Michael Jai White anchors family drama ‘The Secret Between Us’ in AMC theaters
Michael Jai White has more than 130 acting credits across his 30 years in the business, with many of his best-known roles in action films like “Spawn,” “Black Dynamite” and “Blood and Bone.”
But the actor decided to flex in more dramatic territory with the faith-based film “The Secret Between Us” that comes out Easter weekend in 200 AMC theaters nationwide, including several in metro Atlanta.
In the film, White plays Jack Frazier, an Atlanta pilot in a stable marriage with loving wife Wanda (Lisa Arrindell). But that dynamic is upended when Torrance (Tre Ryan) shows up at their home to reveal he is Jack’s long-lost son, a product of an affair Frazier had nearly three decades earlier.
Frazier knew he had a son but chose not to tell anyone. Torranceis understandably angry and Jack’s defensive reaction doesn’t help matters. Once the news is out, Wanda pulls away from her husband and other secrets are revealed.
Then, a new plot twist: Torrance finds out he has brain cancer that will kill him in a year. Victoria Rowell (“The Young and the Restless,” “Dumb and Dumber,” “Diagnosis: Murder”) shows up partway through the film as Maxine, the sage home nurse who takes care of Torrance with a lightly tart tongue.
“I had a lot of fun playing Maxine,” said Rowell. “She walked into this disrupted family dynamic and has to find her footing. She’s both quirky and funny. I like how malleable she can be. She inspires everyone to live one day at a time. It was her job to make every day Torrance had left the best day possible. For her, at the end of the day, love is the equalizer.”
Arrindell enjoyed Wanda’s transformation as she gradually lets go of her resentment toward Torrance and embraceshis humanity.
“Wanda sees Maxine’s compassion toward Torrance,” Arrindel said. “She has legitimate pain and could have just focused on herself. But having this beautiful human being enter her life, this caregiver, gives her the opportunity to consider empathy and compassion toward Torrance instead of anger.”
Tamera Hill, the film’s director and writer. said while she wrote Jack’s character, she kept seeing White’s face: “I needed a manly man to play that role and he encompassed that for me. I always admired him for what he does for the community as someone who uplifts and encourages men.”
White loved the script so much, he jumped aboard not only as the lead but as an executive producer. He also convinced Arrindell (“Madea’s Family Reunion,” “P-Valley”) to play his wife.
“Jack is close to who I am as a husband and father,” White said. “This is some of the more rewarding acting I can do because of the nuances. I started as a dramatic actor before all the action stuff.”
Also on board but not in front of the camera is Atlanta R&B legend Keith Sweat, who has been producing movies for more than 15 years.
“He’s like my cousin,” White said. “He produced another movie I directed called ‘Trouble Man’ here. He’s multitalented business-wise, real estate-wise. He does it all.”
Hill said the script was based in part on her own life.
“I got a Facebook message from someone who thought we had the same father,” she said. “I talked to my dad and he admitted he might have another daughter. I did some digging and showed him a picture of the mother. It all came out. My mother wasn’t ready to accept it.”
White said the modestly budgeted movie was shot in a spiffy 10 days primarily at a spacioushouse in Ellenwood that was used as Frazier’s home.
“It used to be you were paid to wait around,” White said. “Now you’re paid for being prepared. You have a shorter time to shoot movies nowadays.”
Film producer Hidden Gem Entertainment then signed an exclusive distribution deal with AMC Theatres and Hill convinced the chain to debut the film on Easter weekend.
“With its theme of love and forgiveness, what better weekend could we have to release this?” Hill said.
White believes this movie will tug the communal heartstrings in a theater setting and said AMC committed to at least four weekends in theaters.
Once the theater run is over, “The Secret Between Us” will go to Angel, a family friendly, faith-based streaming service.
“People keep calling it a Black film,” Hill said. “I don’t like calling it that. It’s a film for everybody. It’s for families and couples to get something from the film. It’s that powerful.”
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
