Cora Unashamed

Adapted from a short story by Langston Hughes, this episode from the Masterpiece Theater “American Collection” stars Regina Taylor as Cora Jenkins, a dedicated black housekeeper working for the middle-class Studevant family in a small, '30s-era Iowa town. After she loses her daughter to a deadly illness, Cora establishes a close bond with young Jessie Studevant, who eventually becomes a surrogate child to her. When Jessie grows up and accidentally gets pregnant, she turns to Cora instead of her straight-laced mother, a discontented woman whose pride brings about disastrous consequences. In the vein of similar public television fare, this tasteful, dignified production is well acted and handsomely shot. Recommended. (T. Rich)