A Raisin in the Sun Plot

A Raisin in the Sun is a 2008 television movie directed by Kenny Leon. The teleplay by Paris Qualles is based on the award-winning 1959 play of the same name by Lorraine Hansberry. The film debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was broadcast by ABC on February 25, 2008. According to Nielsen Media Research, the program was watched by 12.7 million viewers and ranked #9 in the ratings for the week ending March 2, 2008.

Set in the 1950s, the story focuses on the Youngers, an African American family living on Chicago's South Side. They're anticipating an insurance check in the amount of $10,000, and each of them has an idea as to what he or she would like to do with this money. Matriarch Lena wants to buy a house to fulfill the dream she shared with her deceased husband. Walter Lee would rather use the money to invest in a liquor store, believing the income would put an end to the family’s financial woes. His wife Ruth, wanting to provide more space and better opportunities for their son Travis, agrees with Lena. Beneatha would like to use the money to pay her medical school tuition.

Ruth discovers she is pregnant and, fearing another child will add to the financial pressures, considers having an abortion, a suggestion to which Walter voices no objection. Lena puts a down payment on a house in Clybourne Park, an entirely white section of the city. When their future neighbors find out the Youngers are moving in, they send Carl Lindner from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association to offer the Youngers money in return for staying away, but they refuse the deal. Meanwhile, Walter has lost the balance of the insurance payment to his friend, who took the cash to invest in the liquor store and then absconded with the funds.

Beneatha rejects her suitor George, believing he's blind to the problems of their race. She receives a marriage proposal from Nigerian Joseph Asagai, who wants her to complete her medical studies and return to Africa with him. The Youngers eventually move out of their apartment, fulfilling their dream. The future seems uncertain and slightly dangerous, but they believe that they can succeed through optimism, determination, and remaining together as a family.

The title was inspired by poet Langston Hughes' reflection that a deferred dream dries up like a raisin in the sun.

Sean Combs, Audra McDonald, Phylicia Rashad, and Sanaa Lathan reprised the roles they played in the 2004 Broadway revival, which also was directed by Kenny Leon. It ran at the Royale Theatre for 32 previews and 88 performances. McDonald and Rashad won both the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for their performances, and Lathan was honored with the Theatre World Award.