Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years

1999 1h 40m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 6

HistoryDramaTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Tells the story of Sadie and Bessie Delany, two African-American (they preferred "colored") sisters who both lived past the age of 100. They grew up on a North Carolina college campus, the daughters of the first African-American Episcopal bishop, who was born a slave, and a woman with an inter-racial background. With the support of each other and their family, they survived encounters with racism and sexism in their own different ways. Sadie quietly and sweetly broke barriers to become the first African-American home-ec teacher in New York City, while Bessie, with her own brand of outspokenness, became the second African-American dentist in New York City. At the ages of 103 and 101, they told their story to Amy Hill Hearth, a white New York Times reporter who published an article about them. The overwhelming response launched a bestselling book, a Broadway play, and this film.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Diahann Carroll
Sadie Delany
Ruby Dee
Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany
Amy Madigan
Amy Hill Hearth
Lisa Arrindell
Sadie in her 20s
Audra McDonald
Bessie in her 20s
Mykelti Williamson
Papa Delany
Lonette McKee
Mama Delany
Richard Roundtree
Booker T. Washington

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lynne Littman
Writers: Emily Mann
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lynne Littman, shot by Frank Byers. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Terence Blanchard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Diahann Carroll and Ruby Dee and Amy Madigan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0196603 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lynne Littman directs. Frank Byers behind the camera. Terence Blanchard scores. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

127 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Lynne Littman, shot by Frank Byers. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Terence Blanchard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Diahann Carroll and Ruby Dee and Amy Madigan carry the top of the cast.
5IMDB entry: tt0196603 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.