About 2 weeks ago, a came across a movie called Lackawanna Blues and I decided to check it out and see how it was. At first, I figured that I was going to be a pretty basic black film that involves a young child trying to grow up his nanny, since his mother pretty much abandon him after he turned 7. For the most part, that is pretty much the entire premise of the movie. However, as you continue to watch it, you can see that there's much more to the movie than just that. In a lot of ways, Lackawanna Blues tells you from a first person perspective how some African Americans grew up.
The story is about a young boy name Ruben, who's promptly raised by his guardian Rachel after the separation of his parents. The two of them live in Rachel's boarding house, with a large number of other characters, some of home play a positive or negative part in each of their lives. As the movie continues, you see both characters grow up and how they become extremely close due to all the events that they go through.
The main reason why I liked this movie is because it's based on the true story of Ruben Santiago Jr and not some fictional piece. Although there are indeed some fictional stories that a lot of people can relate to, it's clear that you can relate to the tale more if it's true. Watching the real-life trials of an African/Hispanic child is really interesting, especially Ruben's because he was so young and yet he went through a lot. It allows you to appreciate what he went through and the people he met that helped forged him into the person he is now or, at the very least, the person he became at the start and end of the film.
In the end, I strongly recommend this film, especially to those who want to know how certain African Americans grew up. I can't make any promises, but I'm pretty sure that you'll come away with a much better appreciation for the problems that had to go through.
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