Rated
PG-13 (Mature Thematic Content involving Domestic Abuse and Drug Material, and
for Some Violence, Language and Smoking)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 56 Minutes
Cast-
Jordin
Sparks-Sparkle Anderson
Whitney
Houston-Emma Anderson
Carmen
Ejogo-Tammy 'Sister' Anderson
Tika
Sumpter-Dolores Anderson
Derek
Luke-Stix
Mike
Epps-Satin Struthers
Omari
Hardwick-Levi
Thomas
DeCarlo Callaway/Cee Lo Green-Black
Curtis
Armstrong-Larry Robinson
Directed
by Salim Akil
 |
| "Sparkle" marks Whitney Houston's fifth and final film performance before she tragically passed away in February. |
'If
I should stay, / I would only be in your way. / So I'll go, but I know / I'll
think of you every step of the way. / And
I will always love you. / I will always love you. / You, my darling you.' These
are the opening lyrics to Whitney Houston's rendition of Dolly Parton's 1974
single I Will Always Love You and if
you're one of the few who didn't know that because you were living under a rock,
then you should be ashamed of yourself. The song was originally recorded for
the soundtrack to 1992's "The Bodyguard," which was Houston's feature
film debut and also starred Kevin Costner. Not only did the album go on to sell
a record-breaking 46 million copies
worldwide but I Will Always Love You
became the best-selling single by a
female artist in music history. The same cannot be said for "The Bodyguard,"
which received largely negative reviews with 32% on Rotten Tomatoes. However,
it grossed a massive $411 million worldwide, or the equivalent of $671 million when adjusted for
inflation. I am not a hardcore Whitney Houston fan but listening to I Will Always Love You always leaves me
with goose-bumps. Unfortunately, her career from the late-1990's onward was
marked by rumors of drug abuse with her husband Bobby Brown but just when she
was about to stage her comeback after her divorce from him, Houston suddenly passed
away at the age of 48 in February. "Sparkle," a remake of the 1976
film of the same name, marks Houston's fifth and final film performance but
sadly, this is not the proper send-off that she so rightfully deserves. While
Houston is solid in her supporting role and the music numbers are beautifully
performed, "Sparkle" ultimately fizzles out with its sappy,
melodramatic tone and reliance on formulaic soap opera clichés.
Taking place in
1968, nineteen-year-old Sparkle Anderson (Jordin Sparks) is an aspiring song
writer living in Detroit but she avoids taking the stage herself and instead
lets her older sibling Tammy (Carmen Ejogo), who goes by the name Sister, perform
her music in various nightclubs. The two catch the eye of an up-and-coming
music manager named Stix (Derek Luke) during one such performance but he is
unable to get their names as they quickly rush to leave. Attending church with
his cousin Levi (Omari Hardwick) one day, Stix spots Sparkle and her two sisters
but Levi warns him of their strict mother Emma (Whitney Houston). Immediately
smitten with her, Stix and Sparkle agree to have Bible study together with her
sisters under the supervision of Emma but when she steps out of the house to
take care of church business, Sparkle continues to work on her music and song
writing. Unbeknownst to her, Stix is still in the house and he overhears her
singing. Although Sparkle steadfastly refuses to take the stage, she agrees to
Stix's proposal to form a musical trio with Sister as the lead singer while she
and middle sister Dolores (Tika Sumpter) serve as backup. Known as Sister and the Sisters, the trio soon
takes the nation by storm and Stix eventually gets them a spot opening for
Aretha Franklin, bringing them to the attention of Columbia Records. However,
Emma does not approve of their new-found fame and forbids them to continue as
she fears that they will succumb to the same fate as her. Meanwhile, Sister
breaks up with Levi to be with Satin Struthers (Mike Epps), a wealthy comedian
who panders to a white audience by making fun of his own race. The two are
married but Struthers proves to be an abusive husband and Sister soon becomes
addicted to cocaine. Sparkle struggles to keep her family together while trying
to realize her own dreams.
