Claudine

“Oh, I’ve got to have Claudine. Diahann Carroll. Oh, yeah, there you go. James Earl Jones, man.”

“Oh, Lord have mercy. Now, see... We got to talk about something. I see something right here that I definitely am going to take home, because I have watched this movie so many times and I love it. Claudine. See this man right here, James Earl Jones? That’s my hero. Amazing, amazing actor. And Diahann Carroll. I mean, come on. She just was everything. It’s such a beautiful film, so complex and so lovely and sexy. I was like, “Oh, my God. Who are these two?”...”

“Claudine, I just saw a poster for this outside. James Earl Jones looks amazing. A bittersweet, big-hearted celebration of family and community set to a sunny soul soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield. You got me, okay.”

“Oh my God, so Claudine. Claudine reminds me of my mom. My mom was elegant, is elegant. She raised five kids on her own. My mom took us to see this in Philadelphia, West Philly at the Locust Theater. I couldn't believe I was seeing my life on screen. I saw my Mother smile after my dad's death and I wanted to make her smile. So I think that this is very dear to my heart. And the Gladys Knight & the Pips soundtrack, Curtis Mayfield soundtrack on this is just a beast.”

“Claudine. I remember like it was at least 20 years ago that I saw this and I can remember like Faces and lines and emotions... So much of what I do as a filmmaker I hope is fighting to put black women on screen so that we can see ourselves and this was one of those movies. Seeing Diahann Carroll like changed me. I've never forgotten this movie.”

“Claudine, by the way. Another amazing New York movie. It's like Edgecombe Avenue or something. It's the whole... All these shots of New York in like 1971 just bring back my little childhood. So that's why I always love it, you know. And that was another good one. James Earl Jones, the garbage man. Claudine's working, she's a cleaning lady, and they're kids, and it was really good.”