Set It Off (1996)

Director:

F. Gary Gray

Writers (WGA):

Takashi Bufford (story)
Takashi Bufford (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Deal with this. The only breaks you get are the ones you take.

Plot:

Four Black women, all of whom have suffered for lack of money and at the hands of the majority, undertake to rob banks...

Plot Keywords:

Money | Robbery | Tragedy | Shot In The Chest | African American

Awards:

5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jada Pinkett Smith	...	Lida 'Stony' Newsom (as Jada Pinkett)
Queen Latifah	...	Cleopatra 'Cleo' Sims
Vivica A. Fox	...	Francesca 'Frankie' Sutton
Kimberly Elise	...	Tisean 'T.T.' Williams
John C. McGinley	...	Detective Strode
Blair Underwood	...	Keith Weston
Vincent Baum	...	Jajuan
Van Baum	...	Jajuan
Chaz Lamar Shepherd	...	Stevie Newsom (as Chaz Lamar Shepard)
Thomas Jefferson Byrd	...	Luther (as Thom Byrd)
Charles Robinson	...	Nate Andrews (as Charlie Robinson)
Ella Joyce	...	Detective Waller
Anna Maria Horsford	...	Ms. Wells
Samantha MacLachlan	...	Ursula
Samuel Monroe Jr.	...	Lorenz
WC	...	Darnell
Edmund L. Shaff	...	Mr. Zachery (as Edmund Shaff)
Natalie Desselle	...	Tanika
Dr. Dre	...	Black Sam
Bruce Williams	...	Bruce
Gordon Embry	...	Doctor
Charles Walker	...	Captain Fredricks
Geoff Callan	...	Nigel
Rosanna Iversen	...	Patrice
Jeris Poindexter	...	Pete Rodney
Tamara Clatterbuck	...	Luther's Girlfriend
Tonia Rowe	...	Waitress
Big Daddy Wayne	...	B.B.
Mark Thompson	...	TV Anchor
Darryl Gibson	...	Bundy
Twain Taylor	...	Detective
Walter Robles	...	Homeless Man
George Fisher	...	Cop
Brantley Bush	...	Bank Customer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Greg Bronson	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
F. Gary Gray	...	Guy Driving Low Rider (uncredited)
Barbara Anne Klein	...	Bank Manager (uncredited)
Francesca Poston	...	(uncredited)
Byron Quiros	...	LAPD Officer (uncredited)
George Marshall Ruge	...	Undercover Detective (uncredited)

Directed by
F. Gary Gray

Writing credits (WGA)
Takashi Bufford		(story)
Takashi Bufford		(screenplay) and
Kate Lanier		(screenplay)

Produced by
Allen Alsobrook	....	co-producer
Takashi Bufford	....	co-producer
Bob Degus	....	associate producer (as Robert J. Degus)
F. Gary Gray	....	executive producer
Oren Koules	....	producer
Mary Parent	....	executive producer
Dale Pollock	....	producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young

Cinematography by
Marc Reshovsky		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Carter

Casting by
Robi Reed-Humes

Production Design by
Robb Wilson King

Set Decoration by
Lance Lombardo

Costume Design by
Sylvia Vega-Vasquez

Makeup Department
Paul Anthony	....	hair stylist
Ora Green	....	hair stylist
Rea Ann Silva	....	makeup artist
Phyllis Williams	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Diana Kaufman	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michelangelo Csaba Bolla	....	assistant director
Regina Gordon	....	assistant director
Basil Grillo	....	dga trainee
Sandra M. Middleton	....	assistant director
Donald Sparks	....	assistant director
Don Wilkerson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jimmy Adams	....	set designer
George Atamian	....	set dresser
John Paul 'J.P.' Jones	....	property master
Dean B. Katz	....	lead man
John 'Skip' Weaver	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Pembrooke Andrews	....	assistant dialogue editor
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist
Gabriel Cubos	....	boom operator
Paul Curtis	....	foley editor
Andrew DeCristofaro	....	supervising sound editor
David Farmer	....	sound effects editor
Marc Fishman	....	sound re-recording assistant
Elisabeth Flaum	....	sound effects editor
William Freesh	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marshall Garlington	....	sound re-recording mixer
Aleksandr Gruzdev	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Lightstone	....	sound
Laura Macias	....	foley artist
Paul Menichini	....	sound editor
Paul Menichini	....	sound effects editor
Mike Moser	....	sound effects editor
Vince Nicastro	....	foley artist
Ann Scibelli	....	supervising sound editor
D. Chris Smith	....	sound effects editor
Ken Teaney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Troy	....	dialogue editor
Brandon Walker	....	adr recordist
Harry Woolway	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Charles Belardinelli	....	special effects boy (as Charlie Belardinelli)
Thomas L. Bellissimo	....	special effects (as Tom Bellissimo)
Joel P. Blanchard	....	special effects technician
Frank Iudica	....	special effects technician
Malia Thompson	....	special effects assistant
George Zamora	....	pyrotechnician

