Customer Reviews

The Color of Friendship [VHS]

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Due to an overpresence of saccharine to non-existent scripting and plots, I tend to shy away from Disney's live action offerings. Even though they supposedly market to all ages, I never saw anything memorable...until this release.

Familiarity with former Representative Ronald V. Dellums (D CA)'s politics convinced me to give this dramatization a chance. Even if it employed some of the traditional scripting elements I despised in many youth videos, I would also be able to see anti-apartheid work of some kind.

The story centers around the learning experience his daughter Piper and a white South African exchange student named Mahree have when they (especially the lattter, who has to learn blacks are not placed on the earth to serve her) meet and learn each other are more alike and dissimillar.

Also inspiring is Mahree's implicit promise to take up anti-apartheid work upon returning to South Africa, given the likely loss of her own privlleged position this would entail. As an anti-racist white, I did not intially like the self-centered behavior exhibited by the earlier Mahree and found her change of conciousness much more enjoyable.

While this film (like many of Disney's offerings) is geared towards youth, I have personally watched this film several times and can readily attest anybody regardless of age will enjoy this video.

"The Color of Friendship" is based on the real-life story of the family of Congressman Ronald V.Dellums and their struggle to help end apartheid in South Africa in 1977.
As Dellums, Carl Lumbly gives a strong and sensitive performance as a politician suddenly faced with the challenge of reshaping the attitudes of a white South African exchange student whose father is a policeman who has expressed his delight at the recent arrest of activist Stephen Biko before sending his daughter to America. As young exchange student, Mahree Bok, Lindsey Haun alternately displays arrogance, humility, and sensitivity as she comes to see the world in a different way.
As Representative Dellums' wife, Roscoe and daughter, Piper, Penny Johnson and Shadia Simmons must deal with the initial shock of receiving a white student into their home when they had initially expected her to be black, and guide a reluctant Mahree through her initial shock of seeing blacks in prominent positions.
Gradually, Piper and Mahree form a close bond, but world events, which I myself vaguely remember begin to take precedence over the girls' friendship, when Stephen Biko is killed by the South African police and Mahree forced to leave the Dellums' home to stay in the South African Embassy until she can be returned to her homeland.
A despairing Piper calls her father at work to report the incident, Dellums and an entourage have a chat with the South African Ambassador, and Mahree is returned to her host family.
Shortly thereafter, a heated confrontation between Piper and Mahree gives the latter a rude awakening to the fact that a powerful thing called the Court of World Opinion is against the killing of Stephen Biko and the government her own father represents. Tearfully, Mahree acknowleges this, as well as the fact that she has no control over the events in her country.
The girls soon reconcile before Mahree goes home. But according to a reviewer on Amazon's affiliate site, imdb.com, the film's "Disneyfied" ending belies the tragic truth about what really happened to young Mahree: Upon her return home, the 16-year-old reportedly met the same fate as Stephen Biko--being taken into custody, interrogated about the Dellums, tortured and beaten to death by the South African Police--her father's own colleagues.
If this is true, it doesn't surprise me; [...]
If Mahree's tragic end is factual, she must then be eulogized as a young girl who learned to see the light of racial harmony a few years before many of her fellow white South Africans, and Dellum's successful efforts to dismantle apartheid are a memorial to her as much as to the many non-whites who suffered under it.
I have withheld from giving this film all five stars because I question its historical accuracy. But the Dellums family is to be commended for lending assistance to the making of this film, and can be forgiven if they chose to skirt over the painful truth.
Since I learned that story, this movie has been difficult to watch, but it is an important film for the young to see, even if it spares them an ultimate reality that is too unfathomable for many.

This is a wonderful, touching movie. The actress Lindsey Haun puts in an awesome performance as Mahree Bok.

Why doesn't Disney release this movie on DVD?

Wow. This movie shows how much our skin color matters to us. Racism goes back a long way. This movie is about a white girl from South Africa who goes to live with a black congressman and his wife and daughter in the United States. Overcome with shock from their skin color when they first meet at the airport, they reluctantly set aside their differences to go to their house. But no matter how hard they try to be nice, the white girl won't be won over. Finally, both girls compromise and become fast friends. But trouble brews when people come to take the white girl away. Friendship and overcome racism help these girls to fight back and beat the odds. This movie was wonderful and I recommend this to everyone, young and old.

This movie was one of the best movies i ever saw. I think this movie should be played in schools around the US in the month of black history because it teaches kids to like both races black and white. Please watch this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS: Rate this movie as 5 stars.

I really enjoyed this movie when it aired on the Disney channel. I thought it was one of their best movies ever because it can teach children so much, like not to be rude to people because of the color of their skin and alot more. Great movie.

I Have never heard of this movie before tonight when i watched it on the disney channel. I started Crying during this movie. It really made me think about how black people should be treated. If i was treated like that i would not know what to do. I think this movie was the best movie i have ever watched.

I have now seen this movie about nine times, and it never seems to fail to touch me. It's an inspiring movie that highlights the issues with race relations that were prevalent in the 50's and 60's (and before), and it is filled with so much symbolism (such as Muhre's bird which Flora explains the uniqueness of at the end of the movie,etc.). It does it in a loving, innocent way that easily reaches children (and the children within us all).

~I would highly recommend it!~

I'm in a world geography class at my high school and we have learned about the apartheid. I never really understood how much the apartheid seperated everyone until i saw this movie. It made everything clearer. This movie is perfect for all ages and shows younger people what used to happen, and hopefully won't happen ever again.

I'm in a world geography class at my high school and we have learned about the apartheid. I never really understood how much the apartheid seperated everyone until i saw this movie. It made everything clearer. This movie is perfect for all ages and shows younger people what used to happen, and hopefully won't happen ever again.