"A Raisin in the Sun," Feb. 25, ABC

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Billed as an "ABC World Premiere Movie Event," this second television adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's classic 1959 play (which became a treasured 1961 film) truly deserves the "event" moniker. The year is young, but "A Raisin in the Sun" will surely rank with the best of 2008.

Airing Monday, Feb. 25, 8-11 p.m. EST, this TV film -- adapted from 2004's Broadway revival -- uses the leads from that production, all of whom have deepened their interpretations. (For the record, Danny Glover and Esther Rolle starred in the 1989 PBS version.)

Here, Phylicia Rashad is Lena Younger, the upstanding widowed matriarch of a South Side Chicago family. She works as a domestic, and lives in a small apartment with her son, Walter Lee (Sean Combs), who is profoundly frustrated by his dead-end job as a chauffeur, and feels that no one supports him in his dreams. He is sullen and uncommunicative with his hardworking wife, Ruth (Audra MacDonald) who, we soon discern, is expecting their second child, unbeknownst to anyone.

His free-spirited college-age sister, Beneatha (Sanaa Lathan), completes the household. She aspires to become a doctor and finds herself wooed by pragmatic wealthy George (Sean Patrick Thomas) and fellow student Joseph (David Oyelowo), a Nigerian who helps her explore her African roots, which is scorned by George.

Beneatha's rebellious denial of God in an early scene prompts a stunning rebuke from her mother, an admonition which onstage elicited supportive applause from the largely African-American audiences who packed the theater nightly.

Walter Lee fervently hopes to improve his lot by investing in a liquor store with the life insurance check Lena will soon receive from her late husband's estate. But once Lena learns what the money will be used for, she takes back the check, propelling Walter Lee on a serious drinking binge.

In her despair at Walter Lee's remoteness, Ruth contemplates an abortion. As the film has been opened up somewhat from the stage version, we do actually see her going to a woman who performs clandestine abortions. You'll forgive the spoiler, but Ruth's ultimate decision is yet another resolutely pro-life affirmation, in a cinematic season rife with them (e.g., "Bella," "Juno" and "Waitress"). This is in keeping with the myriad outstanding values espoused by Hansberry, including integrity, unconditional love, human dignity, ethnic pride and affirmation of faith.

Stage director Kenny Leon's filmic approach -- he uses tight close-ups throughout -- takes some adjustment. But, it must be admitted, the power of the performances comes through all the more.

The three women are especially luminous, and a low-key Rashad dispenses her worldly wisdom without ever sounding sanctimonious.

Considering Combs was the linchpin of the stage production and co-executive producer of this TV film (along with Craig Zadan, Neil Meron and others), it might be churlish to observe that his performance is not quite on a par with his more seasoned colleagues. But he's completely professional, and convincingly conveys Walter Lee's boyishness, naivete and frustrations.

Other good performances include John Stamos as an unctuous community rep who tries to buy off the Youngers from their new house in a white neighborhood, and Bill Nunn and Ron Cephas Jones as Walter Lee's prospective business partners.

Hansberry's play is still a knockout as this production triumphantly demonstrates. Miss it at your peril.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops