Step Sisters is a comedic tale of an over-achieving senior named Jamilah (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and her attempts at gaining a coveted recommendation letter to fast-track her admission to Harvard Law School. After her Harvard-grad parents refuse to recommend her, she must turn to her boss, the University’s Dean of Students, who will give her the letter under one condition, she must teach members of a predominately white sorority how to step for an upcoming charity event after a party at their greek house has an unfortunate event that reflects negatively on the University as a whole.
While the plot is ridiculous and may be offensive to black sororities and fraternities that hold the tradition of stepping as a sacred, there are some valuable lessons of sisterhood and acceptance woven throughout the story. Not to mention the growing wave of traditionally non-black sororities and fraternities that have begun entering step competitions across the U.S.
The highlights: The stepping is authentic and well done while the comedic sound bytes are funny enough without being too corny.
The lowlights: Improbable storyline of a college dean giving an acceptance letter just because the black girl taught the white girls how to step?
Overall, it’s a cute movie that isn’t intended to save the world. It just wants to make you laugh and it does that.
BSO Grade: C+
BSO had the chance to sit down with stars Megalyn Echikunwoke, Marque Richardson, and Nia Jerver plus writer Chuck Hayward and producer Ben Cory Jones. To see out interviews, flip the pages.