What’s it rated? PG-13
When? 2024
Where’s it showing? Netflix
Writer-director Tyler Perry (Madea’s Family Reunion, Dairy of a Mad Black Woman) helms this World War II drama based on Kevin M. Hymel’s 2019 WWII History magazine article, “Fighting a Two-Front War,” about the 855 Black women of the 6888th Central Post Directory Battalion, who joined the war effort to alleviate the three-year backlog of undelivered mail.
The film follows young Lena Derriecott (Ebony Obsidian) after the loss of her young love overseas as she joins the army in a mix of fury and grief. She and fellow recruits are commanded by Maj. Adams (Kerry Washington), a career military woman who runs a tight ship despite the ever-present racism and sexism that comes from above.
Adams has finally been given a mission overseas and six months to accomplish itāgetting mail to soldiers that has long been moldering in airplane hangars. The task seems insurmountable, and the unit has been set up to fail. Little do those men know how much these women will accomplish and how far the touch of humanity will reach.Ā
The film’s pretty cheesy, but it tugged at my heartstrings because of the extraordinary true story it’s based on. This one will give you all the feels and is well worth it. (127 min.) Ī
This article appears in Jan 2-12, 2025.