''Jumping the Broom'' is a 2011 American romantic

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by Salim Akil and produced by Tracey E. Edmonds, Elizabeth Hunter,

T.D. Jakes Thomas Dexter Jakes (born June 9, 1957), known as T. D. Jakes, is an American bishop, author and filmmaker. He is the bishop of The Potter's House, a non-denominational American megachurch. Jakes's church services and Evangelistic sermons are b ...

, Glendon Palmer, and Curtis Wallace. The title of the film is derived from the

Black American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

tradition of bride and groom jumping over a ceremonial broom after being married. As historian Tyler D. Parry notes in ''Jumping the Broom: The Surprising Multicultural Origins of a Black Wedding Ritual'', the film uses the broomstick wedding to explore the intersections of class, race, and culture in the United States, alongside the different conceptions that African Americans hold regarding the custom's relevance for Black matrimony in the 21st century. The film was shot in Blue Rocks,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, standing in for

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the ...

, the setting for the film.

TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...

distributed the film in the United States on May 6, 2011. The film received mixed reviews with critics positively noting its cultural themes and well-selected cast, but criticized its tone, characterization, predictability, and screenplay.

Plot

Sabrina Watson ( Paula Patton) is the only child of the affluent Watson family; her mother Claudine (

Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough with her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the biopic '' What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), which garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award ...

) and father Greg Watson (

Brian Stokes Mitchell Brian Stokes Mitchell (born October 31, 1957) is an American actor and singer. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theater since the 1990s. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2000 f ...

) live on

. The film starts off with Sabrina with Bobby on the phone with a mistress and he is having an affair. She asks God to help her again get out of this situation and she promises (again) not to have another

one-night stand A one-night stand or one-night sex is a single sexual encounter in which there is an expectation that there shall be no further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single ...

with anyone and only have sex with her future husband. One day, she accidentally hits Jason Taylor (

Laz Alonso Laz or LAZ may refer to: People * Laz people of the Black Sea area **Laz language First name * Laz Alonso (born 1975), American actor *Laz Barrera (1924–1991), Cuban-born American racehorse trainer * Laz-D (born 1982), American rapper *Laz Día ...

) when driving and not seeing him. She gets out to offer and overreacts. Jason forgives her and takes up a night of dinner with her. Five months later, after going out, Sabrina tells Jason about her job offer in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

and asks him to still be with her in a

long-distance relationship A long-distance relationship (LDR) or long-distance romantic relationship (LDRR) is an intimate relationship between partners who are geographically separated from one another. Partners in LDRs face geographic separation and lack of face-to-face ...

but Jason declines. She walks off sad and soon hears a music group singing, and Jason comes back and asks her to marry him, which she accepts. Sabrina's mother, who is running the wedding, has her doubts but trusts her daughter's judgement. After the couple talk to Reverend James (

), they decide to stay while a driver picks up Jason's family and friends. Jason's group is his insecure mother Pam (

Loretta Devine Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and voice actor. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of '' Dreamg ...

), his charming uncle Willie Earl ( Mike Epps), Pam's best friend Shonda ( Tasha Smith) and Jason's cousin Malcolm ( DeRay Davis). Also appearing is Sabrina's aunt Geneva ( Valarie Pettiford). Their first meeting is awkward as everyone seems to dislike each other and they make small rude remarks. Pam becomes annoyed by Sabrina's acts of kindness and counts three strikes already against her. Sabrina talks to her friends during the cocktail party, one of them being her maid of honor Blythe (

Meagan Good Meagan Monique Good is an American actress. She first gained critical attention for her role in the film ''Eve's Bayou'' (1997), prior to landing the role of Nina in the Nickelodeon sitcom ''Cousin Skeeter'' (1998–2001). Good received further ...

). While Blythe goes to get more wine, she meets Chef McKenna (

Gary Dourdan Gary Dourdan (born Gary Robert Durdin: December 11, 1966) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Warrick Brown on the television series ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,'' Shazza Zulu on the television series '' A Different World'' and ...

), and both instantly feel a connection. Shonda also meets Sabrina's cousin, Sebastian ( Romeo Miller), who is instantly drawn to her. Shonda is attracted to him as well but she feels uncomfortable because she thinks he's too young for her. During the dinner at night, Pam gives a rude blessing and has a fight with Claudine but this is stopped by Greg. Claudine also says in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

