Raisin in the Sun

I stayed up way too late last night watching ABC's tv adaptation of the old Broadway play by Lorraine Hansberry. For ye trivia buffs, the odd title comes from two lines in an even older Langston Hughes poem: "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?"

As a child of the 80's, who could resist watching Phylicia Rashad playing a matriarch . . . albeit a very different one from the one she portrayed on The Cosby Show?

And, of course, there were the amazing acting skills of P. Diddy to keep one glued to the set. I mean, he really put Sidney Poitier (who played the role originally) to shame. NOT!

I do have to admit I was more than a little disturbed toward the end, when a foreign college professor belittles the daughter in the family because her dreams were purchased by a man's death. (Her father's insurance money was supposed to pay for her medical school tuition.)

The reason it bothered me is that it seemed like a more-than-subtle jab at Chrisitianity. You know the whole story about the crucifixion and redemption. Especially so, since the same daughter had declared herself an atheist in an earlier scene.

Much to my delight, in that scene the Phylicia Rashad character slapped her cocky unbelieving daughter across the face and made her repeat the statement, "There's still God in my mama's house!"

Anyway, this family drama was worth the forfeiture of sleep. It had some pretty good life lessons to teach.

Now, pass the coffee pot!