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Dirty Laundry

Play trailer Poster for Dirty Laundry PG-13 2007 1h 47m Comedy Drama LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Family secrets bubble to the surface when a closeted gay man (Rockmond Dunbar) returns home to see his mother (Loretta Devine) and learns that he has a young son.

Critics Reviews

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Kyle Smith New York Post 12/07/2007
2/4
The tone is good-natured enough to make a simple movie semi-watchable. Go to Full Review
Elizabeth Weitzman New York Daily News 12/07/2007
2.5/4
Looking for plot holes? You can't miss them. But if you go in hoping for a good time, you'll find that, too. Go to Full Review
Matt Zoller Seitz New York Times 12/07/2007
3/5
Mr. Jamal's direction ranges from clumsy to competent. Fortunately, even as Mr. Jamal's characters hit notes reminiscent of a half-baked television pilot, they disclose eccentricities that his cast spins into comic gold. Go to Full Review
Don Willmott Filmcritic.com 02/15/2008
3/5
run of the mill, with a few good laughs along the way Go to Full Review
Brian Juergens AfterElton.com 01/22/2008
6/10
Is it sidesplitting? No, but it's cute. Is it wonderfully wicked? No, but it's got a few twists and turns. Is it a classic? Probably not, but it's an encouraging move into a new kind of gay film and a story not often told. Go to Full Review
David Noh Film Journal International 12/19/2007
By far the best of a plethora of holiday family-reunion films, Maurice Jamal's warmly hilarious Dirty Laundry is particularly blessed with the presence of Loretta Devine Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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12/06/2017 Great movie!!! Loved the acting and comedy!!! Pretty good cast as well!! See more 04/14/2015 amusingly decent but with an abrupt ending that leaves a sour taste. See more 04/15/2012 better than i thought would be See more 06/23/2011 I don't know if I was just in the perfect mood to see this or what, but I found the movie charming, sweet, and really funny! See more 04/30/2011 Evelyn Davis cleans laundry for a living but does she know that in her household, she'll have to air out her family's "Dirty Laundry?" It takes a 1/2 hour for the plot to really kick in. By that time, some viewers may give up since it's sitcom material. Now, when the "secret" happens, it gets interesting but the screenplay doesn't help to engage viewers since we're dealing with stereotypes. Give credit to writer/director Maurice Jamal for handling a sensitive subject among African Americans though. Loretta Devine is devine as the matriach and the role is well suited to her personality. I also liked Rockmond Dunbar as the gay son Sheldon Patrick. However, they misuse Jenifer Lewis as a bigot shrew named Lettuce; she doesn't she have any shadings. Another interesting character is the white boyfriend, Ryan, played by Joey Costello who is not attractive. Can anyone write smart dialogue? I was cringing at his preaching about divas to the young girl and his insistence on watching figure skating when the guys wanted to watch sports. Lots of gay men are interested in sports. It's too bad that Jamal couldn't break gay stereotypes but milks them for laughs. We hear alot about religion and see the family at church, but what good is that when they are so dysfunctional. The movie seems to be saying that acceptance is the glue for family but I'd like to understand how that is earned. See more 04/25/2011 The dried eggs joke was excellent See more Read all reviews
Dirty Laundry

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis Family secrets bubble to the surface when a closeted gay man (Rockmond Dunbar) returns home to see his mother (Loretta Devine) and learns that he has a young son.
Director
Maurice Jamal
Producer
Re'Shaun Frear, Rockmond Dunbar, Andre Robert Lee
Screenwriter
Maurice Jamal
Production Co
MoJAM Entertainment, inHale Entertainment
Rating
PG-13 (Language|Thematic Elements|Some Sexual Content)
Genre
Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 7, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$20.1K
Runtime
1h 47m