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    Movie Review

    Harriet is not the great honor that Harriet Tubman deserves

    Alex Bentley
    Nov 1, 2019 | 2:20 pm
    Harriet is not the great honor that Harriet Tubman deserves
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    Stories centered on historical African American figures have been few and far between in the history of cinema. Even when they are told, they tend to come well past the time when comparable white figures are celebrated in film form. Harriet Tubman, one of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad, is finally getting her tribute with Harriet.

    Directed and co-written by Kasi Lemmons, the film introduces us to Araminta Ross (Cynthia Erivo), who chafes under her owners, who she believes had promised her and her family their freedom. After living her entire life as a slave in Dorchester County, Maryland, she becomes determined to escape to the North.

    With the help of a few well-connected people, she makes it to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and changes her name to Harriet Tubman. However, she soon becomes discouraged by what she perceives as a lack of urgency in rescuing other slaves by the local abolitionist society led by William Still (Leslie Odom Jr.). Taking matters into her own hands, she returns to the South many times to rescue hundreds of slaves, in the process gaining the nickname of “Moses” because of her preternatural ability to evade capture.

    Lemmons and co-writer Gregory Allen Howard take great pains to honor the life and achievements of Tubman, but it seems they may have tried a bit too hard to be reverent. Instead of a straight-up drama, the film is treated as a type of adventure, with danger around every turn. There’s no denying the inherent riskiness of Tubman’s endeavors, but the manner in which they are shown actually diminishes what she was able to do.

    Instead of narrowing the focus and showing intimate details of how the Underground Railroad worked or the specifics what Tubman did, the filmmakers give both the broad strokes treatment. Consequently, you never get a true sense of the threat she and the other slaves faced. One of her owners, Gideon (Joe Alwyn), is portrayed as an ever-present boogeyman, and other moments that would otherwise be tense turn into movie clichés with lines that elicit eye rolls.

    Unparalleled bravery was a major reason why Tubman was able to accomplish everything she did, but in the filmmakers give equal or more credit for her escape and subsequent rescues to literal visions she would have of the future. While Tubman had a head injury that resulted in her having visions that she considered to be signs from God, the method in which the film shows the visions is somewhat hokey. A story such as Tubman’s needs no extraneous embellishment; it is inherently interesting and dramatic.

    None of this is the fault of Erivo, who gives an earnest and compelling performance. Erivo, who won a Tony Award for her role in the stage version of The Color Purple, has quickly established herself as an actor to watch on the big screen. Strong supporting roles by Janelle Monae, Odom Jr., Clarke Peters, and Vondie Curtis-Hall prop up an otherwise lackluster script.

    A momentous figure like Harriet Tubman deserves to be honored in every way possible, including on the $20 bill. Unfortunately, Harriet is just a so-so celebration of her life, delving too much into storytelling tricks instead of letting Tubman’s story lead the way.

    Cynthia Erivo in Harriet.

    Cynthia Erivo in Harriet
      
    Photo by Glen Wilson / Focus Features
    Cynthia Erivo in Harriet.
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    This week's hot headlines

    Death of Dallas Caramel Company founder leads week's most-read stories

    Stephanie Allmon Merry
    Jun 14, 2025 | 10:00 am
    Dallas Caramel Company
    Dallas Caramel Company
    Dallas Caramel Company

    Editor's note: It was a newsy week in Dallas. Sadly, the founder of a Dallas sweets company passed away; there was also news of a new gourmet European market in the works and peach cobbler coming to DFW Airport. Here's a chance to get caught up on the week's most-read stories, and here's help planning a fun weekend.

    1. Dallas Caramel Company founder Rain McDermott dies at 52. Dallas entrepreneur Rain McDermott, who founded artisan caramel maker Dallas Caramel Company when she was only 34 years old, died after a battle with breast cancer; she was 52.

    2. Gourmet European Market to open in north Dallas with pierogi and more. A new food shop with a distinct European flair is coming to Dallas: Called Gourmet European Market, it's opening at 17435 Preston Rd., in a shopping center south of Frankford Road, where it will feature food products from all over Europe but with a special focus on the Eastern European countries of Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Israel, and Bulgaria.

    Gourmet European Market Polish gingerbreadPolish gingerbread at Gourmet European Market.Photo courtesy of GEM

    3. Chef and caterer opens Southern to-go cafe south of Dallas. A chef and caterer has opened an eponymous to-go cafe south of Dallas: Called The Cedric Frazier Experience, it’s an upscale soul food kitchen located at 103 Waller St., in Red Oak, where it opened on June 7.

    4. Dallas cuts slack on senior homeowners with new property tax exemption. Dallas seniors who own a home got cut a break: On June 11, the Dallas City Council approved additional property tax relief for senior and disabled homeowners by increasing the city’s property tax exemption for residents who are 65 or older or disabled.

    5. Peach cobbler concept to open 2 locations at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. Southern desserts are coming to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): The Peach Cobbler Factory, a chain based in North Carolina, will open not one but two locations at the airport. The first DFW location will open in Terminal D in late 2025; a second location will open in the new Terminal C Pier in 2026.

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