Miss Juneteenth

Serendipitously timed with its titular holiday, which is receiving perhaps its greatest global visibility thus far thanks to clueless event planning from the White House, Miss Juneteenth offers an appealing glimpse at a rarely-seen corner of the U.S. and should only increase awareness of an under-publicized moment in history.

Writer/director Channing Godfrey Peoples’ relatively accomplished feature debut centers on the celebration of June 19, 1865, the day that slaves in Texas learned they had been freed by President Abraham Lincoln — nearly two years prior.

In the film’s modern-day Ft. Worth, the commemoration includes a pageant for teen women, the winner of which receives a full scholarship to the historically black college or university of her choice. Turquoise Jones (Nicole Beharie, 42) won the award in her youth, but as revealed via natural conversations with her townfolk, became pregnant, couldn’t see her duties through, and had to forfeit the prize.

Turquoise’s dream deferred provides the emotional heft throughout Miss Juneteenth as the fallen queen — who’s merely qualified to bartend and work odd jobs, with occasional financial help from her baby daddy Ronnie (Kendrick Sampson, Insecure) — pushes aside constant community judgment and mounts a campaign for redemption via her daughter Kai (newcomer Alexis Chikaeze).

That Kai would rather chill with her boyfriend Quintavious (Jaime Matthis) and practice for next year’s dance team tryouts than live out her mother’s contest aspirations is tragically lost on Turquoise, whose mental complexities are handled to perfection by the multifaceted Beharie. Unable to commit to a partner despite romancing Ronnie on the sly and not exactly impeding the advances of honorable mortician Bacon (Akron Watson, Empire), Turquoise’s commitment to an ambiguous righteousness is fascinating to behold, even as it seemingly digs her household into deeper troubles.

In line with recent great indie films about last-ditch efforts to rise above borderline poverty (e.g. Wendy and Lucy), the mix of pride, pragmatism, and Hail Mary dreams keeps Miss Juneteenth simmering with interest all the way to a climactic moment that ranks up with Love, Actually and Napoleon Dynamite in the annals of glorious school stage performances.

Its potential to unite communities on opening weekend and beyond, however, could prove to be far more valuable.

Grade: B. Not rated, but with adult themes and language. Available to rent starting June 19 via Grail Moviehouse

(Photo: Vertical Entertainment)