Cora Unashamed (2000)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cora Unashamed – a historical drama about life and love in Melton, Iowa – is set during the first decades of the 20th century.

 

This production for the American Collection of Masterpiece Theater was shown on US television (PBS) in the year 2000 and released on DVD in 2005.

 

Here are some basic facts about it:

 

** Directed by Deborah M. Pratt

** Screenplay written by Ann Peacock

** Based on a short story by James Mercer Langston Hughes

** Literary consultant: Dr Arnold Rampersad

** Run time: 98 minutes

 

The cast includes the following:

 

The first group

** Regina Taylor as Cora Jenkins – a maid – Joe’s lover

** Kohl Sudduth as Joe – an IWW organizer – Cora’s lover

** Tinashe Kachungwe as Josephine – Cora and Joe’s daughter – age 5

** CCH Pounder as Ma Jenkins – Cora’s mother

 

The second group

** Cherry Jones as Lisbeth Studevant – the mother

** Michael Gaston as Arthur Studevant – the father

** Molly Graham as Jessie Studevant – the younger daughter – age 5

** Ellen Muth as Jessie Studevant – the younger daughter – age 18

** Ben Easter as Willie Matsoulis – Jessie’s boyfriend

 

The third group

** Tiffany M. Wren as Mary Studevant – the older daughter – age 13

** Melissa Albright as Mary Studevant – the older daughter – age 26

** Arlen Dean Snyder as Dr Walter Siebel – the local doctor

** Tom Woodward as Reverend McElroy – the local priest

 

James Mercer Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was an African American author who wrote novels, poems, and short stories. The story on which this movie is based is from a collection of short stories called The Ways of White Folks (first published in 1934) (reprinted in 1990).

 

As stated above, Cora Unashamed is a historical drama. It is a fictional story placed in a historical context, in this case the US state of Iowa during the first decades of the 20th century. The drama is divided into three chapters:

 

** Chapter 1 – 1916

** Chapter 2 – 1921

** Chapter 3 – 1934

 

In this drama, we follow the lives of two families: the Jenkins family and the Studevant family. The former family is black, while the latter family is white. Cora Jenkins works as a maid for the Studevants. This is how the two families are connected with each other.

 

Cora’s daughter Josephine is born in 1916. She is named after her father Joe, a white man, who comes to town because he is an I.W.W. organizer.

 

At the time, a relationship between a white man and a black woman was seen as a scandal. In some US states it was even defined as illegal.

 

Cora and Joe meet in secret, in order to avoid any trouble. When Cora gets pregnant and has her baby, she is not ashamed, because the child is a product of love.

 

Sadly, Joe cannot stay with her. He is run out of town: most business owners do not look kindly at union organizers. We only see him in flashbacks when Cora is thinking about him and the brief moments they had together.

 

Jessie, the younger daughter of the Studevants, is born in the same year as Josephine (1916). Sometimes Cora has to bring Josephine with her when she goes to work. Josephine and Jessie get along fine, even though one of them is black and the other one is white.

 

This is how the story begins, and this is where my presentation ends. I do not want to spoil the viewing for anyone. This is why I am not going to say more about the story than this.

 

But I can make a general statement: 

 

This movie is captivating, dramatic, and emotional.

 

While the characters seen in the movie are fictional, the historical context in which they are placed is real and, as far as I know, quite realistically portrayed.

 

The short story on which the movie is based is very short, less than ten pages. If you compare the short story with the movie, you will see that the movie follows the short story closely, but there are a few changes:

 

(1) In the short story, Cora has a father and a mother. Her father Pa Jenkins is an alcoholic, who does not make any contribution to his family. In the movie, the father has been eliminated.

 

(2) In the short story, May and Jessie’s father Arthur Studevant is only mentioned very briefly. He is placed in the background. In the movie, he appears more often. He has been moved to the foreground.

 

(3) There are a few other changes as well, but I do not wish go into details about them, because they are not significant.

 

Dr Arnold Rampersad (born 1941) is listed as a literary consultant in the credits at the end of the movie. 

Rampersad is an expert on Langston Hughes. He is the author of an important biography of Langston Hughes that was published in two volumes:

 

** Volume one

Covering the years 1902-1941

(1986)

** Volume two

Covering the years 1941-1967

(1988)

 

What do reviewers say about this movie?

 

Here are some results:

 

** 68 percent = IMDb

** 80 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the audience)

 

On Amazon there are at the moment 34 ratings of this product, 21 with reviews.

 

The average rating is 4.4 stars which corresponds to a rating of 88 percent.

 

If you ask me, the first two ratings are too low, while the rating on Amazon is more appropriate.

 

I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).

 

PS. Regina Taylor (born 1960) is an African-American actress who has won several awards during her career, including a Golden Globe Award and an NAACP Award.

 

She is best known for her role on the television series I’ll Fly Away which ran on US television (NBC) for two seasons (1991-1993).

 

*****

 

The Ways of White Folks

Stories by James Mercer Langston Hughes

(first published 1934)

(reprinted 1990)

 

*****

The African American author

James Mercer Langston Hughes

(1902-1967)

 

*****