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 gosh. So, Claudine... Claudine reminds me of my mom. My mom was elegant– is elegant. She raised five kids on her own. And, after my dad was shot and killed– he was a police officer– killed in the line of duty, my mom took us to see this in Philadelphia, West Philly, at the Locust Theatre. And... It– I couldn’t believe I was seeing my life on screen. We all walked out of the theater holding hands. And Gladys Knight’s and the Pips’ soundtrack, Curtis Mayfield’s soundtrack on this is just...”

“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.”

“Claudine. This is a favorite of mine too. Two of my all-time favorite actors are in this movie, James Earl Jones and Diahann Carroll. I've been such a big fan of Diahann Carroll my whole life. She was a mentor of mine. Again, this is one of those movies where we get to see black performers sort of living their slice of life. Diahann Carroll also was Oscar nominated for this Performance and if you ask me she should have won.”

“I saw this, Claudine. James Earl Jones, Diahann Carroll. One of my favorite films that I’ve watched over and over again, just about Black life, 1974. Woman really trying to find her way through, and James Earl Jones is a garbage man. James Earl Jones is like... This character is like my pop. I think maybe that’s why I relate to this character so much. I’m like, I see that dude, that dude who was, like, too cool, blue-collar dude, but who became a man and laid down some rules for the new family.”