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The Watermelon Woman (1996)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
5 March 1997 (USA) morePlot:
Cheryl is young, Black, and lesbian, working in Philadelphia with her best friend Tamara and consumed... more | add synopsisAwards:
2 wins moreNewsDesk:
Cheryl Dunye’s The Watermelon Woman at the Redcat(From Alternative Film Guide. 13 April 2009, 11:25 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Time does fly, and people do change. more (10 total)Cast
(Credited cast)| Cheryl Dunye | ... | Cheryl | |
| Guinevere Turner | ... | Diana | |
| Valarie Walker | ... | Tamara | |
| Lisa Marie Bronson | ... | Fae 'The Watermelon Woman' Richards | |
| Cheryl Clarke | ... | June Walker | |
| Irene Dunye | ... | Herself | |
| Brian Freeman | ... | Lee Edwards | |
| Camille Paglia | ... | Herself | |
| Sarah Schulman | ... | CLIT Archivist | |
| V.S. Brodie | ... | Karaoke Singer | |
| Shelley Olivier | ... | Annie Heath | |
| Toshi Reagon | ... | Street Magician | |
| Emmy Collins | ... | Video Browser | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Mickey Goldhaber | ... | Featured | |
| K. Brent Hill | ... | J.J. Liberty | |
| Gail Lloyd | ... | Diana's Black Date | |
| Kat Robertson | ... | Yvette | |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
90 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorFilming Locations:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USAFun Stuff
Trivia:
The scene from the faux-archival 1930s film, "Plantation Memories", was directed by Douglas McKeown and co-written by McKeown and Cheryl Dunye moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (10 total)
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Watermelon Woman (1996)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
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| Are there any.....? | boggie387 |
| Who Is Cheryl Dunye? | lovejam |
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This is a very lighthearted film about a black video store clerk (Cheryl Dunye) who wants to make a documentary about an early black actress, known only as The Watermelon Woman." The fact that both Cheryl (Dunye) and the actress are lesbians keeps her going. In fact, in life imitating art, Cheryl finds that The Watermelon Woman was having a lesbian relationship with a white director, and then, she begins a relationship with a white video store customer (Guinevere Turner - American Psycho, Itty Bitty Titty Committee).
The film explored black language, early black actresses, black lesbians, mammies, and watermelon. It even featured an interview with Camille Paglia discussing mammies and watermelon in the context of blacks and Italians, It's nice to see Italians spoken of in something other than the Mob.
Her BFF Tamera (Valarie Walker) is a party girl, but she draws the line at interracial relationships, and that causes a problem for Cheryl.
There are a lot of good scenes throughout the movie, and it made it worthwhile even if the acting wasn't particularly good.
The end credits will surprise you.