MovieMusings In watching this film, I at first wanted to choke on the stereotypical black depictions - the patient quiet matriarch with the belligerent husband; the dysfunctional family with all kinds of problems; the early 20s male with no ambition; the single mothers struggling to make something of their kids without the connections to move them along; the alcohol-related problems; the young people playing adults before they're really ready, pumping out babies etc., etc.Then, I saw through it, and really appreciated an unglamorous "real" family with real-life problems (those issues do exist, whether they are taken on by or inflicted upon people). Whoopie Goldberg plays the straight character this time, while everyone around her is crazy. Her first-born kind of keys in on this quiet strength and reluctantly has to stand up despite his own issues and attempt to bring some semblance of order to the proceedings.MattyMatt4ever's review can provide plenty more insight into why this film works. I can't go so far as to say it's must-see material, but if you are reading these reviews because you were thinking of watching it, then I'd say the negative reviews may mislead you more than the positive reviews - no movie is for everyone, but this film is, in my opinion, much better than the negative reviews might suggest. I quite enjoyed and appreciated it, and would never feel I wasted my money in renting it, or my time in watching it.

chuckrules We all have families composed of a great many different personalities. Some are crazier than others but deep down if we consider them family we love them. Kingdom Come shows up what happens when they are all forced to get back together for a tragedy. Whoopi Goldberg plays the long-suffering matriarch of the family who watches her mean and nasty husband drop dead at breakfast one morning. Now her sister and all of their children, except for...well you know...he's still in jail, are all coming home for the funeral. The rest of the movie details how they all come together as a bunch of crazy, fighting individuals and end together as a family. The story was a little weak. A lot of it was stereotypical but the acting more than saved it throughout. In fact the performances carried the movie well over the top in quality. Whoopi played the quiet matriarch dispensing wisdom as needed. LL Cool J played her oldest son, the recovering alcoholic, who is struggling with his own fear of death and the infertility problems he and his wife seem to be having. Anthony Anderson played the younger son as a dreamer stuck with a hot-headed wife and multiple kids. Cedric the Entertainer portrays the town preacher as a man full of advice...and other more shallow problems near the end. I really enjoyed this one. It mixed drama with comedy from start to finish and will be a part of my collection.

slatus I stumbled across this little treasure on cable the other day (luckily for me, right at the beginning) and was treated to one of the funniest and most genuine films I've ever seen. I had never even HEARD of it before so it was a nice surprise. It has a real family feel to it; you will definitely walk away grinning and feeling good! This must be the 4th film in the past few months where I've seen Anthony Anderson crack up the place, and the rest of the cast are no slouches, either. Every character is a gem with no false notes - highly recommended!

mattymatt4ever This movie received tons of mixed reviews and didn't pan out at the box office. I think it was very underappreciated. Not only is this a feel-good comedy--no sex, no violence, very little profanity--but it will move you as well. I think this is one movie that focuses on a particular minority that actually has a universal theme. This family could've been white, Hispanic, Japanese. It doesn't matter. Everyone can relate. This is not a degrading, stereotypical account of a poorly educated, low income African-American family living in the ghetto. Let me start off by complimenting the multi-talented cast. I don't think you could've picked a much better ensemble of African-American performers. LL Cool J is really good as the bitter, cynical ex-alcoholic who becomes even more bitter after hearing the news of his father's death. Along with Ice Cube, I think LL is one of our most gifted rapper-turned-actors. He delivers one of his best performances in this movie. I was amused by Whoopi Goldberg, not because she exercised her trademark schtick, but because she delivers an amazingly subdued performance and pretty much takes on the role of the straight person. You can say she is the one civilized person in the family. Whoopi's one of those wonderful actresses who proves to be as effective in her comic roles as she is her dramatic roles. Loretta Divine plays Whoopi's sister, and she gives--next to "Waiting to Exhale"--one of her best performances. Underrated comic actor Anthony Anderson is hilarious as a stressed-out husband now despised by his wife after being suspected of cheating on her. Anderson has become a rising star, ever since his hilarious star-making appearance in "Me Myself and Irene," and I keep hoping to see him in more and more movies. Jada Pinkett-Smith is over-the-top as his suspicious wife. Not one of her best performances. Though Anderson's character cheated on her, you feel more sorry for him having to hear her mouth 24/7. Darius McRary (from TV's "Family Matters") is quite good, and he can have a successful career in film. He plays a role very different from Eddie Winslow, as a chain-smoking, alcoholic smooth-talker who's very bold with the ladies. To add to the talents are Cedric the Entertainer, Vivica A. Fox and Richard Gant. The film is filled with good humor and belly laughs, but it's the overall message of family values that makes it even stronger. The film focuses on a well-to-do family of nice, decent people. But they have problems. There's tension. There's chaos. And it takes the passing-on of a nasty but beloved family member to bring them together. Conflicts arise and eventually get resolved. But it's not done in a forced Hollywood fashion. There are moments of truth that are beautifully touching and poignant. And you fall in love with each and every one of these characters. The director, writers and actors do a great job at manipulating its audience's emotions. "Kingdom Come" is smart, funny and touching. I definitely suggest people check out this underrated film and I definitely suggest familes watch it together. Trust me, you'll all be in tears in a big group hug. My score: 7 (out of 10)