Reviewing Jumping the Broom – Not Inspired by Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Two black families with very different cultural setups getting together because their children are about to tie the knot – it seems inspired by Guess Who Is Coming to Dinner in some way? Not really if you are watching Jumping the Broom. The movie is not dramatic and the emotional plays are reasonable. Not trying enforce itself as a romantic comedy, this movie is without the rhetoric.

Perfect for daytime viewing with a bowl of popcorn and some stolen conversations in between, Jumping the Broom is more about family relationships that often get shaken when there is a wedding in the family and the outcomes that are tragic at first and then therapeutic. Jumping the Broom too deals with some family secrets. It subtly touches upon socioeconomic differences within the Black community itself too. The characters are very relatable. The title is inspired by an old tradition that becomes a point of contention for the to-be-wedded families, only to highlight how quickly things can spiral out of control if transparency and communication is not maintained within the house.

Angela Basset looks stunning despite playing the mother and the groom’s bother has the right amount of sass to make you believe that some mother-in-law(s) are just not geared to be that good. There is no hip-hop in the background to create that feeling of inspired by other, similar plots and the usual idiot in the family who is always high and looking for a score to get rich quickly is missing. Jumping the Groom is very watchable if your expectations are reasonable, not too high and you are ready for the story to shape-up a bit slowly.