André 3000 of Outkast was also offered the role, but declined. Disappointed in their failure to win the contest, they attract the attention of a sly tongued talent agent named Curtis Taylor, Jr. Curtis' connections get the gir… 5, 537–553. Knowles, Hudson, Rose, and Robinson performed a medley of the three Dreamgirls songs nominated for Best Original Song, although all three songs lost the award to "I Need to Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth.[77]. As the concert ends, Curtis notices Magic in the front row and realizes she is his daughter. Dreamgirls was the first DreamWorks film to be issued in a high definition home entertainment format. [76], At the Academy Awards ceremony on February 25, 2007, Dreamgirls won Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Sound Mixing. [74] On the other hand, director Bill Condon stated that "I think academy members just liked the other movies better"[75] and that he believed that "we were never going to win even if we were nominated. [21] Murphy, on the other hand, accepted the role of Jimmy Early after being convinced to do so by DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg. When their first single fails after a white pop group releases a cover version, Curtis, C.C., and their producer Wayne turn to payola to make "Jimmy Early & The Dreamettes" mainstream pop stars. [6] Willie Reale wrote the lyrics for "Patience," a song performed in the film by Jimmy, Lorrell, C.C., and a gospel choir, as the characters attempt to record a message song for Jimmy. Announcer: And now the mellow sounds of jimmy early Jimmy Early: I meant you no harm I never meant to make you cry You were the only one Ive ever loved in my life And though its hard for me to show it Dreamgirls isn't about any one group. Later that night, Hudson won the BET Award for Best Actress. From smooth sung-through dialogue, devastating ballads, and rocking, funky melodies, the magic of Dreamgirls is in both the music and the voices. [59] Ed Gonzales of Slant magazine found the entire picture too glossy, and declared that "the film doesn't care to articulate the emotions that haunt its characters". White,[24] but contract negotiations failed; Usher was unable to dedicate half a year to the project. [13], While much of the stage musical's story remains intact, a number of significant changes were made. [7] This release made Dreamgirls the first American feature film to have a roadshow release since Man of La Mancha in 1972. They enter a talent show held in New York's Apollo Theatre. Info. Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture is a soundtrack album for the 2006 film Dreamgirls.The album was released by Music World Entertainment and Columbia Records on December 5, 2006 in two versions: a single-disc standard release, and a two-disc deluxe edition. After Warner's Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love failed at the box office, the studio shut down development on Dreamgirls. [50] As of 2017[update], total domestic video sales to date are at $95.1 million. In February 2006, the press was invited on set to a special live event showcasing the making of the film, including a live performance of "Steppin' to the Bad Side" by the cast. Dreamgirls eventually grossed $103 million in North America, and almost $155 million worldwide. I know it is horrible. As such, Hudson became one of the few actresses ever to win an Oscar for a film debut performance. [36] The film was primarily shot on soundstages at the Los Angeles Center Studios and on location in the Los Angeles area, with some second unit footage shot in Detroit, Miami, and New York City. Dreamgirls Bows – Orchestra31. [78] It was also named as one of the American Film Institute's top ten films of 2006. [16] The roles of many of the characters were related more closely to their real-life inspirations, following a suggestion by Geffen. Lyrics to 'I Meant You No Harm/jimmy's Rap' by Dreamgirls. [25] After briefly considering R&B singer Omarion,[26] singer/actor Keith Robinson was eventually cast in the role. Jimmy Spicer, Influential Early Rapper, Is Dead at 61. ", Edwards, David and Callahan, Mike (1999). Outside of the U.S., Dreamgirls opened in Australia on January 18, and in the United Kingdom on February 2. How did Jimmy Early die in Dreamgirls? Offstage, Effie becomes infatuated with Curtis while the married Jimmy begins an affair with Lorrell. White (Robinson), and recorded by Jimmy Early (Murphy), Lorrell Robinson (Rose), and a gospel choir in a scene set in 1973. For the film adaptation, see Dreamgirls (2006 film). [40] Several musical numbers from the Broadway score were not included in the film version, in particular Lorrell's