I wonder how many people know about Sarah Rector or the Treaty of 1866? I certainly don’t remember learning about it in school, but then again, history wasn’t my best subject. Sarah’s Oil tells the true story of how at the age of 11, Rector became “The Richest Black Girl in America.” Sonequa-Martin-Green, who play’s Sarah’s mother has said, “We like to call this a lost piece of black history” in a behind-the-scenes video about the movie.
Sarah’s grandparents had once been enslaved and under the Treaty of 1866, she received 159 acres of land in Glenpool, Oklahoma. In fact, the movie was practically shot in her own backyard. At first the land didn’t appear to be worth anything but most people didn’t know what was just under the surface. Sarah did. She was a young woman of faith.
From the trailer it would be easy to assume that Sarah’s Oil is an unbelievable saccharine-sweet tale that stars a cute little girl. The young actress who plays Sarah, Naya Desir-Johnson, is cute and definitely has personality, but this isn’t that type of movie. Sarah is tenacious and if the story is correct, wise beyond her years. She isn’t afraid to go toe to toe with adults even when it isn’t smart to do so. Perhaps that’s why she gets along so well with Bert Smith.
Set during a time in our history when black families were free but not equal to white folk, Sarah meets Bert (Zachary Levi) at an all-white diner. The girl asks to buy a glass of water. Initially she is refused by the waitress, but Bert offers to buy her a lemonade instead. When she leaves, he says to the waitress, “Why do you have to be so mean?”
Bert and his friend Mace (Mel Rodriguez) are opportunistic wildcatters (risky investors) who have seen their fair share of failures, but when no one else in town will take you seriously, you take what you can get.
Bert isn’t a “white savior” in this story. Just the opposite actually. He’s not exactly trustworthy. He’s a smooth talker with a bit of a past. His relationship with the girl is strictly business. At least at first. Mace on the other hand is a little more relational and smooths Bert’s rough sides. He’s got some of the best lines in the movie.
This is one of Levi’s better acting roles, though at times his expressions are exaggerated and seem out of place. He’s does a lot of eyebrow acting as if he is shocked frequently by what he’s hearing throughout the movie. But he and Desir-Johnson make good sparring partners.
When it appears that Sarah might be right about her land, greedy oil sharks move in. It’s sobering to see just what some of them do to get their way.
Sarah’s Oil is full of trailblazing women who aren’t afraid of stepping out of line. It’s clear that Sarah gets her tenacity from her mother Rose (Martin-Green) who gets in a few scene-chewing moments of great dialogue. Sarah’s father, Joe (Kenric Green) is a big man but, but he isn’t nearly as intimidating as Rose.
And then there’s Kate Barnard (Bridget Regan) a civil rights lawyer who not only wrote part of the Oklahoma State Constitution, she was also credited for seeing 30 laws into operation. As the story moves on, she steps in to help Sarah and her family as they face new and unexpected challenges.
Faith plays a role in this movie, but not as much as you would think. It’s actually pretty subtle for a faith-based film. Directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh, Sarah’s Oil has few intense scenes so it’s probably not suitable for younger audiences. But it can provide a lot of discussion starters regarding racism, faith, and sticking it through hard times. It’s not warm and fuzzy, but it has heart. And for a “history lesson”, it’s pretty entertaining.
Main Image: Mace (Mel Rodriguez), Sarah (Naya Desir-Johnson) and Bert (Zachary Levi) (Lionsgate/Amazon MGM Studios)
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