Salim Akil's film is a loose remake of the long-forgotten ’76 film of the same name, a semi-fictional biopic of The Supremes.
This version tells the same well-worn story: aspiring singer/songwriter Sparkle (American Idol alum Jordin Sparks) forms a girl group with her sisters during the Motown era and faces various hardships while her church-y mom (Whitney Houston) frets away about her babies’ future.
Much crying ensues.
Houston, in her final role, shows a surprising amount of emotional depth.
Still, Sparkle isn’t Dreamgirls – but fans of schmaltzy showbiz fairytales should enjoy it.