that she thinks Greg is having an affair with his associate Amanda. While outside, Pam listens in on Geneva and Claudine fighting and finds out that Geneva is actually Sabrina's mother and gave Sabrina to Claudine and Greg after she was born. During the bachelor party, Sabrina and Jason have a fight about his mother wanting them to be jumping the broom. Malcolm talks to Jason and complains and asks why he isn't the best man. Jason tells him that they haven't been best friends in years and Malcolm has only been there to ask for money. When Jason leaves and tries to apologize to Sabrina, Chef McKenna is busy kissing Blythe and not noticing the food which begins to burn which sets off the alarm. Sabrina closes the door on him but they make up through text; however, they have doubts about their wedding. In the morning, everything begins normally. The boys have a friendly game of football, though Pam tries to tell Jason about Claudine and Geneva's secret. Blythe also talks to McKenna about the relationship. McKenna tells her that he thinks she is beautiful and a relationship is still an option. Greg reveals to Claudine that he is not having an affair, but has made some bad investments and lost most of his money. While Pam is getting fitted in her dress, she tries to confront Sabrina about the secret but is interrupted when Jason gets hurt when pushed by Malcolm. Pam tells Sabrina to ask her parents who are her real parents. Claudine and Geneva tell the truth which hurts Sabrina and causes her to drive off and cancel the wedding. Jason confronts his mother and tells her he is a grown man and to stop treating him like a little boy. Jason tells everyone to look for Sabrina and also punches Malcolm for saying “ Now no one can be the best man now”. Jason prays to God to help him. Geneva is called by Sabrina who is at the docks in a boat. Geneva gives the story of Sabrina's father. He was a man in Paris whom she loved and planned to travel the world with but she soon found out he had a wife and child and she returned home alone and pregnant. Jason meets back with Sabrina and the two reconcile. Sabrina goes back home to dress. She gets a broom and a note from Pam saying she is returning home and is sorry. She chases down Pam and asks her to stay. They forgive each other and Pam agrees to stay. Jason and Sabrina have the wedding and also jump the broom. After the wedding, Sebastian kisses Shonda, finally winning her affections, and presumably begins a relationship. Greg and Claudine reconcile and she reveals she has secret funds, and that they are still wealthy. Malcolm and Amy (

Julie Bowen Julie Bowen Luetkemeyer (born March 3, 1970) is an American actress. She is best known for starring as Claire Dunphy in the ABC sitcom '' Modern Family'' (2009–2020), for which she received critical acclaim and six nominations for the Primet ...

), the wedding planner, start sharing a moment together in which she asks if he wants to dance with her and he accepts. At the end, the whole family happily does the Cupid Shuffle.

Cast

* Paula Patton as Sabrina Watson *

as Jason Taylor *

as Claudine Watson *

as Pam Taylor * Valarie Pettiford as Aunt Geneva * Mike Epps as Willie Earl Taylor *

as Greg Watson *

as Blythe * Tasha Smith as Shonda Peterkin * DeRay Davis as Malcolm * Romeo Miller as Sebastian * Pooch Hall as Ricky *

as Chef McKenna *

as Amy *

Vera Cudjoe Vera Cudjoe (born 1928) is a Trinidadian-Canadian actress, producer, and educator. She founded Black Theatre Canada (BTC; 1973–1988), a youth and community-oriented institution which helped train and launch the career of numerous Black performer ...

as Mabel *

Tenika Davis Tenika Davis (born July 16, 1985) is a Canadian actress and model. Career Tenika Davis started her career on ''Canada's Next Top Model''. She placed sixth in the competition. She expanded into an acting career making appearances in '' Wrong Turn ...

as Lauren *

as Reverend James * El DeBarge as Singer * Laura Kohoot as Amanda

Critical reception

''Jumping the Broom'' received mixed reviews from critics.

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gives the film an approval rating of 58%, based on 85 reviews, with an average rating of 6.07/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Its heart is in the right place – and so is its appealing cast – but ''Jumping the Broom'' is ultimately too cliched and thinly written to recommend". On

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the film has a score of 56 out of 100 based on 26 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Positive reviews include Kevin Thomas of ''

The Los Angeles Times ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' who said that the film "...is proof that it is still possible for a major studio release to be fun, smart and heart-tugging and devoid of numbskull violence and equally numbing special effects."

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

of '' The Chicago Sun-Times'' said that, "...the cast is large, well chosen and diverting." Negative reviews include Stephanie Merry of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' who criticized the characters of the mothers saying, "Any light moments are quickly nullified by the oppressive women vying for the title of world’s meanest mom." John Anderson of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' also commented on the film's "nasty tone".

Awards and nominations

* Black Reel Awards ** Best Picture, nominated ** Best Actor (Laz Alonso), nominated ** Best Supporting Actress (Angela Bassett), nominated ** Best Ensemble, nominated ** Best Director (Salim Akil), nominated ** Best Screenaplay (Elizabeth Hunter & Arlene Gibbs), nominated *

NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

**Outstanding Motion Picture, nominated **Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Laz Alonso), Won **Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Paula Patton), nominated **Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Mike Epps), Won * BET Awards **Best Movie, nominated

Home media

It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 9, 2011.

References

External links

* * * *
''Jumping the Broom''
at

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jumping The Broom 2011 films 2011 directorial debut films 2011 comedy-drama films 2010s English-language films African-American films American comedy-drama films Films about interclass romance Films about weddings Films scored by Edward Shearmur Films set in Martha's Vineyard Films shot in Nova Scotia Stage 6 Films films TriStar Pictures films 2010s American films