CHICAGO, IL — A Chicago mother-and-son reunion that touched readers across the city is now headed to Netflix. The true story of South Shore bakery owner Lenore Lindsey and her son, Vamarr Hunter, will become a feature film titled Give Me Some Sugah, set to premiere Dec. 16.

Taraji P. Henson stars as Lindsey in the movie, which follows how a customer who spent years visiting her bakery turned out to be the son she had placed for adoption as a teenager. The relationship grew over time, first through routine visits and later through a genetic test that confirmed what neither of them had known for years.

The film turns a deeply personal family discovery into a larger story about resilience, faith and the unexpected ways lives can reconnect.

How a South Shore bakery became the center of a family reunion

Lindsey owns Give Me Some Sugah at 2234 E. 71st St., a bakery that became known to many Chicago customers for its potato chip cookie. For years, Hunter stopped by the shop without knowing that the woman serving him was his birth mother.

At first, Lindsey only knew that the young man who liked her baked goods had a sweet tooth. Their connection was real, but the full truth stayed hidden until winter 2022, when genetic testing revealed the relationship. Hunter later described the moment as “disbelief,” while Lindsey said their “spirits just kind of connected.”

The story resonated because it was both ordinary and extraordinary: a neighborhood bakery, a familiar customer, and then a life-changing discovery that rewrote family history.

The bakery kept going through cancer treatment and a changing family role

The family’s bond did not stop with the reunion. Over time, the bakery became a shared enterprise, with Hunter helping keep the business open while Lindsey, now 69, underwent breast cancer treatment.

That support eventually became a bigger role. In 2024, Hunter took over the bakery full time, continuing work that had already become tied to both family and survival. The business was no longer just a place to buy sweets; it had become part of the family’s day-to-day life and livelihood.

The film’s title nods to that same shop, but the real-life meaning runs deeper than branding. It reflects a family that kept building something together after years apart, even while facing serious health challenges.

Taraji P. Henson says Lindsey’s resilience is what moved her

Henson told People that what stood out most to her was Lindsey’s strength. She said Lindsey kept choosing faith even when she did not know where it would lead, and she praised the courage it took to pursue a dream that had been set aside for decades.

Henson also said Lindsey faced a professional setback but did not let it end her story. Instead, she kept moving forward, which is part of what made the role appealing for the actor.

Lindsey, in turn, said she felt “humbled and amazed” that a small life from Chicago’s South Side would draw this level of interest. The reaction from both women points to the same idea: the movie is not only about one reunion, but about persistence, dignity and the value of personal history.

Chicago locations helped anchor the film in the city where it began

Producers wanted the movie to feel like Chicago, not just look like Chicago. DeVon Franklin said the team filmed several scenes in the city during winter, including one of the story’s most important moments, and shot in both Millennium Park and South Shore.

He said the majority of the production still took place in Atlanta because of costs, but the Chicago scenes mattered for authenticity. Franklin stressed that this was a Chicago story and a true story, rooted in South Shore, and that the film needed to reflect that.

A Tribune reporter saw the crew filming outside Mosque Maryam in South Shore, where Lindsey and Hunter also appeared in a cameo. The production later moved to another South Shore location and filmed Henson in the role of Lindsey.

DeVon Franklin and Tyler Perry drew support to the project

Franklin said he was moved to tears when he first heard the details of the reunion story. As a producer alongside Tyler Perry, he said the goal was to handle the family’s life with care and respect, not just turn it into another dramatic premise.

He told the Tribune that the difference between a movie and the real event is simple: for the audience, it is entertainment, but for Lindsey and Hunter, it is their life. That perspective, he said, shaped how he approached the project.

Hunter said earlier that several people had reached out about making a film, but Perry’s involvement made the decision easy. He called Perry a major figure in Black film and said the pairing with Franklin felt like a strong fit. For him, the best outcome is simple: if the story brightens even one person’s day, it has done something worthwhile.

A cast built around a true story meant to leave people feeling good

Give Me Some Sugah is directed by Tasha Smith and also stars Joey Bada$$, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Russell Hornsby, among others. The film builds around a real-life story that already inspired a strong emotional response when it unfolded publicly in Chicago.

Hunter said the attention still feels hard to fully process, but he likes that the story makes people feel good. He said others can take happiness from their good fortune and blessings, and that being part of that feeling means a lot to him.

That sentiment appears to be at the center of the movie’s appeal. It is about a bakery, a family and a surprise that changed everything, but it is also about the kind of joy that grows when a private life becomes a shared reminder that love can arrive late and still matter deeply.

Real, uplifting stories from across America – GCHS Eagle's Eye.