solo "Ain't No Party". One may also ask, who is Effie White based on? [5] The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit, Michigan girl group known as the Dreams and their manipulative record executive. Although rehearsals ended just before Christmas 2005, Condon called Hudson back for a week of one-on-one rehearsals, to help her more fully become the "diva" character of Effie. [69], Following the success of the Cannes screening, DreamWorks and Paramount began a widespread "For Your Consideration" advertisement campaign, raising several eyebrows by demoting Jennifer Hudson to consideration for Best Supporting Actress and presenting Beyoncé Knowles as the sole Best Actress candidate, as opposed to having both compete for Best Actress awards. This is about the musical. In the 1980s and 1990s, several attempts were made to produce a film adaptation of Dreamgirls, a Broadway musical loosely based upon the story of The Supremes and Motown Records, which won six Tony Awards in 1982. This LP is an authentic Motown release, issued as Gordy 906 in June 1963. "Creative License or 'Sour Grapes'? Jennifer Holliday - Effie Melody White Sheryl Lee Ralph - Deena Jones Loretta Devine - Lorrell Robinson Ben Harney - Curtis Taylor Jr. Cleavant Derricks - Jimmy "Thunder" Early Obba Babatundé - C.C. Script error: No such module "Distinguish". Effie qui s’est amourachée de Curtis, soupçonne que quelque chose est en train de se préparer. LORRELL ROBINSON: Ooooh, Jimmy Early! [27], Anika Noni Rose, a Broadway veteran and a Tony Award winner, won the part of Lorrell Robinson after an extensive auditioning process. I know it is unbelievable. Jimmy Early's rap "No copyright infringement intended.All materials used property of their respective owners." [93], However, Smokey Robinson was less than pleased about the film's allusions to Motown history. No, we dont do backup. Hudson was required to be rude and come in late both on set and off, and she and Condon went over Effie's lines and scenes throughout the week. Curtis soon starts his own record label, Rainbow Records, out of his Detroit car dealership, and appoints Effie's brother, C.C., as his head songwriter. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts gave the film awards for Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) and Music (Henry Krieger). [22] The filmmakers insisted on casting a relative unknown in the role, paralleling the casting of then-21-year-old Jennifer Holliday in that role for the original Broadway production. transform The Dreams into a top-selling mainstream pop group. They start as three talented, close friends and gradually sharpen their act and rename themselves "The Dreams". Share. Three young women - Deena Jones, Effie White, and Lorrell Robinson - desire to become pop stars and get their wish when they're picked to be backup singers for the legendary James "Thunder" Early. 18 no. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 78% rating based on 208 reviews, with an average rating of 7.24/10. Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification. In what was considered an upset, Murphy lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine. Copy link. Among the more direct references are the uses of adapted Supremes album cover designs for albums recorded in the film by the Dreams. Jimmy (James Thunder) Early — principal soul singer C.C. "[22] Another Dreamgirls veteran present in the film is Hinton Battle, who was a summer replacement for James "Thunder" Early onstage and here portrays Curtis' aide-de-camp Wayne. [31], Dreamgirls received eight 2007 Academy Award nominations covering six categories, the most of any film for the year, although it was not nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, or either of the lead acting categories. Jimmy Early: Me and my two-toned caddy are gonna blow this town Dreamettes: Yeah Jimmy Early: I?m moving out Dreamettes: Out Jimmy Early: Moving Up Dreamettes: Up Jimmy Early: Moving on Dreamettes: Move me, move me, move me right to the top Jimmy Early: Hey, moving out Dreamettes: Out Jimmy Early: Moving up Dreamettes: Up Jimmy Early: Moving on Dreamettes: Move me, move me, … [79] The film was also nominated by the Producers Guild of America for Best Picture and the Directors Guild of America for Bill Condon's directing. March 6, 1944 Greenville, Mississippi, U.S. The movie is an adaption of the musical of the same name, which made its debut on Broadway in December 1981. High-octane numbers such as ‘Steppin’ To The Bad Side’ and ‘Fake Your Way To The Top’ are electric and propelled by brilliant orchestration. Is oil based polyurethane better than water based? Dreamgirls is the first