This in itself isn't a bad thing, but the familiar plotting fails to ever carve an identity of its own. Though a remake of the 1976 film of the same name (which I haven't seen), the script also bears pretty heavy similarities to just about every other story that deals with aspiring musicians dreaming of success. With her dream on the brink of disaster, Sparkle will have to find a way to overcome the obstacles in her path in order to reach stardom. Just as things are looking great for the trio, drugs and domestic abuse take their toll on Sister, placing the family's future in jeopardy. Through the advice and guidance of Sparkle's boyfriend/manager Stix (Derek Luke), the three sisters form a musical group and soon rise toward the cusp of fame. She lives with her strict mother (Whitney Houston) and two siblings, Dolores (Tika Sumpter) and the appropriately named Sister (Carmen Ejogo), who all happen to be first class singers in their own right. Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) is an aspiring songwriter and performer who dreams of making it big in Detroit during the late sixties. The potential for a decent flick is here, but the execution just leaves too much to be desired. A clichéd, melodramatic, and formulaic musical drama, the film lacks consistent direction and scripting, resulting in forced histrionics, affected performances, and an uneven tone. With that in mind, I wanted nothing more than to be able to start this review by simply stating: 'Sparkle' sparkles! Unfortunately, I can't. Like any self-respecting (or perhaps self-loathing) movie critic, I can never resist an easy opportunity to "cleverly" work a film's title into my own critique.
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