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Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia

BiographyDramaMusic

The story of the New Orleans-born crooner who began singing at an early age and went on to become one of the most revered gospel figures in U.S. history, melding her music with the civil rights movement.

Year

2021

Duration

1h 42m

IMDb

7.0

Hero Poster

Cast

Kenny Leon

Director

Danielle Brooks

Mahalia Jackson

Olivia Washington

Estelle

Cast

Kenny Leon

Director

Danielle Brooks

Mahalia Jackson

Olivia Washington

Estelle

Joaquina Kalukango

Mildred

Jason Dirden

Russell

Rob Demery

Martin Luther King

Benjamin Charles Watson

John

Jim Thorburn

Studs

Jamall Johnson

Ike Hockenhull

WB

Wolsey Brooks

Sigmund Galloway

Keenan Mentzos

Young John

Nakai Takawira

Young Halie

Marci T. House

Aunt Duke

Kenny Leon

Professor Kendricks

Kerry Sandomirsky

Bess Berman

Dean Redman

Pastor

Kris McRonney

Young Father

TE

Taylor Edwardson

Kathryn

Marc Gaudet

Director

BG

Bettina Gilois

Writer

TK

Todd Kreidler

Writer

Trailer

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Comments

10 Comments

🌸 مروة 🌸May 29, 2023

source: Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia

Snald SMay 25, 2023

marouaberdiMay 23, 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.

اسلومه المدولي 🇱🇾May 23, 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.

❤jasmine009❤May 23, 2023

I'm not a big fan of gospel music; it all depends on the singer; anything too shrill, or bordering on shouting would immediately turn me off. This might not be the greatest movie, but keep in mind this was produced for TV, and I expect a much lower budget than a Hollywood production. I also didn't expect to see a complete copy of Mahalia herself as she was a one-off, but Danielle Brooks provides an excellent vocal portrayal of Mahalia. Danielle, like Mahalia, is a contralto, a Juilliard School graduate who appeared in the Broadway musical The Color Purple alongside Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Holliday, both of whom had complimented Danielle on her vocal abilities at the time. You would not expect a TV movie to cover every aspect of Mahalia's life from beginning to end, but it does an adequate job of covering most of the key moments in her life from childhood onward. Playing the character well, Danielle conveys the passion and perseverance to overcome those obstacles that Mahalia encountered in her life, from her aunt to her feckless first husband to rejections of her southern vocal style. So she did have that grit in her character to present herself as a vocalist in the way that she herself felt comfortable with the bounce in the rhythms provided by her longtime pianist, Mildred Falls. As a person, she had her flaws like all of us, and yes, it was sad that she treated Mildred the way she did when she approached Mahalia to ask for a raise in her pay. This is often the way with great artists, who can become transfixed on themselves and their public persona. However, Danielle does convey that Mahalia stuck to her standards and beliefs throughout her life, not allowing the pressure of people or circumstances to waver from how she wanted to be as an individual. The songs Danielle covers in the movie, from Mahalia's very first minor hit to the other well-known standards featured on her albums and in her concerts, she does a brilliant job of, and some of them really rock along; it is certainly not boring. I agree that Martin Luther King's portrayal comes across as a bit limp, certainly at one point when the character is wearing his hat at a jaunty angle. Yes, M. L. K sometimes wore a hat, but always in the usual traditional way. So, this is the one part where the cast and the acting could have been a bit stronger, as I'm sure M. L. K had just as much presence in private as he did in public. I really liked the film, and I would certainly watch it again, as the musical content delivered by Danielle is the strongest part of the whole production.

Sketchy BongoMay 23, 2023

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.

lasisielenuMay 23, 2023

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.

Nouhaila ZaariiMay 23, 2023

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.

cv 💣💥 mareim Mar5 ❤🇲🇷🇲May 23, 2023

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.

lesvideosdejoelMay 23, 2023

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.