I must admit that I was only made aware of
"Sparkle" when I was looking through the release schedule for August
but my curiosity was piqued upon learning that this marked Whitney Houston's last
performance in a feature film. Although I have not seen the 1976 version
directed by Sam O'Steen, I did read up on it beforehand and yes, the main plot
has remained largely the same but Salim Akil's remake takes place in Detroit
instead of Harlem and the time period has been moved forward by a decade to
1968. The tone was also a lot darker in the original. Written by Mara Brock
Akil and Howard Rosenman (who also wrote the original with Joel Schumacher, the
one who ruined Batman), "Sparkle" tells a bland and generic tale that
explores the same tired clichés of fame being a double-edged sword. However, it
also preaches to its viewers to follow their dreams no matter the obstacle,
leading to a conflict of interest that will leave audiences confused as to what
Akil wants to convey. With its melodramatic tone and forced attempts at
earnestness, much of what happens in "Sparkle" feels like a soap
opera where future plot points are telegraphed with eye-rolling predictability.
Characters such as Sparkle are exasperatingly naïve while Sister is just plain
foolish, rushing into a marriage with Satin Struthers even though it is plainly
obvious that he will be abusive toward her. This lends the film a morbid irony
as it mirrors Whitney Houston's own life. A dinner argument hits particularly close
to home when Sister tells her mother how she was 'laid up in [her] own vomit'
instead of taking care of her daughters and is one of the few instances where
the family drama feels grounded. As for Satin himself, he's reduced to being a
cartoonish villain and there's even a scene of domestic abuse that ends up
being unintentionally comical due to how fake it looks. Akil also fails to
communicate a sense of time and place. Yes, the opening title card says 1968
Detroit but it does not feel like
1968. This was a tumultuous time in civil rights history but aside from a few
off-handed comments on rioting and a shot of Martin Luther King, Jr. being
interviewed on television, there is little to distinguish the time period from
today if it wasn't for the impeccable era-appropriate costumes designed by Ruth
E. Carter. This just leaves the music numbers and they are all excellently
performed, although Akil sometimes focuses a tad too much on his actresses'
gyrating hips. These scenes are what elevate the film and yes, Whitney Houston
does get her moment to shine when she sings Civilla D. Martin and Charles H.
Gabriel's His Eye is on the Sparrow.
Houston's vocal ability has certainly diminished in the intervening years but
she still sounds better than all the auto-tuned garbage that plagues radio
stations today. It's the send-off she deserves but unfortunately, she's
surrounded by mediocrity. Jordin Sparks ends "Sparkle" on a high
enough note as she belts out One Wing
from R. Kelly, making me wish that the film had more of these music numbers.
The
acting from the cast ranges from solid to amateurish. Jordin Sparks (who was
the winner of "American Idol" Season 6) may have an amazing voice but
her performance consists of only two expressions, which is described by Andrew
Barker of Variety to be 'ecstatic
well-being or lip-quivering sadness.' Sparks is likable though thanks to her
baby face looks but she should stick to singing. Whitney Houston won't be
winning any posthumous awards but she's solid as Emma, a strict mother who once
had a burgeoning music career but fell victim to substance abuse. Houston draws
on her own experiences to give Emma's world-weariness a genuine quality and its
clear why she became involved with the project in the first place. Carmen Ejogo
makes for a captivating presence but Tika Sumpter is reduced to being the
third-wheel in the story, although her character's swagger allows for some
amusing moments. Derek Luke tries too hard to come off as earnest while Mike
Epps is nothing more than a two-dimensional villain as Satin Struthers. Despite
their names being on the poster, Omari Hardwick and rapper Cee Lo Green have
only minor roles, with the latter only appearing in the opening scene.
"Sparkle" was released on August 17, 2012 to mixed reviews with 57%
on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics admitted that it was 'undeniably melodramatic and
old-fashioned [but the film] transcends its formulaic trappings thanks to Salim
Akil's empathetic direction and strong performances from a committed cast'.
That's not a statement I'm completely in agreement with but what do I know? The
audience at the advance screening I attended on Wednesday reacted positively to
the film, with the woman sitting next to me gasping at every plot twist even
though you could see it coming a mile away. "Sparkle" faces some
tough competition at the box office but it should land in either third or
fourth place with $14 million, making back its production budget in one go.
There is no doubt that the music numbers are amazing but as a drama,
"Sparkle" is a failure. The script is too clichéd and formulaic to
make much of an impression despite Whitney Houston's presence and is just not
the send-off we were hoping for.
Final
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (an extra 0.5 for the music)
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