A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun is a drama set on the South Side of Chicago, where the Younger family shares a cramped apartment. When an insurance payment arrives after the death of the family's patriarch, it raises the question of what the money should be used for. Lena, the widowed mother, wants to put a down payment on a house in a different neighborhood. Her son Walter Lee, a chauffeur frustrated by his position in life, has other plans for the money, as does his sister Beneatha, who hopes to finish her studies and become a doctor. The disagreement over the money sets the family members against one another.

The film was directed by Daniel Petrie, his first feature, and adapted by Lorraine Hansberry from her own play. Sidney Poitier plays Walter Lee, with Claudia McNeil as Lena, Ruby Dee as his wife Ruth, Diana Sands as Beneatha and Ivan Dixon as Asagai. The production had a budget of about two million dollars.

On IMDb it holds a rating of 8 out of 10 from more than nine thousand votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.7 out of 10 from a much smaller number of votes. Petrie went on to direct Stolen Hours, The Idol, Lifeguard, Fort Apache, the Bronx and Cocoon: The Return, among other films.