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Life (1999/I)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
16 April 1999 (USA)
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Tagline:
Share it with someone you love.
Plot:
The story of two criminals (Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence) who discover the value of life after being sentenced to life imprisonment. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
Another 1 win
&
3 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(18 articles)
Demme Autopsy Inconclusive
(From WENN. 18 January 2002)
U-571 Takes A Sunday Dive
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 25 April 2000)
(From WENN. 18 January 2002)
U-571 Takes A Sunday Dive
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 25 April 2000)
User Comments:
It's not mindless buddy stuff and it's not the Shawshank Redemption, but it's in-between (but not as good)
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US TV Schedule:
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Eddie Murphy | ... | Rayford Gibson |
 | Martin Lawrence | ... | Claude Banks |
 | Obba Babatundé | ... | Willie Long |
 | Nick Cassavetes | ... | Sergeant Dillard |
 | Anthony Anderson | ... | Cookie |
 | Barry Shabaka Henley | ... | Pokerface |
| Brent Jennings | ... | Hoppin' Bob |
 | Bernie Mac | ... | Jangle Leg |
 | Miguel A. Núñez Jr. | ... | Biscuit |
| Michael Taliferro | ... | Goldmouth (as Michael 'Bear' Taliferro) |
| Guy Torry | ... | Radio |
| Bokeem Woodbine | ... | Can't Get Right |
 | Ned Beatty | ... | Dexter Wilkins |
 | Lisa Nicole Carson | ... | Sylvia |
 | O'Neal Compton | ... | Superintendant Abernathy |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for strong language and a shooting.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
108 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:12 |
Finland:K-12 |
South Korea:15 |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:MA |
Canada:14A |
Canada:G (Quebec) |
Chile:14 |
Germany:12 |
Ireland:15 |
New Zealand:M |
UK:15 |
USA:R (certificate #36417) |
Singapore:PG (cut) |
Philippines:PG-13 |
Brazil:14
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Ray and Claude arrive at the Mississippi prison in 1932. They spend give 65 years in jail, meaning the last year the movie takes place in is 1997. And Ray says in that year that he's 90 years old, meaning he was born in 1907 (Claude was also probably born in that year or somewhere close to it). So they were 25 when they came to jail, 37 when they are shown in the 1944, and 65 when they are shown in 1972.
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Goofs:
Continuity: In the scene where Jangle Leg introduces himself to Claude, they are seated beside each other with Ray sitting beside Jangle Leg. Then the camera switches to a shot of Ray. If you look below Ray you can see Jangle Leg seated below him.
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Quotes:
Hoppin' Bob:
[bringing new inmates into the bunker] Everybody, shut up! Right now, I don't want to hear a sound. Got some fresh meat for you right down there, take yourself right down there, find your ass a bunk. Move it! Actin' all scared. We ain't got no wallflowers here at Camp 8. Don't y'all worry none; ain't nobody gonna mess with you tonight. That'd take all the fun out of the courtship. You hear me, boy?
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Movie Connections:
References Harlem Nights (1989)
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Soundtrack:
New Day
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (109 total)
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Ray Gibson and Claude Banks get involved with a local crime boss and end up doing some work for him to make up for their debts. However when running moonshine across the Bible belt they encounter racism and eventually get framed for a murder by a racist sheriff. Sentenced to life they experience a range of things but eventually find that friendship can overcome many things during a course of a life.
I approach this with a certain amount of caution. I expected a buddy comedy full of the heavy-handed comedy that usually comes with a Murphy or a Lawrence movie. Admittedly it does have a certain amount of that – but in small amounts it can be quite funny. The story doesn't create as good a relationship between Ray and Claude as it could have done, and ignores any brutality that may occur, but it still manages to have poignant things to say about friendship.
The `old' makeup isn't as good it could have been but it passes. The story isn't anywhere near Shawshank but it tries to cover similar ground. Although it never reaches that level it is a lot more involving than you'd expect it to be. It may always come down to Murphy and Lawrence bickering but it isn't just that. My only criticism of it is that it appears to have been more fun to make than it is to watch – the outtakes are the funniest bit in the whole thing.
Murphy and Lawrence are not the most subtle of performers but they do OK here. They do better at the comedy than the serious elements but both are warm enough to convince. The cast is made up of a range of reasonable black actors and comedians – Bernie Mac is funny, but again this feeds into the image that the real fun was had in the making of the film rather than the actual film itself. Interesting side roles are given to Ned Beatty, R. Lee Ermey, Bokeem Woodbine, Rick James, Lisa Nicole Carson and Heavy D.
Overall this isn't just a buddy comedy and it isn't quite as meaningful as Shawshank. It falls in-between and, while it's not a classic it's still quite enjoyable to watch – even if all the best bits are in the outtakes at the end.