Streaming: Prime Video (With Subscription)
Warnings:
Explicit Language
Nudity
Drugs
Rating: R
Morris From America is a dramatic comedy that follows a young teen named Morris and his father while they are living in Germany. The film was written and directed by Chad Hartigan and stars Craig Robinson, Markees Christmas, Carla Juri, and Lina Keller. Morris From America was nominated for numerous awards and won the Special Jury Price and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival. These accolades are understandable because the concept of Morris From America is a unique story looking at Americans from the outside in. Morris From America also shows the perspective of being American in a foreign country and the struggles people deal with while learning how to adapt to a new culture. The acting of Craig Robinson and Markees Christmas are genuine and heartfelt, showing a father and son relationship that is both relatable and authentic. The music in Morris From America is an interesting mix of American hip hop and German electronic music. This is an enjoyable family related film that sheds light on American and German culture while also highlighting stereotypes that can be detrimental to Black Americans when they are abroad.
Morris From America has a unique storyline that is unpredictable and also cringe-worthy at times. Morris who is played by Markees Christmas is struggling to make friends and fit in with the right crowd in Germany, having only his father to talk to, he begins to hang out with the rebellious kids. His experiences as a young teen in Germany are interesting because of the portrayal of how German teens view and misunderstand Black Americans; yet they still have similar qualities as teenagers growing up and trying to understand the world. Morris From America is a distinctive film in more ways than one because of the outside look at Americans and the viewpoint of being American living in an unfamiliar country.
The acting is something to note in Morris From America because of the mix of young actors as well as Craig Robinson’s role as the widowed father Curtis. Craig Robinson is not a father himself, but he used his own experiences from childhood to portray the struggles of being a father, he also had to learn conversational German for this role. The young actor Markees Christmas also stood out, especially because this was the first feature film, he has acted in. He was nominated for an Outstanding Breakthrough Performance Award by the Black Reel Awards. Lina Keller played Katrin who is Morris’ crush, she is a character who is rebelling through her teenage years. Her portrayal of a young teen who hates the world is relatable and frustrating to watch as an adult. Overall, the acting in Morris From America brought the story to a new level of interesting and created convincing characters that the audience can relate to.
The music is a big part of the film because Morris and his father Curtis relate to each other through hip hop music. Both Morris and Curtis can rap, Morris hopes to be a professional rapper someday and Curtis is supportive of his son’s dreams. Keegan DeWitt edited the music for this film and incorporated some of his own music as well. Morris From America also incorporates German music into the film, Morris is introduced to German electronic dance music when he is with his rebellious friends, and he even learns how to dance to it. This clash of cultures is interesting and hints at the dynamic world education Morris is going to continue to experience living as a young American abroad.
Morris From America is enjoyable, witty, and heartfelt. This film shows the audience a different portrayal of Americans from a German perspective while highlighting the struggles that Americans may face while abroad. Even though this film isn’t the most shocking or eye-opening film, for what it is, it certainly has charm. From the talented acting, interesting storyline and wonderful music, this film takes the audience on an adventure through Germany and teenage rebellion. I highly recommend this heartwarming film when you are looking for an escape.