Sparkle

Three sisters (Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter) sneak out of the house at night to appear in clubs as a rising hot (in more ways than one) girl group, behind the back of their hyper-religious mother (Whitney Houston in her last screen role). The script by Mara Brock Akil and Howard Rosenman transfers the 1976 cult hit from 1950s Harlem to ’60s Detroit with faults and virtues intact. The story runs to cliché, and not every plot point rings true. But redeeming pleasures include excellent acting (especially American Idol champ Sparks in the title role), first-rate musical performances, and a glossy, high-class look courtesy of director Salim Akil and cinematographer Anastas Mikos. Akil also gets credit for (at long last) drawing a good performance from Mike Epps as Ejogo’s sleazeball boyfriend.