A Raisin in the Sun
1961 · Movie · Approved · 128 min · ★ 7.7 · 89% critics
A working-class family shares a cramped Chicago apartment, each holding a different dream for a better future. When an unexpected insurance payout arrives, hopes rise—but so do conflicts over money, dignity, and the risks of chasing opportunity in a divided society.
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Details
- Years
- 1961
- Release date
- 1961-05-28
- Language
- English
- Rated
- Approved
- Runtime
- 128 min
- Critic score
- 89/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.7/10 (149 votes)
- Budget
- $1,500,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want an intense, dialogue-driven family drama about dreams, money, and discrimination, with big emotions and moral stakes; Not for you if you dislike heavy themes or stage-like stories like On the Waterfront.
Pros: powerful ensemble performances; thought-provoking social themes; touching family story | Cons: slow early pacing; occasionally melodramatic moments; stage-play feel
Themes
- grave
- housewife
- racial segregation
- based on play or musical
- racism
- urban setting
- racial tension
- racial prejudice
- neighborhood
- discrimination
- angry
- complex
- +6 more
Cast & crew
Sidney Poitier
as Walter Lee Younger
Claudia McNeil
as Lena Younger
Ruby Dee
as Ruth Younger
Diana Sands
as Beneatha Younger
Ivan Dixon
as Asagai
John Fiedler
as Mark Lindner
Louis Gossett Jr.
as George Murchison
Steven Perry
as Travis Younger
Joel Fluellen
as Bobo
- LT
Louis Terrel
as Herman
Directed by Daniel Petrie