Stunts
Chuck Aaron	....	stunts
Michael Adams	....	stunts (as Mike Adams)
Rick Avery	....	stunts
LaFaye Baker	....	stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunts (as Bruce Barbour)
Perry Barndt	....	stunts
Daniel W. Barringer	....	stunts (as Daniel Barringer)
Charles Belardinelli	....	stunts
Thomas L. Bellissimo	....	stunts (as Tommy L. Bellissimo)
John L. Bennett	....	stunts (as John Lendale Bennett)
Simone Boisseree	....	stunts
Dan Bradley	....	stunts
Bob Bralver	....	stunts
Tony Brubaker	....	stunts (as Anthony Brubaker)
Hal Burton	....	stunts
Phil Chong	....	stunts
Roydon Clark	....	stunts (as Roydon Elwood Clark)
Jadie David	....	stunts
Vince Deadrick Sr.	....	stunts
Scott A. Dunley	....	stunts
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts
Glory Fioramonti	....	stunts
Dick Hancock	....	stunts
Rosine 'Ace' Hatem	....	stunts (as Rosine 'Ace' Hatem)
Glenn Hermans	....	stunts
Larry Holt	....	stunts
Chris Howell	....	stunts
Claudette James	....	stunt double: Kimberlie Elise
Donna Keegan	....	stunts
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunts
Kelsee King-Devoreaux	....	stunt double: Stony
Barbara Anne Klein	....	stunts
Fred Lerner	....	stunts (as Fred Learner)
Frank Lloyd	....	stunts
Denver Mattson	....	stunts
Dwayne McGee	....	stunts
Bob Minor	....	stunt coordinator
Bob Minor	....	stunts
Rita Minor	....	stunt double: Cleo
Roger Minor	....	stunts (as Roger Minor Jr.)
Faith Minton	....	stunts
John Moio	....	stunts
Francine Morris	....	stunt double: Frankie (as Francine 'Scene' Morris)
Chris Novicki	....	stunt performer
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunts
Alan D. Purwin	....	stunts (as Alan Purwin)
George Marshall Ruge	....	stunts
Michael J. Sarna	....	stunts (as Mike Sarna)
Rick Seaman	....	stunts
Robair Sims	....	stunts
Ben Skorstad	....	stunts
John Tamburro	....	helicopter stunt pilot
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts
Gerard G. Williams	....	stunts (as Gerard Williams)
Spice Williams-Crosby	....	stunts (as Spice Williams)
Harry Wowchuk	....	stunts
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	stunts (as Robert 'Bobby Z.' Zajonc)
Kevin Beard	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Allen Brock	....	stunt player (uncredited)
Kelsee King-Devoreaux	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Kevin 'Rambo' Fitzgerald	....	best boy grip
Kevin Garnett	....	video assist operator
Jon Kranhouse	....	aerial photographer
Duane Manwiller	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Juan Morse	....	electrician
Karl Owens	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Jon Philion	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Steve Reinhardt	....	electrician
D. Stevens	....	still photographer
Henry Tirl	....	Steadicam assistant
Henry Tirl	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Don Tomich	....	rigging gaffer
Richard Kelley	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Darren Michaels	....	additional unit photographer (uncredited)
David Rudd	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Paulette E. Holmon	....	costume supervisor
Monica Vasquez	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Joe Fineman	....	post-production consultant
Mato	....	color timer
Dirk Westervelt	....	associate editor

