I thought, from the date, and the black cast, that this would be one of the "blaxploitation" films. Maybe some still consider it so, but to me those were horror and/or action flicks. This was a serious film, with themes, character development, drama, etc. Loved the music, by Curtis Mayfield and Gladys Knight and the Pips. I suspect that the filmmakers never really thought this would be seen by many white people, as many of its characters were very similar to the (seen today as racist) stereotypes that were widely held in those days. Even the characters themselves remarked upon this. And there was a lot of surprising candor in the portrayal of the destruction wreaked on the black family structure by the (fairly new, at that time) welfare system. Not bad at all.

Although I am a big fan of the action and horror movies coming from the blaxploitation film movement of the 1970s, I also have enjoyed the dramas as well, such as "Five On The Black Hand Side", "Sounder", and this movie. The biggest reason why I liked "Claudine" were the performances by the cast, especially James Earl Jones who gives his character a warm and appealing attribute for the most part (but also makes his character sympathetic to a degree when things turn darker in the last third.) The movie also well illustrates how many black people felt trapped in lower class lives during this period. Perhaps the ending, as some people have pointed out, is kind of wishful thinking, but I liked these characters and wanted the best for them.One word of warning: While the description and the "PG" rating may make this movie sound family-friendly, the movie has enough nudity, adult situations, and harsh language that would get this movie at least a "PG- 13" rating today (maybe even an "R" rating.)

Caught this recently after noticing James Earl Jones name on the title. It was better than I expected. Of course it's pretty old - made during the early/mid 70's but it actually is a decent drama. It runs a quick 90min or so and showcases good performances from James Earl Jones and Diahann Caroll. The plot is conventional in general but told through the perspective of a single black woman on welfare who has 6 children and trying to deal with all the problems that persist. This makes for an interesting view.....also in the fact that the script wasn't too sentimental or overdramatized - it's almost like looking at a slice of the past. All the 70's styles are out in abundance. The ending is kind of kooky though....probably would've done better without the theatrics.

This movie was released right smack in the middle of the classic Blaxploitation era but is a definite departure from that genre.It is a warm movie about a family sticking together through everything.I saw this movie when it was first released and enjoyed it then, it was very nice to find it on TV so I could tape it and enjoy it over and over again.The movie reminds me of the TV sitcom "Good Times", and fans of that TV show should enjoy this movie, it's just not as silly as the TV show could often be.Recommended, and I would not steer you wong!