Let’s start at the beginning. I’m a white guy. Best get that out of the way before I start chatting about “The Summoning,” a made for TV movie from the folks at TVONE, whose tagline is “Where black life unfolds.”
Regardless, needed to get that out of the way – kind of a disclaimer I guess.
Anyway, Saturday night I was channel surfing and happened upon this gem. And except for one or two clichés (a cheating black husband being the most prominent) it is an excellent, funny, and at times quite scary movie that took me completely by surprise. It was kind of a Blythe Spirit meets Pet Sematary, meets Ghost.
Bravo TV One. Bravo!
The cast, led by Paula Jai Parker, was the perfect mix of beauty and skill. The ghost skillfully played by Terrell Tilford was at times sympathetic, duplicitous, and frankly, evil. A special shout out to one of my long time favorites Dorian Missick who earned his bona fides on Southland.
The writing, for the most part, was superb with just the right mix of terror and whimsy. At one point the wife, Angela (Ms. Parker) who brought her husband’s spirit back from the dead only to find out about his philandering ways, yells at the ghost, “You’re dead to me!” What a hoot.
I won’t spoil it for you, but when she goes to save Adam, one of the few white guys in the film, it is really a clever, funny exchange juxtaposing her sense of morality with some theater of the absurd. Another great moment.
The ending of the film should come with a warning like The Bad Seed from 1956 – “don’t reveal the ending to your friends.” I was –as my wife would say – gob smacked!
As I said I happened upon this show and am glad I did. I had a blast tweeting with other viewers at #thesummoning.
Bill's General Thoughts 
“Disclaimer”? “One of the few white guys in the film”? Do you know how many thousands of times black men & women would have to write “one of the few black guys/girls in the film” if we wrote articles about every movie/tv show? Those statements alone suggest that you believe what most of white America believes about us — that whiteness should always be the “norm”, and that if you’re not dominating the production as usual, then it needs a disclaimer. This attitude is why there will always be racism, even inside of those who purposely watch “black shows”. Hence the need for a network “where black life unfolds”. If it really bothers you that there were just a handful of white guys in one of thousands & thousands of predominately white movies & television shows you could have watched tonight, then imagine how we feel every time we turn on the tv. Glad you enjoyed it, but please, check your privilege.
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thanks so much note. I wrestled with mentioning Adam’s race,; thought it was germane. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been wrong. . Even so, I appreciate your point; it is worth consideration. Thanks for giving me a different point of view to consider..
Bill
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BTW — You like the show right?
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My thoughts clarified http://wp.me/p55mkx-7m
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