Darrin's mother Maryann Hill got forced out of the choir by Reverend Lewis (Wendell Pierce) after busybody Paulina Pritchett discovers her R&B singing. Today, Darrin Hill (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is an aggressive marketing junior executive in NYC. He's a superficial schemer and ashamed of his home town. Darrin is fired for lying about his education and most importantly, getting caught. He's broke and then gets news that aunt Sally has died. He returns to Monte Carlo, Georgia and finds friendly booty-expert driver Luscious (Mike Epps). In her Will, Darrin is made the director of the choir and if they win, she leaves him stocks worth $150k. He falls for Lilly (Beyoncé Knowles) but she's been outcast for her sins.
Darrin is a horribly unlikeable character. Cuba is unable to inject the character with any rooting interest. He is not funny. That goes for many of the side characters. Sure the villainous Paulina is ugly but it's done in a very broad way. Mike Epps is annoying. Most of the supposed comedy is broadly bad. Beyoncé is reasonable and she can sing. The singing is possibly the only true greatness in the film. I would suggest getting the soundtrack rather than the movie.
Darrin is a horribly unlikeable character. Cuba is unable to inject the character with any rooting interest. He is not funny. That goes for many of the side characters. Sure the villainous Paulina is ugly but it's done in a very broad way. Mike Epps is annoying. Most of the supposed comedy is broadly bad. Beyoncé is reasonable and she can sing. The singing is possibly the only true greatness in the film. I would suggest getting the soundtrack rather than the movie.