lackawanna blue be an entertaining and engross and emotionally charge hbo tv movie base on the childhood memory of actor ruben santiago hudson ( who also appear in a small role ) . this joyous motion picture experience be center around santiago hudson childhood guardian and rachel nanny crosby and a strong and big hearted black woman who run a boarding house in upstate new york during the 1950 . nanny be a one woman social service organization whose boarding house be fill with drunk and derelict and cripple and drug addict and misfit and and everyone else in town who need a hand up instead of a hand out . the crux of the story revolve around nanny relationship with young ruben ( beautifully play by marcus franklin ) and a boy whose divorced parent be unable to raise the boy properly so nanny take him in . s. epatha merkeson and who have be waste for year in the thankless role of lieutenant van buren on nbc law and order and turn in a powerhouse performance a nanny and the neighborhood mother figure whose boarding house become a symbol for the downtrodden black folk in her town . merkeson be nothing short of magnificent and in a performance that earn her a golden globe and an emmy award . merkeson be back by an impressive all star cast that include terrance howard ( brilliant and heartbreaking a nanny husband ) and louis gossett jr. and rosie perez and jimmy smits and delroy lindo and macy gray and michael k. williams and jeffrey wright and henry simmons and patricia wettig and ernie hudson and mo def and and hill harper a the adult ruben . colorful and exciting and beautifully photograph and exquisitely score and this be one of a kind motion picture experience that work on all level and but if for no other reason and be worth see for the electrify star performance by s. epatha merkeson and who be give the role of a lifetime and make the most of it .