over. I picked it up half-heartedly and I'm so glad I did. I always loved Phylicia Rashad as Claire Huxtable and have hated that I haven't seen more of her on the "Big Screen". The Old Settler was fabulous from start to finish. I am very interested in film-making and tend to be very critical of movies, but I have no criticism for The Old Settler. In my opinion, every aspect of it was done incredibly well. The acting was superb, the set design and costuming were wonderful, the screenplay was fabulous, and of course Debbie Allen is absolutely THE BEST director around. I have told everyone how wonderful this movie is and can't wait for everybody I know to see it. I didn't like the ending, but that was only because it was so sad. Kudos to everyone involved in this fantastic work.