live-action film to receive three nominations for Best Song; previously the Disney animated features Beauty and the Beast (1991) and The Lion King (1994) had each received three Academy Award nominations for Best Song; Enchanted (2007) has since repeated the feat. [80] Dreamgirls also received a record eleven Black Reel Award nominations, and won six of the awards, among them Best Film. Based on the 1981 Broadway musical comes Dreamgirls, a story of greed, tough hate, and romance. [66] Three months later, twenty minutes of the film — specifically, the musical sequences "Fake Your Way to the Top", "Family", "When I First Saw You", and "Dreamgirls" – were screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, with most of the cast and crew in attendance. Early. "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was the Dreamgirls soundtrack's second single. [23], The most crucial casting decision involved the role of Effie White, the emotional center of the story. Ballard, who battled alcohol and depression, Kelley was fired in 1967 and was replaced by, Following a fabulous run wowing audiences in the heart of. Will water based paint stick to oil based primer? [62] A review for The Celebrity Cafe echoes that Hudson's voice "is like nothing we’ve heard in a long time, and her acting is a great match for that power-house sound. [31] The presentation of Knowles over Hudson as the sole Best Actress candidate had interesting parallels with the film itself. The Dreams' hometown—the setting for much of the action—was moved from Chicago to Detroit, the real-life hometown of The Supremes and Motown Records. Feeling that Effie's plus-sized figure and distinctive voice will not attract white audiences, Curtis appoints Deena - who is slimmer, more conventionally attractive, and has a more basic, generic, and marketable voice - to be the new lead singer and renames the group "The Dreams". In the 1980s and 1990s, several attempts were made to produce a film adaptation of Dreamgirls, a Broadway musical loosely based upon the story of The Supremes and Motown Records, which won six Tony Awards in 1982. Florence Ballard. [60] University of Sydney academic Timothy Laurie was critical of the film's social message, noting that "the worthy receive just deserts by working even When Jimmy bombs in front of an all-white Miami Beach supper club audience, Curtis sends Jimmy out on the road alone, keeping The Dreamettes behind to headline in his place. [96], The payola scheme used in the film's script, to which Robinson took offense, is identical to the payola scheme allegedly used by Gordy and the other Motown executives, according to sworn court depositions from Motown executive Michael Lushka, offered during the litigation between the label and its chief creative team, Holland–Dozier–Holland. [16], While Condon had intended to cast relatively unknown actresses as all three Dreams,[13] R&B singer Beyoncé lobbied for the part of Deena Jones,[22] and was cast after a successful screen test. "[55] Television host Oprah Winfrey saw the film during a November 15 press screening, and telephoned Hudson on the Oprah episode airing the next day, praising her performance as "a religious experience" and "a transcendent performance". Jimmy Spicer, who in the protean era of recorded hip-hop released a handful of songs that would become part of the genre's bedrock, died on Friday in a Brooklyn hospital. The Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture soundtrack album was released on December 5 by Music World Entertainment/Columbia Records, in both a single-disc version containing highlights and a double-disc "Deluxe Version" containing all of the film's songs. How do you convert from base 8 to base 10? Script error: No such module "about". The following year, Jimmy, who has descended into drug addiction due to Curtis' preoccupation with Deena, along with the rejection of the charity single he recorded, has a breakdown during Rainbow Records' tenth-anniversary television special. Sometime later, C.C., who feels Curtis is undermining the artistic merit of his songs by making them into disco music, quits the label, only for everyone to then learn that Jimmy has been found dead from a heroin overdose (which heartbreaks Lorrell). David Geffen, the stage musical's co-financier, retained the film rights to Dreamgirls and turned down many offers to adapt the story for the screen. The songs combine 1960s soul hooks with Broadway gravitas. Bill Condon Tells the Story Behind 'Dreamgirls', Oscar file: 'Dreamgirls' Director Isn't Lost in Award-Buzz Dream World, After 'Dreamgirls', Geffen says goodbye to movies, "Fugees' Lauryn Hill Eyed For "Dreamgirls, After Conquering ‘Chicago,’ It's On to Motown, Andre '3000' Benjamin has turned down a role in, 'Dreamgirls' Film Cast Finally Shaping Up; Usher and Fantasia Are Out, Keith Robinson and Jennifer Hudson Are In, 'American Idol' finalist Jennifer Hudson gets lead role in 'Dreamgirls' movie", "Risky Business: Directors Guild Meet the Nominees Panel", Musical Movies: 'Dreamgirls' choreographer brings hip-hop moves to Motown, "Condon, Bill: Legendary Motown Musical Destined for the Top of the Charts (1/07)", 'Dreamgirls' Takes No. Cabasa Produced by Sharon Leal as Michelle Morris; based upon Supremes member Cindy Birdsong, Curtis' secretary girlfriend who replaces Effie in the Dreams and begins dating C.C. Hey curtis lets rap with jimmy early Gotta a home in the hills a Mercedes Benz a hot swimming Pool Got Lots of friends Got clothes by the hanger Credit to spare Can wake up in the morning with nobody there But Jimmy want more Jimmy want more Jimmy want Jimmy want Jimmy want more Jimmy want a rib Jimmy want a steak Jimmy want a piece of your chocolate cake Watch later. Coker, Cheo Hodari (2007). Dreamgirls is a stage musical. The film adaptation of Dreamgirls stars Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy, and also features Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose and Keith Robinson. With the Civil Rights Movement… "[8] Metacritic reports a 76 out of 100 rating, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Between losing Lorrell and realizing that he'll never be the star he once was, James implodes, dying of a heroin overdose. [6], After preview screenings during the summer of 2006, several minutes worth of musical footage were deleted from the film due to negative audience reactions to the amount of music. EFFIE WHITE: No. Having been inspired by Effie's victory and realizing Curtis' true character, Deena leaves him to make it on her own. In addition to the original Kreiger/Eyen compositions, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various lyricists, were added for this film. travels to Detroit and reconciles with Effie, for whom C.C. DreamWorks hoped to encourage amateur productions of Dreamgirls, and familiarize a wider audience with the play. Template:Italic title Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Copyright 2020 FindAnyAnswer All rights reserved. [45] The film's Los Angeles premiere was held on December 11 at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills. In one scene, Effie saunters into Curtis' office and discusses Rainbow Records' latest LP, The Great March to Freedom, a spoken word album featuring speeches by Martin Luther King Jr. Despite Effie's defiance and desperate appeal to Curtis, he, C.C., and The Dreams leave her behind and forge ahead to stardom. 1 In Sluggish Sales Week. "[34], After Hudson was cast in November 2005, the Dreamgirls cast began extensive rehearsals with Condon and choreographers Fatima Robinson and Aakomon "AJ" Jones, veterans of the music video industry. Early Joann — backup singer for J.T. "Patience" is a song written by Henry Krieger and Willie Reale for the 2006 film Dreamgirls. by … Then they're set free for leads, but Curtis Taylor and Effie's brother C.C. [19][34] The scene was felt by everyone involved to be pivotal to the film, as "And I Am Telling You" was Jennifer Holliday's show-stopping number in the original Broadway musical. "Introduction". [54] Rolling Stone's Peter Travers gave the film three and a half stars (out of four) and the number-two position on his "best of 2006" list, stating that "despite transitional bumps, Condon does Dreamgirls proud". Premiere of Dreamgirls, Weekend Box Office Results, Dec. 15 – 17, 2006, Press Release: Paramount Home Entertainment Presents the Critically-Acclaimed Smash Hit and Winner of Two Academy Awards: DREAMGIRLS Two-Disc Showstopper Edition, "DREAMGIRLS Director's Cut Extended Edition Coming to Blu-ray Combo Gift Set This October", "Bill Condon reveals what's exciting about Dreamgirls: Director's Extended Edition", http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504630.2012.667603, Exclusive: Jennifer Holliday Says She Created Role in, "'Dreamgirls' snubbed for Oscars best film nomination". [51], A "Director's Extended Edition" of Dreamgirls was released on Blu-ray and Digital HD on October 10, 2017 by Paramount Home Media Distribution. 2. [70], In addition, Dreamgirls was the first film in Academy Award history to receive the highest number of nominations for the year, yet not be nominated for Best Picture. Curtis presents himself as The Dreamettes' new manager and arranges for the girls to become backup singers for Chitlin' Circuit R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early.