Hi friends! I hope you are doing well. Sorry I’ve been so MIA but I’ve been completely engrossed in my podcasting and work on KSL Movie Show. I’ve been subbing in for Steve Salles and the entire experience has been a dream come true. I hope that you listen each Friday or on the podcast version. Through an error, however, we missed talking about a new release this week. It is from Amazon and it’s called Sarah’s Oil. This is a wonderful based on a true story drama that the whole family can benefit from. Since we didn’t review it on the show I figured I’d do an old fashioned written review (we will probably cover it next week so tune in!)
Sarah’s Oil tells the story of Sarah Rector a real life young Black girl who inherits oil rich land in Oklahoma in the 1910s. In real life she really did sell her land to Rockefeller and was a millionaire by the time she turned 18. It’s a fascinating story well-told with dramatic license of course by director Cyrus Nowrasteh. I am sure a lot of kids will be inspired to see a strong-willed determined child like Sarah and her story on the big screen.
In the film Sarah is played by Naya Desir-Johnson and she has a terrific screen presence and her and Zachary Levi have nice chemistry together. The screenplay perhaps spends too much time on his character named Bert Smith (who is an invention for the film) but it was still a pleasant friendship to see unfold on screen. I also loved Sonequa Martin-Green as Sarah’s mother Rose (she’s always great even in Star Trek Discovery.)
For a small budgeted film the movie looks great with some impressive setpieces involving the oil rig. It all feels historically accurate and is easy to get immersed in the story. Naturally some of the harsher elements of the story involving antagonists against Sarah are kept family friendly but they make the point they need to make without being too traumatizing.
If families are looking for a night at the movies that will inspire their kids Sarah’s Oil is a great choice. It’s playing at theaters right now so check it out
