OWN’s wonderfully lyrical series David Makes Man, from Moonlight screenwriter Tarell Alvin McCraney, changed perspectives in the affecting “Gloria.” Instead of continuing to show us the trials and tribulations of its title character (played by the excellent Akili McDowell), as he tries to hold on to his academic ambitions despite the pushy drug culture of his neighborhood, we focused on how his mother Gloria struggles between her own ambitions and a system designed to keep her down.
One of the best things about David Makes Man is how it gives us access to the inner thoughts of its characters, often through their daydreams, but also though imaginary figures or even scrawling text on the screen. In doing so, it illuminates their specific hopes and puts the realities of their situation into exceptionally sharp relief…
Read the full article here.
