Movies about groups of friends can be a hit-and-miss proposition, often because it can be difficult to showcase each of the friends equally. The new Hulu film The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, based on the 2013 book by Edward Kelsey Moore, attempts to tell the story of three friends – Clarice (Uzo Aduba), Barbara Jean (Sanaa Lathan), and Odette (Aunjunae Ellis-Taylor) – over the course of their lifelong friendship, adding an extra layer of difficulty to the storytelling.

The story drops in on the friends at multiple different points in their lives, starting literally at birth. The bulk of the film visits them either when they’re in their late-teens in 1967 or on the verge of turning 50 in 1999. Their bond is strengthened early on when Odette (Kyanna Simone) and Clarice (Abigail Achiri) help Barbara Jean (Tati Gabrielle) escape her abusive stepfather. Earl (Tony Winters), the owner of their regular hangout, dubs them The Supremes, a nickname that sticks with them.

The film tracks them as each of them experiences new love and heartbreak, the ups and downs of finding their purpose in life, and health challenges. Barbara Jean seems to be the cursed one, as everything that can go wrong in her life does. Clarice has a musical talent, but never seems to be able to showcase it properly. Odette has dreams of becoming a nurse that also never come to fruition. Through it all the trio does their best to support each other, even when times get tough.

Directed and co-written by Tina Mabry (Gina Prince-Bythewood is given a co-writing credit under the name of Cee Marcellus), the film has no issue giving each of the women enough screentime to get to know each of them well. If anything, the 124-minute film doesn’t have enough restraint, including a lot of information without connecting the dots between all of it. Each of the friends has their own trials and tribulations, and the jumping back-and-forth in time can sometimes make it difficult to track all of the events and who’s connected to whom.

Still, the sheer amount of time spent with each character makes them interesting, and the emotional upheavals they experience elicit the reactions that the filmmakers are trying to achieve. In fact, it’s curious that they don’t push harder on one aspect, the titular Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat restaurant. Although there are multiple scenes located there, the film only pays lip service to the deep meaning of the location for each of the women.

Mabry seems content to let the story play out like a slightly elevated Lifetime movie, one that will give you the feels but little more. Any commentary about domestic abuse, the charged times through which the characters lived, or prejudice that might affect their lives is missing. Either the filmmakers didn’t want to add any more drama onto the lives of characters who already go through a lot, or they couldn’t figure out a way to make those things make sense.

Each of the three main adult actors has had moments in the sun – Ellis-Taylor as an Oscar nominee for King Richard, multiple Emmys for Aduba on Orange is the New Black, Lathan as the star of Love & Basketball. Although it takes a while for them to mesh as a group, they eventually prove to be a solid trio. Mekhi Phifer and Russell Hornsby don’t get much to do in supporting roles, but they don’t detract from the film. Brief scenes with Julian McMahon add even less.

Fans of the book will likely get a lot more out of the film adaptation of The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, as it mostly seems to hit the high points of the story while neglecting much of what comes in between. It’s a good story of friendship between three women with distinct personalities, but not one that will provide lasting memories for viewers.

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The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat is now streaming on Hulu.