Sparkle

You can watch Sparkle (2012) online on iFILM — Salim Akil's musical melodrama set in mid-1960s Detroit at the height of the Motown sound. Three sisters form a singing group, chasing one song that might lift them out of the projects.

Sparkle, played by singer Jordin Sparks in her first big screen role, writes the soul numbers, but it's her glamorous older sister — Carmen Ejogo as Sister — who fronts the act. A sharp young manager named Stix, played by Derek Luke, drives the trio toward a record deal and the spotlight. The bigger they get, the wider the cracks at home: their mother, a former singer herself, knows exactly what the business costs and dreads it for her girls. Jealousy, drugs, a powerful boyfriend with a heavy hand — the shine has a bill attached.

This was Whitney Houston's last film. She plays the strict, churchgoing mother and sings on camera, and the movie reached theaters six months after her death. It's a remake of the 1976 original, with a soundtrack produced by R. Kelly. Built for anyone drawn to stories about the stage, family, and the toll of fame. Stream Sparkle (2012) online on iFILM.