Sparkle (2012 film)

Sparkle is 2012 musical drama which is a remake of the 1976 film of the same name. The film stars Jordin Sparks, Whitney Houston, Derek Luke, Cee Lo Green, Mike Epps, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, Tamela Mann, and Omari Hardwick. Sparkle features songs from the original film written by soul musician Curtis Mayfield as well as new compositions by R&B artist R. Kelly. This film is the debut of R&B/pop singer and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks as an actress. Sparkle also marks Whitney Houston's fifth and final feature film role before her death on February 11, 2012, three months after filming ended. The film is dedicated to her memory.
== Summary ==
Three singing teenage sisters who form a girl group in the late 1950s in Detroit, Michigan in 1968 during the Motown era. All while trying to avoid the eyes of their mother and becoming famous.
== Plot ==
In Detroit, Michigan in 1968, the three Anderson sisters—19-year-old Sparkle, middle sister Delores aka Dee, and eldest Tammy aka "Sister"—are three sisters who love to sing. Sparkle and Sister often go out to sing at different places. While Sparkle is the best singer, Sister is able to get the most attention. They manage to get home in time for their mother to find them in bed. Dee however is starting to get tired of covering for them. One day, they approached by aspiring record label executive Stix to form a music group after he saw Sister perform a song that Sparkle wrote at a nightclub. The girls are raised by their mother Emma, who disapproves of her daughters singing outside of church.
Dee agrees to join the girl group, reasoning she will perform until she has earned enough money to pay for medical school. Though Sister is initially undecided, Sparkle convinces her that if the group wins a local talent show, she could use the prize money to finally move out of Emma's home. Stix becomes romantically involved with Sparkle, and his cousin Levi also becomes involved with Sister. 
With Stix as their manager, the three sisters enter the talent competition and wow the crowd with their performance of "Hooked on Your Love". The sisters become a popular act and are invited to perform at clubs throughout Detroit. Sister gains the attention of stand-up comedian Satin Struthers, whom Sister dumps Levi for.
When a newly engaged Sister brings Satin over for a family dinner, an argument erupts after Satin makes insulting remarks and Emma makes her dislike for him known to everyone at the table. In response, Sister lashes out at Emma, criticizing her for having her as a teen, leaving her to raise her younger siblings instead of going to school like them as Emma was out drinking and trying to pursue a music career. Sister decides to leave with Satin and Emma banishes her from returning home. Sparkle tries to reason with Sister but she won't have it and moves out. At first Sister is happily married and has great life but Satine's true colors start to show.
As the girls' fame continues to rise, Sister's relationship with Satin becomes physically abusive and she spirals into drug abuse. This becomes apparent to Dee and Sparkle when, in preparation to open for Aretha Franklin on a television show, Sister walks into the dressing room with a black eye and bruises. Sparkle, Sister and Dee manage to perform "Something He Can Feel". Emma catches a glimpse of their performance on television but is resentful that her daughters have gone against her wishes to pursue singing. However Dee tells her sister to not give up like that as it is who she is. 
Stix introduces the girls to Larry Robinson, a Columbia Records executive who offers to sign them as a group. Dee and Sparkle try to get Sister to leave Satin and come back home with them, but are unsuccessful. At home, Sparkle's relationship with Emma becomes increasingly strained as she is pressured into abandoning her love of singing.
A meeting with Columbia Records is derailed when Dee and Sparkle find Sister in a back room looking for a cocaine fix. At Satin and Sister's home, Dee and Sparkle plea for Sister to leave and get help for her drug problem. When Satin shows up and punches Sparkle, the three sisters fight Satin in self-defense. Satin is struck by Dee with a tire iron and falls unconscious. Though Dee tries to administer CPR, the sisters realize he is dead and all start crying. Sister orders Sparkle and Dee to leave the house and accepts blame when police arrive.
Hearing that Sister has been arrested and charged with manslaughter (she will be released in 3 years at least), Emma leads her church choir in a performance of "His Eye is on the Sparrow". She arrives home to find Dee packing up to leave, with Dee revealing she was accepted to Meharry Medical College and must enroll promptly to receive her scholarship money. Emma proudly hugs Dee before she departs.
Sparkle visits Sister in prison, confiding she turned down a marriage proposal from Stix and broke up with him. Later, Sparkle moves out of Emma's home and rents her own apartment. She secures a meeting with Larry at Columbia and convinces him to give her a shot at a solo career, on the condition that she first put on a musical showcase. Sparkle reaches out to Stix to help her set up the showcase, and the couple eventually rekindle their relationship. Sparkle also extends an invitation to her mother to see the show, but Emma seems uninterested. 
Emma goes to visit Sister in prison and the two reconcile. While getting ready for her showcase, Sparkle suffers a nose bleed in the dressing room, ruining her dress. To Sparkle's surprise, Emma walks in with a new dress for her and expresses pride in Sparkle for following her dreams.
Sparkle goes on stage and performs "One Wing", a song which she dedicates to Sister. A proud Emma watches in the audience while Stix and Larry watch from the side. Larry informs Stix that he wants to sign Sparkle. The closing credits show Sparkle continuing her set with the performance of "Love Will".
== Cast ==
* Jordin Sparks as Sparkle Anderson
* Whitney Houston as Emma Anderson, the girls' strict mother. Emma is a failed entertainer, now born-again church lady.
* Derek Luke as Stix
* Carmen Ejogo as Tammy "Sister" Anderson. The eldest sister, a divorcee who returns home to her mother and sisters.
* Tika Sumpter as Delores "Dee" Anderson. The middle sister, who is politically outspoken and is accepted into Meharry Medical College.
* Mike Epps as Satin Struthers. Satin is a self-hating stand-up comedian, who makes money by making black people the butt of his jokes.
* Omari Hardwick as Levi
* Cee Lo Green as Black
* Curtis Armstrong as Larry Robinson
* Terrence J as Red
* Tamela Mann as Ms. Sara Waters, Emma's best friend
* Brely Evans as Tune Ann Waters
* Michael Beach as Reverend Bryce
* Kem L. Owens as Buddy
* Goapele as Girl group lead singer
* Fatima Robinson, Keely Morris as Girl group backup singers
* Brittany Perry Russell, Charmaine Jordan as Sparkle's backup singers
== Trivia ==
* This was Whitney Houston's last performance before she passed away.