CULTURE
By Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP
Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP
FAVORITE
SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES Senna (2010) Women in Sports (2016) Do You Believe in Miracles? (2001) Step Into Liquid (2003) Free Solo (2018)
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I
t is 1963 in Detroit. Mattie Moss Clark (Aunjanue Ellis), mother of five daughters, gets an idea for a gospel song in the middle of the night. She rouses her young daughters, gathers them around the piano, and before long they are singing the refrain in perfect harmony. The family, including their father, Elbert (Demore Barnes), belongs to the Church of God in Christ, where he is a deacon. Mattie, who directs, is convinced she and her daughters have a calling to sing the Gospel to the church. Twinkie (Christina Bell), the eldest daughter, writes the songs and the music, while Karen (Kierra ‘Kiki’ Sheard), Dorinda (Shelea Frazier), Denise (Raven Goodwin), and Jacky (Angela Birchett) are the singers. Their lives reach a certain rhythm, but Elbert is jealous and accuses Mattie of ambition. He becomes violent toward Mattie and Twinkie (who is not his biological child, but who is the only father she’s ever known), and a divorce follows. Tensions arise when Twinkie, whom Mattie has pulled out of school so she can travel with her and write music, wants to continue her studies. When Twinkie reveals she is pregnant right before a church convention, where their moral virtue must be unassailable at all times, Mattie is angry and heartbroken. The young women want to popularize their music and reach a secular audience. When the Clark Sisters are nominated for a
Grammy and invited to sing on television, Mattie is called before the bishop and church elders, who take away her title as president of the International Music Department of the church. They demand that neither she nor her daughters continue to perform. Mattie, ever strong, replies that she is called to preach to all nations. When they reply that she is to be humble and obedient, she walks out. The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel premiered to an audience of 2.7 million on Lifetime when it aired in April, an all-time record for the network. The film is directed by Christine Swanson, and the story and teleplay are by Camille Tucker in her first feature film. The story of these powerful women draws you in. It is easy to identify with the domestic trials and challenges the family faces. While the story may feel like an inspiring soap opera, what makes the film stand out are the amazing vocal performances, especially the gospel performance at the Grammy Awards. The Clark Sisters are an American treasure who made gospel music mainstream. The film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Not yet rated • Domestic violence.
52 • June/July 2020 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
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BOYS STATE: COURTESY OF APPLE (2); JUMP SHOT: THE KENNY SAILORS STORY: COURTESY OF JUMP SHOT
Sister Rose’s
THE CLARK SISTERS: FIRST LADIES OF GOSPEL
LEFT: COURTESY SISTER ROSE PACATTE, FSP/MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS; THE CLARK SISTERS: FIRST LADIES OF GOSPEL: AMANDA MATLOVICH SET STILLS (2)
Sister Rose is a Daughter of St. Paul and the founding director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies. She has been the award-winning film columnist for St. Anthony Messenger since 2003 and is the author of several books on Scripture and film, as well as media literacy education.
