John Sayles' "Honeydripper," featuring Austinite Gary Clark Jr., has many heartwarming moments, but producing an "indie" family film that combines the struggles of the Jim Crow-era South and the magic of blues music's "pop" success in the early 1950s proved to be an elusive goal. The Honeydripper is a blues club owned by Tyrone Purvis (Danny Glover) and has fallen behind on the rent. Purvis and best friend Maceo (Charles S. Dutton) put all their hopes and borrowed money in the hands of six-string legend Guitar Sam, hoping that one big night's profits will save their club.
While Dutton is great in everything he does (including "Alien 3"), he simply does not have enough lines to offset a meandering performance by Glover. Lisa Grey Hamilton, who portrays Tyrone's wife in the only worthwhile sub-plot in the film, provides viewers with convincing lament over her husband's lost soul. Likewise, their daughter China Doll (Yaya DaCosta) plays a compelling and aesthetically pleasing love interest for wayward blues player Sonny (Clark).
The pacing of this movie is painfully slow, providing a lackluster payoff for the laborious build-up to the big night at the Honeydripper. Fans of Clark will be left wanting more, both musically and theatrically. For those viewers who are used to hearing Clark's raw, string-bending chops weekly at the Continental Club, the hokey, country blues riffs found in "Honeydripper" will pale in comparison. There are glimpses of what a solid film this could have been, but the scope was simply too wide.
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