Sins of the Mother

Graduate student Shay Hunter (Nicole Beharie) reaches a crossroads in her life when she finds herself broke, burned out and unable to cope with the stress of school. With nowhere else to go, she embarks on a journey home to Tacoma, Washington, to face her abusive, alcoholic, estranged mother, Nona (Jill Scott). When she returns home, Shay finds Nona living life as a recovered alcoholic, with a new daughter and completely transformed. Thrown by her mother’s new path, Shay must now accept Nona’s changes and influences, including her sponsor, Lois (Rogers) -- all forcing Shay to move past her pent-up anger and awaken her own relationships. *ABOUT JILL SCOTT* Philadelphia native Jill Scott grew up under the watchful guidance of her mother and grandmother. Surrounded by powerful influences, she blossomed while attending Temple University with plans to become an English teacher. But Scott next made her foray into acting, earning a spot in the Canadian cast of “Rent,” performing poetry readings and befriending such popular artists such as Ahmir “QuestLove” Thompson of the Philadelphia Grammy Award–winning hip-hop band The Roots. With Thompson’s encouragement, Scott began to write songs, and in July 2002 she released “Who Is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds, Vol. I” to critical acclaim and subsequent Platinum status. Since then, she has gone on to become one of the most-well known R&B singers of her time and a Grammy Award winner. Scott made her on-screen debut in 2004, playing opposite Kyra Sedgwick in Showtime’s “Cavedweller.” Soon afterward, she earned roles in “Hounddog” and Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married,” catching the eye of the late producer and director Anthony Minghella, who cast her as the lead character in the HBO original film “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.” After receiving a considerable amount of attention, the film was adapted as a series, in which Scott earned additional widespread press accolades. She also had a recurring role on UPN’s “Girlfriends” and can next be seen in Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married Too?” reprising the role of Sheila.