Starring: Teyonah Parris, Macy Gray, Brian White, Leon Robinson

Synopsis:
After a ten year absence, a young woman returns to Compton for her mother’s funeral and is expected to care for an ill father that ruined her life.

Review:
Bell (Teyonah Parris), a young woman, moved to Georgia to escape her dysfunctional family in Compton. She roomed with a male “friend with benefits”  as she suffered financial issues due to a low paying job.  

Her aunt (Macy Gray) informed her that her mother died and she suddenly found herself traveling back to Compton to face her family’s demons. Upon her arrival, she was plagued with memories of a traumatic past and she was expected to care for her sick father who caused her to run away in the first place. 

After the funeral, things continued down a slippery slope when Bell returned to Georgia to find that her roommate replaced her and she lost her job. With nowhere to live, she returned to Compton where she was forced to come to terms with her past.

Let’s Talk. This is a story about abuse and its effects on the psyche. When Bell was a young girl, her parents purchased a house in Compton that was supposed to represent a happy future and a place for their children to play. But the happy ending never happened thanks to her father who lost his dignity when he lost his job. Financial matters and stress led to his drinking and his barbaric behavior toward family members. 

Emotional and sexual abuse became the norm in the household and it had a negative impact on Bell’s life. It was a vicious cycle where her father’s financial burdens spiraled into her own and she was compelled to leave home without proper education which, led to limited career opportunities. 

As per the message in the movie, the process of healing emotional scars begins with forgiveness. Confronting the guilty and dealing with the truth was an effective means to an end.

Bell received supportive intervention from her love interest, Jay (Brian White). He too suffered loss but he, unlike Bell, managed to carve out a successful career for himself.

What made this story captivating was that it was told from the perspective of someone who wasn’t directly abused. We all cope with life’s struggles differently and the story demonstrates that witnesses to abuse can be as emotionally distraught as victims.

Performances were awesome. Macy Gray has a way of reeling you in and Teyonah Parris was a good choice for the lead role.

“Where Children Play” ultimately tackles a subject that’s burdensome to talk about – abuse. It’s written by Ghanian director, Leila Djansi and she executes the emotionally charged story with grace. Nothing about the movie suggests that it’s African, making it easily relatable to a mainstream audience. RECOMMEND