SITE TOOLS
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30
Years to Life,
2001, 110 minutes, Not Rated
By Carla Robinson
In
writer/director Vanessa Middleton's ode to maturation, 30 Years to
Life, not only are African-Americans depicted as genuinely human,
they're depicted as humans with good jobs, strong friendships, and
money. Watching films like 30 Years to Life, no one can deny that
we've come a long way, baby. We now have the luxury of seeking not
only the cake in life, but also the icing.
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Courtesy V. Middleton
Vanessa Middleton
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That is what the six
friends in this film face - how to get the things they want, now that
their basic needs are covered. Natalie (Melissa DeSousa), Troy (Tracy
Morgan), Joy (Erika Alexander), Malik (Allen Payne), Stephanie (Paula
Jai Parker) and Leland (T.E. Russell) all seek those elusive, ethereal
things that make for a more fulfilling life. Things like long-term
commitment, recognition, and purpose.
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The film opens at Natalie's thirtieth
birthday party, where the sight of thirty birthday candles is enough
to send her into a tizzy. Nat's problem is that she's got no man, yet,
having conquered the corporate world, she's ready to move over to the
mommy track. DeSousa's performance makes Natalie vulnerable and sweet,
and a character that could come off as whiny is instead endearing.
Especially when Natalie hooks up with Bruce, a dashing doctor played
with appropriate arrogance by Kadeem Hardison. Bruce wants a woman
who's more comfortable whipping up culinary creations than churning
out PowerPoint presentations. That's definitely not Natalie, as her
buddy Troy warns her. MORE>>
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Courtesy V. Middleton
Allen Payne (Malik),
Melissa De Sousa (Natalie), Tracy Morgan (Troy), Paula Jai Parker
(Stephanie), Erika Alexander (Joy) and T.E. Russell (Leland) (L-R) in 30
Years to Life
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While the others watch Natalie get in
over her head, they've got troubles of their own as they face thirty.
Troy is a stand-up comic with a promising career that simply never
took off. Joy and Leland, a terminally shacked-up couple, disagree
over the need for marriage. Overweight Stephanie no longer wants to
live life as an invisible woman, so for her birthday, she gets
liposuction. Her new body wins her Malik's attention, which isn't all
it's cracked up to be. Malik is a womanizer who is forced to reckon
with his own superficial ways when he dumps his advertising job to
become a model.
Middleton, a former writer for "Cosby,"
"Hangin' With Mr. Cooper," and "Sister Sister,"
uses her sitcom training to expertly juggle multiple subplots.
Everyone gets a turn to shine, and it's nice to see such a solid
ensemble cast play off one another (Erika Alexander is simply adorable
as Joy). Middleton also does a refreshing job of depicting the
conflict between the sexes. She doesn't paint the men as cads or the
women as saints. Boys and girls get equal playing time. Middleton used
her own money, along with backing from hip-hop producer Timbaland, to
finance 30 Years to Life. In an interview, Middleton, a Bronx native,
said, "I knocked my script around LA for three years trying to
get it picked up and couldn't, that just shows that the talent and
material is out there, but Hollywood isn't trying to tell our
story." Undoubtedly, her dogged determination will ensure a
bigger, broader space for us on the silver screen.
M
July 2002
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