- In a small Georgia town, 12-year-old tomboy Frankie Addams feels unconnected to the world, a fact troubling to her. Her unconventional views for a 12-year-old girl make her an outcast among her peers, which she in turn blames for her situation rather than anything of her own doing. Her only real friend is John Henry, her younger next-door neighbor, although she doesn't see him as a friend since she doesn't consider him a peer. As her widowed father is consumed with running his small business, Frankie is largely left to the care of their housekeeper, Berenice, who tries to provide as much true guidance to Frankie and what Frankie considers her problems, although Berenice has her own troubles looking after her wild foster brother, Honey Camden, her only surviving family. In addition, Frankie largely sees Berenice's advice as the rantings of a large, crazy Black woman. Frankie believes that she has finally found her place in life upon the return to town of her enlisted older brother Jarvis, who announces that he's about to marry a woman named Janice. Seeing the couple together, Frankie falls in love with "them" and believes she can be a "member" of "them" by leaving town with with immediately after the wedding, even wanting to change her name to Jasmine to feel even more connected to them. Two negative situations following the wedding could possibly put her on the right direction to truly finding her place in life.—Huggo
- This version of the play THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING is available for viewing at the Paley Center for Media in NYC and I highly recommend it. Other than the fact that the movie version has the original Broadway cast (Ethel Waters, Julie Harris and Brandon De Wilde), this TV version is much more moving and emotional and acted to perfection by all. I wish shows like this would get released on DVD. This story of young tomboy Frankie Adams and her struggle to deal with loneliness and growing up in a small southern town in the late 40s follows the play's actions rather than the novels. With the aid of her only two friends, a black maid and her 6 year old cousin, Frankie tries to overcome her feeling of disconnectedness by attaching herself to her brother and his fiance. This leads to a dramatic conclusion to the 2nd act and a very sad revelation in the third. All of which help Frankie find her way to a new appreciation of those around her. Again, this is a profoundly moving version of the play, sensitively directed by Robert (TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD) Mulligan. See it at the Paley Center if you can.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content