I'll Fly Away: Then and Now (1993) starring Sam Waterston, Regina Taylor, Jason London, Ashlee Levitch, John Aaron Bennett, Peter Simmons, Bill Cobbs directed by Ian Sander Movie Review

I'll Fly Away: Then and Now (1993)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Sam Waterston and Regina Taylor in I'll Fly Away: Then and Now (1993)

More Lilly Harper

This is not going to be a normal review, in fact it is going to one of my shortest reviews because I admit to not being qualified to review "I'll Fly Away: Then and Now". You see "I'll Fly Away: Then and Now" is a made for TV movie which came about after the TV series "I'll Fly Away" was cancelled at the end of the 2nd season and as I understand was made to tie up some loose ends from the series. Now I have never seen a single episode of "I'll Fly Away", to my knowledge it has never been aired in the UK and I stumbled across this movie with no knowledge of what its purpose was. As such I can't say how good it is at bringing closure to the series but I can say watching it as a standalone movie it is both entertaining and interesting.

Whilst looking after her grandson for a few days Lilly Harper (Regina Taylor) decides to teach him about her past when she worked as a housekeeper for the Bedford family during the 60s. Her story tells of the civil unrest especially when her nephew arrives from Detroit not use to the ways down south whilst Forrest Bedford's (Sam Waterston) son Nathan (Jason London) returns home from college and struggles with how his friend has changed and is claiming to being victimized by the Police.

So as I said I can't tell you how well this made for TV works as a conclusion to the TV series but I can say that the drama which it shows is gripping. I won't go in to too much detail other than to say there is drama surrounding racial issues in the town where Lilly works and we see how her boss Mr. Bedford, an attorney promises to help sort things out. But whilst I could say that what we see is quite typical it is also well written and filmed to make this a movie which has both power, uncomfortable yet also with a touch of warmth. Plus it has solid performances from all the cast especially Regina Taylor as Lilly and Sam Waterston as Forrest Bedford.

What this all boils down to is that whilst "I'll Fly Away: Then and Now" works as a standalone made for TV movie to do it justice you need to have watched the TV series which preceded it.


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