Having mainly seen Dr. Cosby (I refer him as such because of his PHD) in "Fat Albert", "The Cosby Show", his movies with Sidney Poitier, and his guest appearances in various '70s variety shows (as well as starring in his own short-lived ABC show), I was wonderfully surprised to see him playing a dramatic role in this TV movie from his own idea about a ghetto man who works various jobs in order to save enough money to buy a home for his maid working/nurse training wife and his teenage son. Because he doesn't let his son out much, there is some animosity between them. Cosby does a good job in fleshing his character's background to his son during many of the walks and drives that are well staged by director Gilbert Gates (Oh, God! Book II, The Academy Awards). Gloria Foster (The Matrix I and II) is fine as the wife. The son (Dennis Hines) later gets a disease that is common for blacks so we also get some lessons about Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow People that leads to a very touching denouement. The $1 DVD I got is double-billed with The Black Brigade with Richard Pryor and Billy Dee Williams. Worth checking out for any Cosby fans.
Review of To All My Friends on Shore
To All My Friends on Shore
(1972 TV Movie)
To All My Friends on Shore presents a touching, dramatic Bill Cosby
3 March 2007