Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (2021 TV Movie) User Reviews (10)

Quite good

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 19 February 2022]

Mahalia Jackson (Grammy award wining singer and Orange Is the New Black actress Danielle Brooks) became the Queen of Gospel as well as the voice of the civil rights movement. With a four decade career, Jackson was one of the reasons why gospel blues became so important to black churches throughout the U. S. And more importantly, during a time when racial segregation existed, she sold an estimated 22 million records and performed in front of black and white audiences.

The granddaughter of former slaces, Jackson was born into poverty in New Orleans. The church and music was her salvation, which is why she always wanted to deliver the Word of the Lord through her music. After years of being a singer anywhere she could find a place to sing, including funerals and churches, her recording of "Move On Up a Little Higher" reached number two on the Billboard charts. She did that without singing secular music, something she stuck to for her entire career.

With a story by Bettina Gilois (who also wrote Bessie, a movie about Jackson's inspiration Bessie Smith) and a teleplay by Todd Kreidler, this tells the life story of Jackson in a very dynamic way. It's directed by Kenny Leon, who directed the Hairspray Live! And The Wiz Live! TV movies.

The moments with Dr. Martin Luther King (Rob Demery) are very moving, particularly when he asks her to sing a song that he loves at his funeral, should he die before her. Of course, he did, and the moments where we see how Jackson was part of the civil rights movement should remind us that this was only sixty years ago.

While a Lifetime movie, this could have played theaters. For a subject that I wouldn't think I'd enjoy, I can't believe how much I was moved by this movie.

Good but

[darylstafford-14684 · 6/10 · 16 October 2021]

Loved the actors but the film didn't seem to have any real depth to it. The music is brilliant as are the actors that play both Mahalia and also Mildred. It wasn't gritty enough though somehow. All a bit sanitised I felt. Look.

Felt incomplete

[hktwjgk · 6/10 · 15 January 2023]

Danielle Brooks was great ! However could've been greater but I felt like she wasn't directed right. Reading some of Mahalia's story key characters missing from this story ! From what I have read she never spoke to Mildred after their falling out so that end scene is disappointing and then a very abrupt ending!!! I understand this is TV movie therefore will not have the same level of budget as movie however just felt like it could have been great movie the potential was there ! It felt censored almost ! I would've like to see more about her involvement in civil rights movement her relationship with JFK etc.

Wonderful Uplifting Music

[daniel-42603 · 10/10 · 29 October 2021]

A film critic could perhaps pick holes in this as a movie.. but as a musical it was sublime. It brought tears to my eyes.

I have not heard much of Mahalia Jackson's music but the singing in this film would make your hair stand on end Alright, I am a sucker for stomping blues/gospel music and this delivers it in abundance I am still winding down.. Someone above said it was not gritty... well from what I have read her life was not gritty, although she suffered a deal of sorrow her faith kept strong.

Well Done

[matthewcapestro · 9/10 · 18 April 2021]

When I purchased this movie, I doubted it had the budget to capture the talent of Mahalia Jackson. Her voice is one of a kind. However, I was surprised to find Danielle Brooks has a fantastic voice! Nobody can replicate Mahalia, but that's true of all the greatest singers. Brooks is a great singer in her own right and captured just enough of Mahalia to really make the movie work. The film features a great singer and also captured the dynamic personal life of Mahalia.

Loved this movie

[dnbaeb · 10/10 · 10 April 2021]

Danielle did an awesome job playing Mahalia. She really brought Mahalia alive and well in 2021. I had heard that Danielle could sing, but that girl can saaannnggg. She's also a really talented actress. I really enjoyed all the actors (but not the portrayal of Martin too much), not really sure why he didn't quite fit me. But nevertheless, it got a 10/10 from me. Was it a totally accurate story w/o a little embellishment, absolutely not, but pretty accurate and on point,

Boring

[pumping_iron-1 · 3/10 · 25 June 2022]

A disappointing movie. The acting was terrible. There was information missing in the story that made the storyline confusing. Danielle Brooks has a beautiful voice but it did not provoke any emotions in me. Something was missing. The ending was kind of abrupt.

Spotted a goof

[kctr · 9/10 · 29 January 2023]

Loved this movie, a great biopic. Danielle Brooks was awesome. Think I spotted another "goof" though - when the young Mahalia was singing as a young girl at her house in 1926 her Aunt came in and Mahalia took the needle off the record she was singing along too. It showed a modern piece of vinyl on the record player which looked very much like a multi track LP which I'm pretty sure weren't made until 1948 by Columbia. Later on Mahalia said that as a young girl she used to sing along to Victrola records which were 78rpm Bakelite discs. Can't take anything away from the spirit of the movie though.

I don't think Mahalia would have liked this

[sateigdraleah · 1/10 · 5 March 2022]

It seems with lifetime their biopics are usally missing some important components. The script for this wasn't good. Some of the casting was just bad. While Danielle Brooks' singing was pretty good her acting was not. There were, however, some moments in the performances that she did certain things that reminded me of watching Mahalia but those moments were few and very far between in this film. I also wish they had picked more well known Mahalia songs. Danielle can sing but her tone honestly wasn't close to Mahalia's even though at moments she did a pretty good job. There were also a lot of pc sounding speeches that did not reflect Mahalia's beliefs but i think the beliefs of the writers and producers of this film.

This was boring but i kept it on thinking maybe it would be more intersting but it wasn't. The actor playing MLK was so dull my goodness, lol. Some of the wigs they had on Danielle were on point though with what we've seen Mahalia wear before, I gotta say that. Wadrobe did a pretty decent job. That Aretha movie was better than this and I couldn't even finish watching that. If you're looking for a biopic like Ray or the Jacksons please know that this aint it. This is definitely forgettable.

So wonderful!! Brought the spirit of Mahalia Jackson

[csmcmackin73 · 10/10 · 2 May 2021]

I bought this and it took me a few days before I watched it. I cried, I laughed and loved the performance of a beautiful voice I remember from the past and one for 2021 in Danielle. I will watch it again and again.