Linda Thomas: at the movies

This movie is based on the Broadway musical of the same name. Three young women dream of being singing stars. They have been singing together since childhood. Effie (Jennifer Hudson), Deena (Beyonce) and Lorrell Robinson enter a talent contest at the Apollo Theatre. They do not win but they are hired to sing back up for James Early (Eddie Murphy) by his agent (Jamie Foxx). Their agent wants them to go out on their own but he replaces Effie as lead singer with Deena. Effie has the better voice but Deena has more charisma and she is more pliable. The two men are sleeping with all three of the women at various times. The music is terrific and there is a lot of razzle-dazzle. Jennifer Hudson is a standout as Effie and this is Eddie Murphy’s best role in years. The language is pretty strong and there is drinking and smoking. A child is born out of wedlock without the father knowing. There is some racism and a character dies of a drug overdose. This is all happening in the sixties when African-Americans were trying to break into mainstream rock and roll. It is loosely based on the story of Diana Ross and the Supremes. I found the movie very entertaining and the music terrific. Some of the themes are more mature and I would recommend it to teen-agers 15 and older. What did Effie learn about herself when she fought to get her career back? What did Deena finally learn?