THE REEL: 'Juanita' dull but reminds us to live

Juanita is a movie that celebrates the liberation of a woman’s soul from the restlessness within.

Starring the fiery Alfre Woodward as Juanita, this movie is reminiscent of the smash hit How Stella Got Her Groove Back as it tackles a similar theme of rebuilding ones self-esteem.

Juanita is a Netflix Original Film that is a 1hr 30 min drama rated R for some nudity and sexual content.

Juanita is a mother who is stuck in a monotonous and suffocating life and who yearns for change. Her children are grown up but are deadbeats who live with and depend on her for support and upkeep.

She has a grandchild by her daughter Bertie (Jordan Nia Elizabeth) who is preoccupied with going out and this forces Juanita to babysit too many times.

She also has two sons, the eldest Randy (Marcus Henderson) is in prison and Rashawn (Acorye’ White) is a gangster wannabe who is dabbling in drugs and getting very close to being locked up.

All this pressure of taking care of adult children is getting to Juanita and she is desperate to get away.

STUCK IN A RUT

Her job as a caregiver in a nursing home is emotionally draining and her days are spent watching lonely patients who have been abandoned by their families, waiting to die.

She feels stuck in a rut with no end in sight and to keep her spirits up, she has developed an ongoing fantasy relationship with Blair Underwood which is hilarious to watch.

Side note; Blair Underwood was a sex symbol in the 90s and he has aged well.

Juanita decides on a whim to take a road trip to a different State after the death of one of her favourite patients in the hospice who passed away all alone.

She doesn’t want to die before she has seen more of the world and decides to go to Miami.

However, she changes her mind and decides to pick a random town off the map called Paper Moon that is in Montana and travels there full of expectation, only to find that it is a small Native American town where she is the only black person for miles.

Juanita lands at a small inn and immediately due to her brash nature gets into an argument with the resident chef Jess Gardner (Adam Beach) over what type of breakfast that she wants served, that results in her getting a job as his assistant.

BEGINS TO RELAX

Pretty soon, Juanita begins to relax and come to terms with her life and the choices that she has made.

Sparks fly between her and Jess who is also dealing with his own demons stemming from his combat days.

The budding romance between the two helps them assist one another and for Juanita, it’s a second chance at love after having been in disastrous relationships previously.

Blair Underwood is finally discarded as the real life relationship steams up.

Montana was originally inhabited by Native Americans and we get to see their rich customs and culture celebrated in the movie.

Juanita receives spiritual therapy and is able to resolve her worry and pain over her children especially over Randy her eldest.

With the use of flashbacks, we are able to see her visits with him in prison and how fearful she is over what may happen while he is there, Randy reassures his mom that he is okay and is taking the necessary precautions.

Juanita is a movie that a lot of women can relate with as it depicts the struggles and sacrifices that mothers make for their children.

They put aside their dreams and prioritise their children’s needs. However, children, need to be pushed out of the nest otherwise they will never develop important life skills and will remain dependent forever.

The movie is slow overall and the plot is predictable. Whilst there are a few pockets of humour in the movie, it is dull.

Eventually, Juanita’s children come to terms with their mother’s new dispensation and they are forced to grow up and become responsible.

Juanita realises that ultimately she is in charge of her own happiness and is determined to live out all her dreams before it is too late.

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