Location: Miami, FL
"A Spoonful of Sugar"
A Channel Four Films Release
Directed by Mike Leigh
Written by Mike Leigh
Music by Nas
Cinematography by Dick Pope
Editing by Jon Gregory
Produced by Simon Channing-Williams
Main Cast
Marianne Jean Baptiste as Jauntice Jones
CJ Sanders as Jauntrick Shelley-Jones
Jeffrey Wright as Arnaldo Dalrymple
BD Wong as Jared Yin
Tagline: "N/A"
Synopsis: Jauntice Jones is a 40-something divorced African-American high school security guard in Miami . Years earlier, she had been abandoned by her husband, Patrick Shelley, who admitted to her that he was gay. At the time, Jauntice was so crushed by her failed attempt to graduate from college (which was her lifelong dream), that she was barely shaken by the whole ordeal, nor did it even occur to her that her lack of commitment to their relationship could have been what led her partner to finally coming out of the closet and moving on with his own life. It came to no one’s surprise when Jauntice agreed to let her Patrick and his well-off partner Arnaldo take full custody of his and her son Jauntrick, who at the time, was only 2 years old.
At the beginning of the movie, we don’t really know much of this backstory, learning more of it as the movie progresses. What we do see is that Jauntice has just received a tearful phone call from Arnaldo telling her that Patrick had just unexpectedly died in a car accident. He suggests that Jauntrick, now 9 years old, had better stay the night with her. Jauntice, feeling guilt (which she rarely ever does), obliges. She knows how much her son adored his father. Patrick and Arnaldo had owned a dinner club, Club Mosquito, where Jauntrick was the star in act in which he dressed like Mary Poppins and sung songs from the musical movie. During a discussion in Jauntice’s bedroom that night, Jauntrick expressed his concern for the club’s future, being that he could no longer be able to perform because “I will think of daddy and it will make me cry”.
It was here when Jauntice felt remorse for not ever being attentive to Patrick, and for rarely ever visiting him and Jauntrick at all in the past 7 years. Jauntice, now feeling more grown-up than she’s ever felt, decides to convince Arnaldo into giving her back her son. Naturally, Arnaldo knows that he is the more responsible adult. On top of that, he’s the better parent (and it should be mentioned that he considered himself Jauntrick’s mother). But he knew he couldn’t be depriving her of a relationship with her own son, regardless of the past. Still, he couldn’t let her get away with it completely. Arnaldo decides to let Jauntice in on his “little secret”. In his very own words, he is obsessed with tracking people down. He loves following his friends’ lives in pictures. He gets excited hearing from the club’s patrons years after he ever met them. And he really enjoys “Where are they now?” specials on TV. So he asks Jauntice of a favor. He hands her an old photograph of him and his family at a restaurant in Chinatown , New York when he was 12. He points to the waitress in the background. If she were to travel to New York , go to the restaurant, ask around for the waitress, and once she had found her, interview her, Jauntrick was hers forever.
Not knowing Arnaldo very well, she was shocked to hear that he would even come up with such a plan. But after much thought, Jauntice had to agree to the offer because not only was she convinced that she wanted her son back, but as she thought herself, this would be the perfect opportunity to take that day off from work she had always been promised. Leaving her young son behind, she was off to New York . Following Arnaldo’s advice, she immediately took a taxi to the Chinatown restaurant. Jauntice did feel awkward showing the hostess at the front the picture; even more so after every last waiter and waitress had stared at the picture for a long while, shaking their head, muttering a “Sorry”, and handing the picture back to her. Jauntice didn’t even have a chance to call back Arnaldo to deliver the bad news, when she was tapped on the shoulder by an unfamiliar looking Chinese man. Listening to his sweet-natured, friendly explanation, she did remember this “Jared Yin from Miami Central High School ”. After all, he had been a good acquaintance in junior year. After a big hug, and a complimentary kiss, some conversation, and a whole lot of laughs, she learned that he had been living in New York since shortly after graduation. He is a single social worker, dying of AIDS, and quite lonely. To think that she had nearly forgotten about him was beyond her, considering the fact that he was so nice as to invite her over to stay at his place.
Jauntice did accept Jared’s invitation. After a whole week, she had become so drawn to him, so deep in companionship that she had only thought of the reason why she was even in New York but one time, in a phone call to Arnaldo, giving him the bad news. It had not been 2 weeks since she left Miami that Arnaldo delivered Jauntice her own bad news. Jauntrick had been involved in a school fight, and was in critical condition. She promised to be back as soon as she could. Jared was sad to hear about Jauntrick’s accident, and encouraged her to leave for him. But it was then when she questioned her own morals. Jauntice Jones had never cared much for her son. After all, it was 7 whole years. She knew she wouldn’t ever be a better parent than Arnaldo. Then why should only pretend to think that she was something she wasn’t? Why start now, if it’s already taken care of. She had just been reunited with an old friend. Similar to Jauntrick’s case, she had abandoned Jared, but on the other hand, he had no one. To make a long story short, she knew her son had no use for her, but Jared did.
Walking through Central Park with Jared, arm in arm, she felt no guilt at all when she swatted a mosquito that was buzzing around, in their way.
What the Press would say:
“A Spoonful of Sugar” is Mike Leigh’s first American film. Luckily for his fans and supporters, he has not changed his great improvisational style of filmmaking. His style has not aged a bit, and is still in top form in this movie. It must be said that as our unlikely protagonist, Jauntice Jones, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Oscar-nominated for Leigh’s Secrets and Lies is absolutely sensational. Says Peter Travers of Rolling Stone Magazine “Believe me when I say this: I will boycott the Academy Awards this year if Marianne Jean-Baptiste is not nominated. Rarely do you ever see an actress of her generation put so much energy into a single performance as she has. You almost are almost convinced that you know Jauntice, that you are experiencing her life unfold right before your eyes. That’s how genuine her acting is, if you can even call it acting”. As Jared, BD Wong is pitch-perfect. It is apparent that Mike Leigh’s strict influence on his actors has worked to his advantage, as this is leagues ahead of his performance on Law and Order. CJ Sanders should also be praised for his heartbreaking work as Jauntice’s adorable son Jauntrick, and if Jeffrey Wright, one of the most underrated actors in the world, should be recognized for any of his performances, it is this one. If you think Arnaldo sounds interesting on paper, you should see what miracles Mr.Wright makes with this character.
This movie, as all of Leigh’s movies are, is dialogue-driven. The characters elucidate the meanings of their lives through their conversations and actions. Leigh doesn’t judge Jauntice’s actions; he lets the viewer decide. This said, “A Spoonful of Sugar”( which gains it’s title from Jauntrick’s favorite Mary Poppins song), is one of Leigh’s best screenplays. Everything (from Nas’ fresh and innovative hip-hop soundtrack to the vibrant Miami locations) and Everyone (all of the fantastic performances), work to it’s advantage.
FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director:Mike Leigh
Best Screenplay
Best Actress:Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Best Supporting Actor:CJ Sanders, Jeffrey Wright, BD Wong
Best Original Score: Nas
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