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Mandalay Pictures
Tyler Perry Studios
Not part of a collection.
They were ordered to provide hope...
During World War II, the US Army's only all-Black, all-women battalion takes on an impossible mission: sorting through a three-year backlog of 17 million pieces of mail that hadn't been delivered to American soldiers and finish within six months.
CinemaSerf
Dec 10, 2024 · via TMDB
When it's brought to the attention of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (Susan Sarandon) that the soldiers fighting in Europe aren't getting their morale-bolstering mail, she convinces her husband (Sam Waterston) that something has to be done about it. Meantime, a regiment of African American women is festering away at a fort awaiting, in vain, orders that will get them meaningfully employed. Well! Now they have a task, and under the command of their newly promoted Maj. Adams (Kerry Washington) are posted to Europe. They are unaware of the sale of their project until presented with half a dozen enormous hangars full to the brim of rotting envelopes, packages and their fair share of rats. Chief amongst the newly arrived soldiers is "Lena" (Ebony Obsidian) who joined up after her beau "Abram" (Gregg Sulkin) went off to war as a pilot and was reportedly killed in action. She, and her determined colleagues, are determined to make a difference and the remainder of this drama depicts their struggles against their own side rife with bigotry and sexism whilst the bombs are never far away and the task is quite literally Herculean - only they can't just divert a river to solve this one. It's a fact, so the conclusion isn't in doubt, and the story is quite an interesting one as it not only challenges stereotypical attitudes, but quite poignantly illustrates how downright counter-productive these were. The execution, though, is all rather bland. Washington is competent but nothing more, indeed that's true of almost all of the acting talent on display here - aside from a lively and earthy effort from Shanice Shantay as the the engagingly rough-around-the-edges Johnnie Mae; and the writing takes a sledge hammer to the racial undertones that, once it's made it's bleedin' obvious point, just proceeds to labour that a bit too heavily. It's fascinating to see glimpses of the "intelligence" these women used to repatriate the post with the person and at times it's quite funny too as their intuition and common sense proved astonishingly effective but that's all rather swept under the carpet as the story focusses too much on the soapy elements of their travails. Indeed the ending, and the significance of their achievement, is all just a bit too rushed. It's a film that might have made for a better documentary celebrating the dedication of these ladies. As a piece of cinema, it's at best an high-quality television movie and an over-long one at that.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Kerry Washington
Charity Adams
Sam Waterston
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Susan Sarandon
Eleanor Roosevelt
Dean Norris
General Halt
Oprah Winfrey
Mary McLeod Bethune
Ebony Obsidian
Lena Derriecott King
Milauna Jackson
Captain Campbell
Kylie Jefferson
Bernice Baker
Shanice Williams
Johnnie Mae (credited as Shanice Shantay)
Pepi Sonuga
Elaine White
Sarah Jeffery
Dolores Washington
Jay Reeves
Private Hugh Bell
Jeanté Godlock
Vera
Moriah Brown
Inez
Baadja-Lyne Odums
Susan
Gregg Sulkin
Abram David
Austin Nichols
Colonel Collins
Ben VanderMey
Captain Mathews
Nick Harris
Chaplain Clemens
Scott Johnson
General Lee
Jeffery Thomas Johnson
Colonel Davenport
Brian Kurlander
Mr. David
Bill Barrett
Staff Sergeant Hill
Bern Cohen
Rabbi
Jon Wennington
Racist Officer (uncredited)
Rachel Sophia-Anthony
Officer (uncredited)
Donna Biscoe
Emma Derriecott
Eugene H. Russell IV
Butler George
Helene Henry
Officer Gates
Austin Seifert
Private
Edward Finlay
First Officer (as Eddie Finlay)
Veanna Black
Private Jackson
Conor Marsh
Sergeant Roberts (uncredited)
Donald Ome
Master Sergeant Bone (uncredited)
Kerry O'Malley
Mildred
Blake Patrick Anderson
White Male Soldier
Ciara Caffey
Private Lewis
Dawn Raven
Private Cone
George Gallagher
Levi
Nina Jones
Mrs. Gray
Sarah Helbringer
Mary Kathryn
Ryan Siegel
Male Soldier
Bill Skinner
Sergeant Scott
Brett A. Newton
Mailman
Daniel Fiorito
First Assistant "C" Camera
Tara DiPetrillo
Makeup Artist
Debbie Allen
Choreographer
Danny Le Boyer
Stunt Coordinator
Ashlei Tave
Stunt Double
Jessica Medina
Stunt Double
Eric Salas
Stunts
Geo Corvera
Stunts
Tyler Perry
Director
Aleshia Mueller
Script Supervisor
Maysie Hoy
Editor
Kim Taylor-Coleman
Casting
Kerry Washington
Executive Producer
Peter Guber
Executive Producer
Tyler Perry
Producer
Johnny Caruso
Music Editor
Joel C. High
Music Supervisor
Aaron Zigman
Original Music Composer
Aaron 'Cujo' Cooley
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Dennis Sands
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Diane Warren
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Bicara Cinta
2020
The Pied Pipers of Harlow
1965
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
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