(L to R) Kerry Washington as Captain Charity Adams and Milauna Jackson as Lt. Campbell in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Laura Radford / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Arriving on Netflix on December 20th, ‘The Six Triple Eight’ is the latest film from writer/director Tyler Perry and chronicles an inspiring real-life story of the all-Black section of the Women’s Army Corps, who were charged with an immense task.
With mountains of undelivered mail stuck in hangers and both troops and their families frustrated by the lack of reliable deliveries, the unit had to figure out some way to get the lines of communication open again.
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Does ‘The Six Triple Eight’ Deliver?
Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy of Netflix.
While he’s more known for his Madea work and melodramas, powerhouse director Tyler Perry has dipped his toe in the past before with 2022’s ‘A Jazzman’s Blues,’ though there he was channeling the Black experience into a fictional story.
For ‘The Six Triple Eight,’ however, he’s diving right into actual history, the pressure of bringing a true –– yet criminally ignored –– story to screens weighing heavy on the filmmaker. There is a reason to feel that: the heroic work of the Six Triple Eight U.S. Army unit is worth celebrating, but Perry does sometimes fall victim to cliché and pat scenes that feel like something out of an After-School Special.
While the real-life women faced plenty of resistance and no little racism in their mission, Perry choose to hammer the themes home in such repetitive and unsubtle fashion that it’s almost like using a giant bomb dropped from a B-52 when a sniper’s bullet might serve the job better.
Script and Direction
Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams in ‘Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Perry wrote the screenplay for his latest based on Kevin Hymel’s article “Fighting a Two-Front War” about the real-life Corps members. And with a wealth of material and so many potential stories to choose from, it’s a shame that what ended up on screen is such a relatively lightweight collection of seen-it-before stories.
While there is certainly something to be said for the young woman grieving a lost love throwing herself into duty, a lot of that has been said before, and better. And while the unit notched a lot of resistance from Generals and other superior officers, the wealth of sheer racist characters on display here starts to feel like overload. The message is stamped into us rather than carefully sketched.
In directorial terms, this is possibly Perry’s most accomplished film to date, opening with an impressive battle scene but then focusing in on the personal stories of the women involved. It’s not overly fussy visually, letting the characters breath –– at least those that actually warrant a story, which is only one or two.
Cast and Performances
The focus here is certainly on Ebony Obsidian, who is our main character and point of connection for the story. But as the narrative moves on, it’s Kerry Washington’s Major Charity Adams who begins to dominate.
Ebony Obsidian as Lena Derriecott King
(L to R) Gregg Sulkin as Abram David and Ebony Obsidian as Lena Derriecott King in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Lena is the young woman mentioned above whose story starts with burgeoning love, only for the romance to be squashed before it can get going when her beau dies in combat. In the early going, Obsidian has to make do with Perry’s fairly obvious lines about love and racial barriers, and some of that continues once she signs up for the WAC, where she’s soon mocked by outsiders and the press for her seeming lack of spine.
Yet once the character digs in and proves herself several times over, she comes alive a little more. Obsidian is able to bring all of her various sides to life with conviction, though she’s somewhat limited by what she’s given.
Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams
Kerry Washington in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Netflix.
Washington, who is also an executive producer on the movie, is a commanding –– pun intended –– presence in the film, playing the woman whose duty it is the to oversee the training of the Six Triple Eight unit and then their mission when they’re finally dispatched to Europe to tackle the mail issue. This is clearly a role that Washington is passionate about, and that comes through the character and off the screen.
Dean Norris as General Halt
‘Breaking Bad’ veteran is here playing less of a character and more of a group of racist stereotypes rolled into one person. He’s a swaggering good ol’ boy who tries to bully the Six Triple Eight out of their mission and puts barriers in at every turn. Norris does what he can with the role, but it never feels like an actual human.
(L to R) Susan Sarandon as Eleanor Roosevelt and Sam Waterson as President Roosevelt in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Sam Waterston as President Roosevelt and Susan Sarandon as Eleanor Roosevelt
Waterson has barely one scene as Roosevelt, but does impress in the role, while Sarandon, acting through a mouthful of teeth, puts her mark on the compassionate, authoritative Eleanor.
Supporting Cast
Oprah Winfrey pops up almost as briefly as Waterson to play the influential activist Mary McLeod Bethune, though she’s mostly used for exposition. Around Obsidian, the likes of Sarah Jeffrey, Kylie Jefferson, Pepi Sonuga and particularly Shanice Shantay make for a fun and supportive friend group.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Milauna Jackson as Lt. Campbell, Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams and Ebony Obsidian as Lena Derriecott King in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Cr. Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Perry, looking to stretch himself here, finds that his ambition sometimes exceeds his grasp, but it’s a decent enough take on the tale. Still, a historical event as important as this (especially one that has been so underreported) still might have benefitted from other eyes and hands on the script.
‘The Six Triple Eight’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.
What’s the story of ‘The Six Triple Eight?
The movie is inspired by the first and only Black Women’s Army Corps unit of color to serve overseas in World War II. Despite facing racism and sexism –– and grueling working conditions – they were committed to serving their country with honor and distinction. Given an extraordinary mission and united in their determination, these unsung heroes delivered hope and shattered barriers.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Six Triple Eight’?
- Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams
- Ebony Obsidian as Lena Derriecott King
- Dean Norris as General Halt
- Sam Waterston as Franklin Roosevelt
- Oprah Winfrey as Mary McLeod Bethune
- Susan Sarandon as Eleanor Roosevelt
- Milauna Jackson as Captain Campbell
- Kylie Jefferson as Bernice Baker
- Shanice Shantay as Johnnie Mae
- Sarah Jeffery as Dolores Washington
- Pepi Sonuga as Elaine White
(L to R) Milauna Jackson as Lt. Campbell and Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
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