‘The Supremes At Earl’s All You Can Eat’ Review – An Emotional But Rushed Tale Of Drama & Friendship

It’s a fact that the hardships of life are easier to endure with one or two good friends at your side. For many, friends are more like family than their blood relatives. The new Hulu film The Supremes At Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat follows one such trio as they go through the ups and downs that life throws them. Through it all, they have each other to lean on.

An adaptation of Edward Kelsey Moore’s 2013 novel of the same name, the film introduces us to Odette (Kyanna Simone), Clarice (Abigail Archiri), and Barabara Jean (Tati Gabrielle) as teenagers. As Odette informs viewers, all three of them were born under peculiar circumstances that make their bond even more unique and special: after consulting a witch, Odette’s mother climbed a sycamore tree to bring her stubborn daughter into the world. Clarice’s mother was a Black nurse who went into labor at the white hospital where she was employed. Barbara Jean was also born at her mother’s job, a scandalous night club, as multiple men argued over which of them was in a relationship with her mother. Fate would draw these three together during their teen years, and their bond would last a lifetime as they weathered the ups and downs of life.

The Supremes At Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat is a deeply emotional, profoundly moving story of friendship, forgiveness, and enduring love that stands the test of time. While the film begins during the trio’s teenage years, its emotional core is rooted in their adult years. In their golden years, Odette (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), Clarice (Uzo Aduba), and Barbara Jean (Sanaa Lathan) reflect on their choices, tragedies, and triumphs.  Unfortunately, due to the film’s run time, this reflection feels rushed and may leave viewers feeling that a TV series would have been a better option for this adaptation.

Although the story feels rushed, the performances are fantastic. Each trio of actresses brings tremendous talent, heart, and chemistry to their portrayals of this tight-knit group of friends. Kyanna Simone’s portrayal of a strong, spitfire Odette who stands up for what is right seamlessly blends into Aunjanue Ellis Taylor’s portrayal of an older, more compassionate, but still tough-as-nails Odette. Ellis-Taylor’s portrayal and narration anchor the film and illustrate the filmmakers’ hard work in casting the right actresses. Another example of this slam dunk casting is Tati Gabrielle and Sanaa Lathan, who portray the teenage and adult Barbara Jean, respectively. Tati Gabrielle’s Barbara Jean is a traumatized but hopeful young woman who blossoms under the love and protection of her friends. That hopefulness is still present in Sanaa Lathan’s portrayal; however, it’s clear that the character has endured many tragedies that have altered her forever. No matter how hard she tried, she was never able to entirely escape the darkness of her birth and upbringing by cruel and neglectful parents.

Abigail Archiri and Uzo Aduba bring just as much synchronicity to the younger and older Clarice. Clarice’s devotion to family is paramount, even when it means setting aside her tremendous musical talent. Her character has a content but caged bird feel that is heartbreaking but gets viewers invested in her emotional journey.

As mentioned above, it’s apparent at several points throughout the story that it would have served better as a TV series. For example, Barbara Jean’s storyline suffers in many places due to the film’s need to blaze through her journey. Her interracial teenage love affair with Ray (Ryan Paynter), the death of their child, Adam, at the hands of Ray’s racist brother, said brother’s mysterious murder after Ray fails to kill him at Barbara Jean’s behest. The film’s focus on her developing a drinking problem after the death of her husband, Lester (Vondie Curtis Hall) folds into the narrative well, but it’s only one of the many tragedies the character endures. Speaking of Ray, he shows up again, portrayed in adulthood by Julian McMahon, and is criminally underutilized. A television series would have given us time to sit with and explore these storylines and what they reveal about the characters and their all-too-human flaws and shortcomings.

Although Odette and Clarice’s storyline doesn’t suffer as much, there are several tempting bits that a television series could have done justice to. For example, the brilliant and talented Odette settled for a career as a lunch lady due to her fear of pursuing her dream career. Although her cancer storyline gives her plenty of development, a mini-series would have expanded her development in other regards. Although we get a good storyline revolving around Clarice leaving her philandering husband, Richmond (Russell Hornsby), we never see how she interacts with their children. She abandoned her dream of musical stardom for this family, and showing her relationship with her children would have gone a long way toward explaining why she’s remained in her marriage given how much she’d been disrespected. Alas, perhaps the film will become one of the many that’s remade as a show.

The Supremes At Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat is a beautiful, albeit rushed, story about friendship and how our found families are just as important as the ones we’re related to by blood.

The Supremes At Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat is now streaming on Hulu and Disney Plus.