First Sunday (2008)

Director:

David E. Talbert

Writer (WGA):

David E. Talbert (written by)

Release Date:

11 January 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Keep the faith. Steal the rest.

Plot:

Durell and LeeJohn are best friends and bumbling petty criminals. When told they have one week to pay a $17,000 debt or Durell will lose his son, they come up with a desperate scheme to rob their neighborhood church. Instead, they end up spending the night in the presence of the Lord and are forced to deal with much more than they bargained for.

Plot Keywords:

Heist | Black Comedy | African American | Baltimore Maryland | Deacon

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Ice Cube	...	Durell Washington
Katt Williams	...	Rickey
Tracy Morgan	...	LeeJohn Jackson
Loretta Devine	...	Sister Doris McPherson
Michael Beach	...	Deacon
Keith David	...	Judge B. Bennett Galloway
Regina Hall	...	Omunique
Malinda Williams	...	Tianna Mitchell
Chi McBride	...	Pastor Arthur Mitchell
Clifton Powell	...	Officer Eddie King
Nicholas Turturro	...	Officer D'Agostino
Olivia Cole	...	Momma T
Red Grant	...	Harold
C.J. Sanders	...	Durell Washington Jr.
Rickey Smiley	...	Bernice Jenkins

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, some sexual humor, and brief drug references.

Runtime:

USA:98 min | USA:96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

First Hope Community Church - E. Preston Street & Greenmount Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Cube Vision

Trivia:

Film prints were delivered to theaters under the codename "Bad to Worse".

Goofs:

Continuity: The first time that Darnell goes to Omunique's apartment her large hoop earrings that have her name in script inside the loop are in backwards in her right ear. The one in the left is in the correct position and then the one in her right ear goes from wrong way to right way and back.

Quotes:

Choir Member #3: I'm hungry, too!
Rickey: When are you not hungry?

Movie Connections:

References "Pimp My Ride" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Hit The Block

Entertaining, Not Award Winning

I really enjoyed this film for a number of reasons. I think Katt Williams is hilarious all by himself and was a great person to cast as choir director. I thought the plot was not as generic as most theft-based plots that hit Hollywood. I thought the transitions that happened as the film developed were fun to watch. Overall I thought the movie was really good.

If you are trying to decide whether or not you want to go see this movie, consider this as you make your decision. First, the film is stereotypical. The main characters live in and attend church in a run down community exposed to crime, drugs, and other stereotypical things you expect to find in a stereotypical community overrun with stereotypical people who are stereotypically Black or Hispanic. Second, the film is funny. Things that are funny to people who understand the complexities and realities of being Black will realize this; people who do not understand will find it challenging to find the comedy. Third, the film will not be an Oscar nominee. The movie was not so well shot, scripted, edited, or presented that you will see it up for major awards. That being said, a number of movies come out every day that are entertaining but are not award-winning and we watch them because we want to be entertained. This is another one of those films. So, if you want to be entertained, you understand the positive and negative inner workings of Black society, and you do not mind viewing a film that displays both stereotypes and truths about the way Black people live, move, and have their being, this movie is for you.