Music Department
Pete Anthony	....	conductor
Pete Anthony	....	orchestrator
Anna Bonn	....	score coordinator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
George Doering	....	musician
Barry Eastmond	....	composer: additional music
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer
M.B. Gordy	....	musician: Percussion
Christopher Kennedy	....	music editor
Larry Mah	....	score mixer
Pilar McCurry	....	music supervisor
David Reynolds	....	electronic score supervisor
Dana Sano	....	music executive
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Melodee Sutton	....	music coordinator
Joseph Warlick	....	composer: additional music
Christopher Young	....	orchestrator
Richard Ziegler	....	additional music editor
Richard Ziegler	....	music editor
Joshua Winget	....	music playback (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Linda Cipperley	....	transportation
Russ Tolliver	....	transportation co-captain (uncredited)

Other crew
Michael Anthony	....	location manager
Matt Boatright-Simon	....	production assistant
Keith Bohanan	....	assistant location manager
Stanley Bennett Clay	....	adr voice artist
David Crockett	....	production accountant
Robert L. Dohan	....	location manager
Andre Gaudry	....	assistant location manager
Karen R. Jones	....	unit publicist
Angie Lotto	....	computer technician
Lance Mancuso	....	key medic
Andrew Matthews	....	consultant: risk management
Alan D. Purwin	....	ground aerial coordinator: additional photography (as Alan Purwin)
Lou Simon	....	technical advisor
Lavern Whitt	....	production assistant
Branko Wohlfahrt	....	weapon specialist
Pamella D'Pella	....	location manager (uncredited)
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	aerial coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• New Line Cinema (presents)
• Peak Films

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• Constantin Film (1997) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Líder Films (1997) (Spain) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Entertainment (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Asso Film (video)
• H.O.M. Vision (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• New Line Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• New Line Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video (199?) (Australia) (VHS)
• Top Tape (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• VCL Communications (199?) (Germany) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong graphic violence, pervasive language, some sex and drug use

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:18 | Philippines:X | UK:15 (new rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2008) | USA:R (certificate #45339) (director's cut) | Australia:MA | Canada:18A | France:-12 | Germany:16 (w) | Ireland:18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Singapore:R(A)

Filming Locations:

Biltmore Hotel - 506 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Kimberly Elise was discovered by producer Dale Pollock at a restaurant where she waitressed at the start of her career.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the bank robbery scene there are signs at the teller windows for FIDC. It should be FDIC, which stands for Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Quotes:

Francesca 'Frankie' Sutton:Cleo, you go to survey the line for the COW.
Cleo:COW? There's gonna be a cow up in there?
Lida 'Stony' Newsom:[sighs] ... Stop smoking weed.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "NewsRadio: Complaint Box (#3.14)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

I'll Be Missing You

The S.W.A. (Sistaz With Attitude)

"Set It Off" is about four African-American women(Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise) who decide to go out and rob a few banks. They don't rob banks for sheer enjoyment or because they have nothing better to do. No, they rob them because they are getting back at "the system" that they feel has screwed them over in their lives. Here are the reasons: in the opening bank robbery sequence, Frankie(Fox), who was at the time a teller, was fired simply because she knew the suspect who robbed it; Stony's(Smith) younger brother, Stevie was killed by police after being mistaken for the robbery suspect; Cleo(Latifah) joins them simply because she is p***ed off at society; Tisean(Elise) is a single mother who is barely able to support her son and when he is accidently poisoned and taken away by child services, decides she has no other choice. I feel I must point out that up until that point, she is reluctant to join the other three women.

This is a really good movie that is definitely Oscar-worthy material. Maybe not for the Best Picture category, but definitely Oscar-worthy. The performances are excellent especially from all four of our young stars. Queen Latifah should definitely should have gotten an Oscar or Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her portrayal of a fiery lesbian is right on key. F. Gary Gray, who also directed Ice Cube and Chris Tucker in "Friday", is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. I don't think you should really call "Set It Off" an action movie since there isn't really action until the ending.

A line from the movie, "if that crackhead Darnell can rob a bank, then so can we." This quote outlines the main message that the movie is trying to tell: the social standing of women in our society, saying that they have rights too. The movie says that women can basically do anything men can do (and probably better) and they must be applauded for their efforts. Now I'm not saying that women should all go out and round up their friends and start robbing banks. Director F. Gary Gray definitely should be praised for his smart casting choices.

10/10

P.S.: Now from the sound of this review, I've probably got you thinking I'm a woman. Wrong! I'm just a 16 year-old boy from Virginia.