Sidney Poitier

The Sidney Poitier Collection (Edge of the City / Something of Value / A Patch of Blue / A Warm December)
$39.98
Would not play on my DVD player. Wrong regional code for Australia. Only 1 of the 4 films plays okay.

The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)
$14.95
I bought the audio book a couple of years ago, I think, and Sidney Poitier read it like he was sitting on our sofa and giving me great story telling!!!! His was the very best audio book I have had I felt like I knew him all throughout his life and was right there in each moment with him. I am sure the book makes a good read too but I can speak for the audio from my own personal experience.

Enjoy either way!!!

Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Granddaughter
$16.99
As a member of [...], an online book club, I first 'read' the book on my player. Having read Poitier's autobiography earlier, I knew that I wanted to read this new book (the letters). It's incredible... so much so that I had to have it in hard copy so that I could go back and re-read, and use it for references regarding the things I wish I had done, said, and known when my children were small. Since then I have ordered copies (from Amazon!) for friends and relatives. It's a definite 'must read'!

A Raisin in the Sun
$24.95
One of the most spellbinding films I've ever seen, and certainly the film that Sidney Poitier should be remembered for (and the one that should have netted him the Oscar, not that horribly mediocre `Lilies of the Field' film), `A Raisin in the Sun' is a powerful look at racism, poverty, religion, dreams and aspirations as well as to importance of family and togetherness. With a stellar cast (seriously, Oscar nominations should have been handed out to nearly everyone) and a tightly woven and poignant script, this film is a total must see.

I think it is safe to say that I didn't expect this to move me as much as it did.

The film revolves around a check for $10,000, made out to Lena Younger, the matriarch of an African American family living in Chicago. With the check scheduled to arrive in mere days, everyone in the family is expressing their feelings as to how the money should be spent. Despite seemingly noble motives, the divided interests of the family begin to ware at the fibers of their unity and cause them to turn on one another. Walter is a struggling chauffer who just wants a chance to provide for his family. His plans are hasty but he means well. His wife, Ruth, looks at the expected money as a chance to get out of their small, cramped living space and really spread out (get their son off the couch maybe), but her role as `supportive wife' makes it difficult to really voice her concerns. Beneatha, Walter's sister, is spoiled and na���ve to her cultured existence, developing a certain arrogance that lends itself to disapproval from those around her. She, of course, feels that the money should be spent on furthering her education.

In the end, the final hand is to be dealt by Lena herself, a wise woman who knows just how to give her family what they need, even if they don't see it that way.

The film, adapted from a stage play, never plays to the confines that most stage-to-screen adaptations bare with. It feels open and free even if the scenes all take place within the small confines of a cramped apartment (mostly). This is thanks in large part to the fantastic performances that litter the screen. Sidney Poitier, an actor I often find stiff and highly overrated, is a revelation here as Walter. He just commands every scene with a theatrical naturalness that is rarely seen in films today. He is supporting by a strong female cast, most notably Ruby Dee, who is beautifully restrained as Ruth. Diana Sands is also stellar as the self-centered Beneatha, and Claudia McNeil is remarkable as the wise Lena Younger.

With a delicate yet affirmative stand on very sensitive subjects, `A Raisin in the Sun' is a beautiful film that everyone should see. I have not seen the made-for-television remake, but I cannot imagine it can hold a candle to this finely crafted and unforgettable experience.