A Raisin in the Sun is a 1961 drama film, starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Roy Glenn, and Louis Gossett, and adapted from the play of the same name by Lorraine Hansberry. It follows a black family that wants a better life away from the city.
In 2005, A Raisin in the Sun was selected for preservation in the United States of America National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
§Cast
- Sidney Poitier as Walter Lee Younger
- Ruby Dee as Ruth Younger
- Claudia McNeil as Lena Younger
- Diana Sands as Beneatha Younger
- Stephen Perry as Travis Younger
- John Fiedler as Karl Lindner
- Ivan Dixon as Joseph Asagai
- Louis Gossett, Jr. as George Murchison
- Joel Fluellen as Bobo
- Roy Glenn as Willie Harris
- Louis Terrel as Herman </ul>
- A Raisin in the Sun at the Internet Movie Database
§Differences from play
There are few differences between the original play and the film. One difference is that in the movie, Lena Younger (Claudia McNeil) gives Walter $6,500 in a bar. In the play, this is done in their apartment (the only setting throughout the play). The family also leaves the apartment in order to visit the house bought by Lena. The scene where Walter tells Lena that the liquor store is important to him is in Lena's bedroom, while in the play, it's shown in the living room. The film also shows the character of Willie Harris (played by Roy Glenn) who talks Walter into the liquor store investment and then runs off with the money Walter invested.
§Awards
Ruby Dee won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress. Both Poitier and MacNeil were nominated for Golden Globe Awards, and Petrie received a special "Gary Cooper Award" at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival.