Like the previous commenter stated, it seemed as if the movie started in the middle.
Basically Mama Rose has 3 biological daughters. Two of them - and I forget their names - are the most horrible, jealous haters on all the planet! They are both married with a litter of untrained children. It's odd because you NEVER see either of their husbands. The third daughter is Billie Jean. I keep wondering where they found this ugly girl to play this part but anyway...Billie Jean is the youngest and she loves to dance. (IMO, her dancing was horrible; nothing that stood out and it was mostly the "robot" and other corny dances for that time period).
At any rate she is a quiet girl, almost timid. She has dropped out of school and dances for...dang...25 cents a pop at some dive. It's nothing exotic or anything, she just...dances average 70s disco dances.
Well, Mama Rose is disappointed at all of her daughters but there is one shining ray of light and her name is Netta. Now Netta is no kin to Mama Rosie. In fact she was some stray whose mother (played by the beautiful Ruby Dee) has some sort of mental ailment that Moma Rosie (MR) took in. Netta is everything MR's girls aren't; beautiful, intelligent, self assured and assertive. She wants more out of life than to just plop babies out every year.
MR brags and brags about her play daughter (Netta) and hopes that she will see her on Mother's Day. What MR didn't know is that Netta had written her stating she would be seeing her on that day but one of her mean UGLY daughters hid the letter.
While all this bragging, jealousy and hatefulness is going on, in pops Earl, the two eldest girls' father. He is some wide nostril having wannabe pimp. Not too sure of the story but it seems that he and MR have a love/hate relationship. So he slithers into town in his brand new big Lincoln and starts passing out money. Of course the two eldest are all for it, so is MR but Billie Jean overhears him talking to MR about how that ain't his daughter but he gave her his last name.
OK, so that drags on for a while. Finally, Netta comes. Before she gets there, the three daughters (yes, Billie Jean too) all talk about Netta. Billie Jean gets hyped up and like a FLUNKY STOOGE she follow those hateful troll sisters of her into some mean plan to be hateful and full of contempt for Netta. MR has no idea that Netta was coming to town so the girls concoct this plan that when Netta gets there, they're going to let her have it.
So Netta get to the home. She is not warmly received. They all sit around playing cards and ignoring her. Netta really isn't surprised by the two eldest but Billie's behavior sorta shocks her. They had always gotten along (from what I gather). Netta tries to be a lady and be nice but it falls on death ears. Things get so bad that one of the ugly sisters (with the acne) pulls out a switch blade on her and insults her "crazy mama". Billie Jean soon starts regretting how she treated Netta because after all Netta was encouraging this ugly child to become a dancer and never to give up on her dreams.
So Netta leaves.
Mother's Day, Sunday. MR and her 3 daughters are at church. Netta is also there with her mother, only they aren't in the sanctuary, they're upstairs because Netta's real mom has some mental issues.
Basically Mama Rose has 3 biological daughters. Two of them - and I forget their names - are the most horrible, jealous haters on all the planet! They are both married with a litter of untrained children. It's odd because you NEVER see either of their husbands. The third daughter is Billie Jean. I keep wondering where they found this ugly girl to play this part but anyway...Billie Jean is the youngest and she loves to dance. (IMO, her dancing was horrible; nothing that stood out and it was mostly the "robot" and other corny dances for that time period).
At any rate she is a quiet girl, almost timid. She has dropped out of school and dances for...dang...25 cents a pop at some dive. It's nothing exotic or anything, she just...dances average 70s disco dances.
Well, Mama Rose is disappointed at all of her daughters but there is one shining ray of light and her name is Netta. Now Netta is no kin to Mama Rosie. In fact she was some stray whose mother (played by the beautiful Ruby Dee) has some sort of mental ailment that Moma Rosie (MR) took in. Netta is everything MR's girls aren't; beautiful, intelligent, self assured and assertive. She wants more out of life than to just plop babies out every year.
MR brags and brags about her play daughter (Netta) and hopes that she will see her on Mother's Day. What MR didn't know is that Netta had written her stating she would be seeing her on that day but one of her mean UGLY daughters hid the letter.
While all this bragging, jealousy and hatefulness is going on, in pops Earl, the two eldest girls' father. He is some wide nostril having wannabe pimp. Not too sure of the story but it seems that he and MR have a love/hate relationship. So he slithers into town in his brand new big Lincoln and starts passing out money. Of course the two eldest are all for it, so is MR but Billie Jean overhears him talking to MR about how that ain't his daughter but he gave her his last name.
OK, so that drags on for a while. Finally, Netta comes. Before she gets there, the three daughters (yes, Billie Jean too) all talk about Netta. Billie Jean gets hyped up and like a FLUNKY STOOGE she follow those hateful troll sisters of her into some mean plan to be hateful and full of contempt for Netta. MR has no idea that Netta was coming to town so the girls concoct this plan that when Netta gets there, they're going to let her have it.
So Netta get to the home. She is not warmly received. They all sit around playing cards and ignoring her. Netta really isn't surprised by the two eldest but Billie's behavior sorta shocks her. They had always gotten along (from what I gather). Netta tries to be a lady and be nice but it falls on death ears. Things get so bad that one of the ugly sisters (with the acne) pulls out a switch blade on her and insults her "crazy mama". Billie Jean soon starts regretting how she treated Netta because after all Netta was encouraging this ugly child to become a dancer and never to give up on her dreams.
So Netta leaves.
Mother's Day, Sunday. MR and her 3 daughters are at church. Netta is also there with her mother, only they aren't in the sanctuary, they're upstairs because Netta's real mom has some mental issues.