![Nia Long, Vivica A. Fox, ...](https://ew.com/thmb/5w2epo-5dX023esHERuQ3nL3sbk=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/video_rev-35-e412db45c70c4d868be3184385ad6408.jpg)
Some critics saw only the clichés in this warm, fractious drama about how a black family nearly flies apart when its center (grandmother Irma P. Hall) lands in the hospital. And, okay, some of the subplots — buppie Michael Beach is drawn to his workaholic wife’s (Williams) randy cousin (Gina Ravera); newlyweds Long and Mekhi Phifer struggle to overcome his criminal past — practically have ruts worn into them. But the performances are all skilled, heartfelt, and rich (Brandon Hammond is especially winning as the pint-size narrator), and the film fits cozily into the domestic arena of video. George Tillman Jr. writes and directs with homespun style and a minimum of flash, reminding us that behind a lot of clichés lie simple truths.