Back to School Mom, both dramatically and at times comically, navigated through some important topics involving women and the African American community today. The issues of right to life, social class and the value of higher education were implicitly conveyed throughout the film. The protagonist's Mary Thomas (played by Kimberly Elise) story deals with the burden of giving her son up for adoption (essentially), only to meet him later after returning to college as a 41 year old non-traditional student. Kimberly Elise did an amazing job in displaying the vulnerability of a character that was conflicted with the decision to reveal herself to her son Noah (Denzel Whitaker). Bolstered by her reliable confidant and voice of reason Meghan (Loretta Devine), Mary is able to develop a sincere friendship with Noah and gain an inside look into the heart and character of the son she never raised
with some unexpected results!
The choice of casting Noah's parents, Lawrence and Dee Riley, proved to be a successful one. Henry Lennix played the role of a austere, iron-hearted father to perfection, while Garcelle Beauvais showcased her mature, supportive and maternal side quite effortlessly. In fact, the casting as a whole was successful, including the choice of Rick Fox (as love interest Matthew Kessler) who has surprisingly demonstrated he can hold his own in front of the camera. The one exception was the role of Noah's roommate Spencer (played by newcomer Syad Mufez Bukhari), whose scenes were not as believable and often snapped me back to the reality that I was watching a movie.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and was not what I expected out of Lifetime! Kudos!
The choice of casting Noah's parents, Lawrence and Dee Riley, proved to be a successful one. Henry Lennix played the role of a austere, iron-hearted father to perfection, while Garcelle Beauvais showcased her mature, supportive and maternal side quite effortlessly. In fact, the casting as a whole was successful, including the choice of Rick Fox (as love interest Matthew Kessler) who has surprisingly demonstrated he can hold his own in front of the camera. The one exception was the role of Noah's roommate Spencer (played by newcomer Syad Mufez Bukhari), whose scenes were not as believable and often snapped me back to the reality that I was watching a movie.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and was not what I expected out of Lifetime! Kudos!