Watch Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First One Hundred Years

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First One Hundred Years is a 1999 American TV movie based on the best-selling memoir of the same name by Sarah "Sadie" L. Delany and A. Elizabeth "Bessie" Delany, who both lived to be over 100 years old. The movie was directed by Lynne Littman and featured an all-star cast, including Diahann Carroll as Sadie and Ruby Dee as Bessie, with Amy Madigan in the role of the interviewer.

The movie is set in 1993, as Sadie and Bessie Delany reflect on their long and fascinating lives. Born in the late 1800s in North Carolina, the Delany sisters grew up in a time of racial segregation and discrimination. Their father was a former slave who became the first African-American bishop in the Episcopal Church, and their mother was a free woman of color who ran a successful dressmaking business. Despite facing many challenges and obstacles, Sadie and Bessie both went on to achieve remarkable things in their lives.

The movie is structured as a series of interviews with the sisters, conducted by a young journalist played by Amy Madigan. In these interviews, the Delany sisters share their memories and experiences, offering a unique perspective on American history and culture. They discuss everything from their childhood in the Jim Crow South to their experiences as professional women in New York City, where they worked as a teacher and a dentist, respectively.

Throughout the movie, the Delany sisters come across as wise, witty, and resilient. They have lived through some of the most turbulent times in American history, including the Great Depression, two world wars, and the civil rights movement. But they have always managed to maintain their dignity, their sense of humor, and their love for each other.

The movie also features flashbacks to important moments in the sisters' lives, such as their participation in the Harlem Renaissance and their visits to Africa and Europe. These flashbacks are well-staged and provide important context for the sisters' stories.

One of the most impressive things about Having Our Say is the strength of the acting performances. Diahann Carroll and Ruby Dee both give nuanced and charismatic performances as Sadie and Bessie, respectively. They really capture the spirit of these remarkable women, and their chemistry on screen is palpable. Amy Madigan is also excellent as the interviewer, providing a strong and sympathetic presence that helps to tie the movie together.

Overall, Having Our Say is a thought-provoking and entertaining movie that offers a rare glimpse into the lives of two extraordinary women. It is a celebration of family, history, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First One Hundred Years is a 1999 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.6.