“The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can Eat” (2024)
There is a scene in the midway point of “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” where Odette (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) and James (Mekhi Phifer) have one of the most realistic embraces I’ve ever seen on screen. It is one of those moments that will likely be stuck in my head for weeks and months to come.
The title of the film comes from the nickname “The Supremes” given to Odette and her friends Clarice (Uzo Aduba) and Barbara Jean (Sanaa Lathan) by the owner of a local diner, Big Earl (Tony Winters).
The film goes back and forth in timelines, mainly between 1968, when the trio was figuring out what would become of their lives, and 1999, a year when they face some of the consequences of their earlier actions and deal with an immense amount of grief from their life circumstances, both internally and externally.
As I hinted at in the start of my review, Ellis-Taylor gives yet another in a string of memorable performances alongside “Justified,” “Origin,” “King Richard” and “Lovecraft Country.” And it was a delight to see Phifer, one of the heartthrobs from my teens, all grown up and matching her energy.
Lathan and Aduba, as no surprise at all, also do a wonderful job of matching that energy and bringing depth and nuance to the two other Supremes.
But what blew me away was how connected the timelines felt due to the performances of the main six actresses (and their supporting men, too). As young Barbara Jean, Tati Gabrielle delivers the fire brimming below the surface of Lathan’s older interpretation. There is no doubt that Aduba and Abigail Achiri, as the younger Clarice, are both playing the same person.
However, the main standouts are Ellis-Taylor and Kyanna Simone as young Odette. The vibrancy and cantankerousness of Odette comes through in both performances and make this movie one that, despite some of its heavy subject matter, have me wanting to watch it again and maybe even do a pairing with it at some point.
For now, as this film is streaming on Hulu starting August 23, maybe make yourself a vanilla milkshake as you dive into the absorbing world of “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat.”