To Sleep with Anger

To Sleep with Anger
To Sleep with Anger
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Charles Burnett
Written by	Charles Burnett
Produced by	Caldecot Chubb; Thomas S. Byrnes; Darin Scott;
Starring	Danny Glover; Paul Butler; Mary Alice; Carl Lumbly; Vonetta McGee; Richard Brooks; Sheryl Lee Ralph;
Cinematography	Walt Lloyd
Edited by	Nancy Richardson
Music by	Stephen James Taylor
Distributed by	The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release date	October 12, 1990 (United States);
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1.1 million

To Sleep with Anger is a 1990 American black comedy film written and directed by Charles Burnett.^[2]^[3]

In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".^[4] It had a remastered home media release from the Criterion Collection on February 26, 2019.^[5]

Plot

Gideon and his wife Suzie live in South Central Los Angeles. Harry, a longstanding friend from the South whom they have not seen for many years, makes a surprise visit. The couple are delighted to see him and insist that he stay with them for as long as he wishes. Harry has a charming, down-home manner, but his enigmatic and somewhat amoral presence brings to a crisis trouble simmering in the family—especially as regards the younger son, Samuel or "Babe Brother", and his relationships with his parents, wife, and older brother, Junior.

Harry's presence threatens to break up Samuel's marriage and seems to be related to an illness Gideon develops. It proves ultimately purgative, though Harry's precise role remains ambiguous.

Cast

Danny Glover as Harry
Paul Butler as Gideon
Mary Alice as Suzie
Carl Lumbly as Junior
Vonetta McGee as Pat
Richard Brooks as Babe Brother
Sheryl Lee Ralph as Linda
DeVaughn Nixon as Sunny
Reina King as Rhonda
Cory Curtis as Skip
Paula Bellamy as Mrs. Baker
Wonderful Smith as Preacher
Ethel Ayler as Hattie
Beverly Mickins as Neighbor
Jimmy Witherspoon as Percy
Julius Harris as Herman

Reception

The film has received critical acclaim.^[6] On Rotten Tomatoes, To Sleep with Anger holds a rating of 88% from 34 reviews, with an average score of 7.30/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "To Sleep with Anger examines cultural tensions with a deft hand and a potent blend of comedy and drama, stirred skillfully to life by a strong cast led by Danny Glover."^[7]

Chuck Bowen of Slant Magazine called it a "neglected masterpiece of African-American cinema."^[8] IndieWire's Brandon Wilson has called it Burnett's "other masterpiece," as well as numerous other favorable comparisons to Killer of Sheep, saying "Like all great art, To Sleep With Anger triumphs because it works both on a personal level... and it is provocative enough thematically to fuel hours of discussion about tradition versus modernity and how it has affected African-Americans, for better or worse... [Burnett]'s asking us to think about the generation gap, Christian faith versus backwoods mysticism, the grip of the past versus the pull of the present, African-American yearning for financial prosperity versus our sense of altruism & duty and complications within both sides of each coin."^[9]

Roger Ebert, however, called it "too long" in a mixed review.^[10] Entertainment Weekly's Owen Glieberman called it "too ambitious" and said it "never finds a mood".^[11]

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
1991	Chicago Film Critics Association Awards	Best Film		Nominated	^[12]
1991	Independent Spirit Awards	Best Feature	Caldecot Chubb, Thomas S. Byrnes and Darin Scott	Nominated	^[13]^[14]
		Best Director	Charles Burnett	Won
		Best Screenplay	Charles Burnett	Won
		Best Male Lead	Danny Glover	Won
		Best Female Lead	Mary Alice	Nominated
		Best Supporting Female	Ethel Ayler	Nominated
		Best Supporting Female	Sheryl Lee Ralph	Won
1992	NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Motion Picture		Nominated	^[15]
		Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture	Danny Glover	Nominated
		Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture	Mary Alice	Nominated
1990	Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards	Best Screenplay	Charles Burnett	Nominated	^[16]
1991	National Society of Film Critics Awards	Best Actor	Danny Glover	Nominated	^[17]
1991	National Society of Film Critics Awards	Best Screenplay	Charles Burnett	Won	^[17]
1990	New York Film Critics Circle Awards	Best Actor	Danny Glover	Nominated	^[18]
1990	New York Film Critics Circle Awards	Best Screenplay	Charles Burnett	Nominated	^[18]
1990	Sundance Film Festival	Grand Jury Prize		Nominated	^[19]
1990	Sundance Film Festival	Special Jury Recognition		Won	^[19]