Watch Miss Juneteenth

Miss Juneteenth is a 2020 drama film directed and written by Channing Godfrey Peoples. The film stars Nicole Beharie, Liz Mikel, and Marcus M. Mauldin in the leading roles. The movie tells the story of Turquoise, a single mother and former beauty queen living in Fort Worth, Texas, who wants to prepare her daughter for the Miss Juneteenth pageant, an annual local beauty contest that celebrates the day when slavery was abolished in Texas.

Turquoise Jones (Nicole Beharie) was a beauty queen in her youth, but now she works long hours as a waitress and struggles to make ends meet. She is raising her teenage daughter, Kai (Alexis Chikaeze), on her own, and she wants to give Kai the opportunities she never had. Turquoise becomes determined to see Kai win the Miss Juneteenth pageant, an annual competition that celebrates June 19th, also known as Juneteenth. Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in Texas, and is widely celebrated in the state as a holiday.

The Miss Juneteenth pageant is the prize jewel of Fort Worth's black community, and Turquoise is determined to see her daughter win the crown. She tries to train, educate and prepare Kai every day, hoping to keep her daughter safe from the harsh realities of the outside world. But as Kai starts to express doubts about the pageant, Turquoise is forced to confront the past she has been trying to leave behind. She must also confront her own struggles with the missed opportunities of her youth and her inability to rise above her current circumstances.

Turquoise enlists the help of her former Miss Juneteenth mentor, the sharp-tongued but supportive former winner, Brenda (Liz Mikel), to help her daughter prepare for the pageant. Turquoise and Brenda used to be close friends, but years of separate lives have put distance between them. As Turquoise and Brenda reconnect, they both come to terms with the dreams they once had and how they have changed over the years.

The film brilliantly explores the themes of motherhood, sacrifice, ambition, and the American Dream in the African American community. It shows how the past can shape the future, and how the perception of beauty and success is often shaped by societal norms. The film also excellently captures the spirit of Juneteenth, the significance of the annual celebration, and how it means different things to different people.

Nicole Beharie delivers an excellent performance as Turquoise, portraying the character with both strength and vulnerability. She powerfully conveys Turquoise's internal struggle to provide for her daughter and to give her the opportunities she never had. The supporting cast of Miss Juneteenth also shines, with Liz Mikel providing excellent comic relief and Marcus M. Mauldin giving a heartfelt performance as Ronnie, Turquoise's ex-husband.

The movie Miss Juneteenth is not only a tale of a mother's love for her daughter, but also a celebration of the strength and resilience of the African American community. It is both poignant and entertaining, and definitely a must-watch for anyone looking for a deeply moving drama that tackles important social issues with grace and finesse.

Miss Juneteenth is a 2020 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.6 and a MetaScore of 73.