I'LL FLY AWAY ✦ Lilly's interview ✦ 1991

[@deenasteinberg9192]

I remembered this was an incredible show. But it only took a 3 minute clip to see and remember why. And Regina Taylor earned her Oscar in those 3 minutes. Such a shame it didn't get the audience it deserved and it's not streaming today.

[@vaporosoez]

Someone put the episodes on youtube. The recordings are obviously from VHS recordings of when it was on PBS

[@magicpony9]

This was suuuuuch a good show. "My name is Lilly."

[@glamfourya]

Powerful writing, Regina saying “My name is Lilly” put the human to human reality to this scene.

[@thesicklecellassociationof2625]

This is a show that I remember many a day, standing up and applauding the television. Superb theatre!

[@Aleakwe]

loved this show/reality so much

[@bobbyb7979]

This show was great

[@TheAureliac]

This clip artfully captured the understated brilliance of this series. A relatively progressive white man had no problem asking a black woman to keep his house and children for a twelve to thirteen hour day, knowing she must add at least another hour for her commute. The penalties she would incur if she failed to do well could be so severe that her safety and freedom would be at risk, but he and his children would of course be safe. And even as a decent man of his day, he viewed her as a piece of machinery to make his home function, incurious even as to her name. Worse yet, Lilly seemed to view this arrangement as acceptable. Not because she was unaware of what she was getting into. Her first view of the younger children she would deal with involved the negotiation for a dead man's shoe. Except that the children arguing seemed unaware that this was a dead man: he was "only" a dead n*****. The children didn't see any reason to adjust their attitudes because a black woman (again, probably not a real person to them) overheard them. And Lilly, in turn, couldn't freely comment on their attitudes; merely on the fact that well-bred white folk weren't supposed to use the n-word. Lilly obviously knew what she was letting herself in for, so we know that this dehumanizing job was still preferable to most that were available to her. In addition to beautiful production values, subtle writing and the slower directorial pace of a slower time, the casting was key. Taylor's dignity and intelligence shone through everything she said and did. Waterston's essential decency was necessary to make us believe he would grow. Bill Cobbs was excellent, as always, as Lilly's father, a man of great talent but limited opportunity. The cast in general were outstanding, not pulling their punches even when their characters made us cringe.

[@PerthTowne]

What a wonderful comment. Yes, I remember this show fondly, and I still can't figure out why there isn't even a DVD release of it, when so many shows of much inferior quality are readily available.

[@vaporosoez]

@@PerthTowne someone shared the series on youtube. Vhs recordings from when it aired on pbs

[@allenwood3805]

This show stepped on alot of toes and remind people of reality back then