![]() As it began to increasingly rely on tearful confrontations and fights, the story started to lose credibility and my interest. I think this is what my friends and I often complain about-biopics and musicals disproportionately emphasize how domestic violence and substance abuse inevitably lead to the downfall of talented artists. This part of the plot was extremely clichéd and difficult to sit through. When he unsuccessfully tries to court the African American audience, he starts taking out his anger and frustration out on Sister through violence and introducing her to drugs. As he tries to please the white mainstream audience, he gradually loses support from his fellow African Americans. While this character is unredeemable and evil, he interesting and twisted in that he recognizes that he’s nothing but a Sambo doll. And he wears too much bling and heckles Sister’s then-boyfriend, Levi, for failing to court her with expensive jewelry. Sister catches the eye of a popular comedian, whom viewers can immediately recognize as representing “bad news.” He’s a total sell-out, making a living off of ridiculing the struggles and plight of the Black Power movement, particularly the Detroit riots. With a swivel of their hips, pretty dresses, and Sparkle’s songwriting talents, Sister and Her Sisters (that’s their group name) gain recognition, popularity, and fame. This story is sudden, extreme, and unbelievable. A former professional singer and born-again Christian, Emma discourages her children from pursuing music and urges them to acquire an education and cultivate a loving relationship with God. While Sparkle’s sister Dolores (Tika Sumpter) consents purely in order to earn enough money to pay for medical school, Sister realizes this may be her only chance to find a life of her own, away from their pious, overprotective mother, Emma (Whitney Houston). In order to get a foot in the door, Stix persuades Sparkle to write songs and convinces her two other sisters (Sister and Dolores) to form a trio. Stix recognizes Sparkle’s immense talent and encourages her to follow her dreams. They are discovered by Stix (Derek Luke), a budding musical entrepreneur who dreams of managing a talented group like The Supremes. In Detroit, 1968, Sister and Sparkle live for sneaking out at night and enjoying the musical nightlife at the Discovery Club. Sparkle (Jordin Sparks), a talented yet extremely shy singer-songwriter, leaves the singing up to Sister (Carmen Ejogo), the oldest daughter and star of the family. As clichéd as it may sound, the message of developing an inner sparkle and confidence resonated with me largely because I strive to do so in my life. But by the end though, I took away something really important. The script overwhelmingly bulges with melodramatic bouts of domestic violence and drug abuse, which is burdensome and depressing, just like all the other rise/fall artist movies. Sparkle emerges as just another chaotic and melodramatic rendition of the artist’s rise and fall story.
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