Black and White (1999/I)

Director:

James Toback

Writer (WGA):

James Toback (written by)

Release Date:

5 April 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Music

Tagline:

What happens when you mix it up?

Plot:

A group of white high school teens become involved with Harlem's black hip-hop crowd.

Plot Keywords:

Hip Hop | New York City | Sex | Recording Studio | Basketball Player

Cast

Scott Caan	...	Scotty
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Terry Donager
Stacy Edwards	...	Sheila King
Allan Houston	...	Dean Carter
Gaby Hoffmann	...	Raven
Kidada Jones	...	Jesse
Jared Leto	...	Casey
Marla Maples	...	Muffy
Joe Pantoliano	...	Bill King
Bijou Phillips	...	Charlie
Oliver 'Power' Grant	...	Rich Bower (as Power)
Raekwon	...	Cigar
Claudia Schiffer	...	Greta
William Lee Scott	...	Will King
Brooke Shields	...	Sam Donager
Ben Stiller	...	Mark Clear
Eddie Kaye Thomas	...	Marty King
James Toback	...	Arnie Tishman
Mike Tyson	...	Himself
Elijah Wood	...	Wren
Kim Matulova	...	Kim
Brett Ratner	...	Himself
Method Man	...	Himself
Inspectah Deck	...	Himself
Ghostface Killah	...	Himself (as Ghostface)
Sticky Fingaz	...	Himself
George Wayne	...	Himself
Scottie Epstein	...	Scott
Thaddaeus Birkett	...	Tula
Chip Banks	...	Nicky
Hassan Johnson	...	Iniko (as Hassan Iniko Johnson)
Larry Shaw	...	Duke
Superb	...	Pep
Tyrone S. Walker	...	Tye
Richard Akiva	...	Richie
Shawn Regruto	...	Victor
Justin Ske	...	Jus Ske
Richard Voll	...	Richie V
Steven C. Beer	...	Attorney (as Steven Beer)
Sabine Lamy	...	Girl in Bed #1
Michelle Dent	...	Girl in Bed #2
Frank Pesce	...	Joey
Richard Rose	...	Newscaster
Chuck Zito	...	Chuck
Robert B. Alexander	...	Darren
Sheila Ball	...	Sheila
John Bolger	...	Peter
Joseph Bongiorno	...	John
Masta Killa	...	Himself
Frank Adonis	...	Frank
Jodi Cohen	...	Jodi
John Buffalo Mailer	...	John (as John Mailer)
Tina Nguyen	...	Tina
Garry Pastore	...	Benny Bones
Richard Elms	...	Driver
Keith Grayson	...	Krysley
Janine Green	...	Janine
Cara Hamill	...	Featured
Katie Hamill	...	Katie
Michael B. Jordan	...	Teen #2
David Alastair King	...	King
Kristin Klosterman	...	Christine
Duane McLaughlin	...	Teen #1
Eric Keith McNeil	...	Combo
Lauren Pratt	...	Sandy
Shari Raghunati	...	Shari
Katie Sagona	...	Katie
Melvin James Shaad	...	Doorman
Tyree Michael Simpson	...	Club Security
Patrick Watt	...	Thomas
Jade Yorker	...	Teen #3
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pell James	...	Pell (uncredited)
James McAdams	...	James (uncredited)
George F. Miller	...	Bartender at New Club (uncredited)
Steve Nuke	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Davy Sardou	...	Clubber (uncredited)
Fredro Starr	...	Himself (uncredited)
Sanny Van Heteren	...	Event Planner (uncredited)
Bellamy Young	...	Bellamy (uncredited)

Directed by
James Toback

Writing credits (WGA)
James Toback		(written by)

Produced by
Daniel Bigel	....	producer
Mark Burg	....	executive producer
Oliver 'Power' Grant	....	associate producer (as Oli 'Power' Grant)
Oren Koules	....	executive producer
Michael Mailer	....	producer
Hooman Majd	....	executive producer
Edward R. Pressman	....	executive producer
Raekwon	....	associate producer
Jennifer Roth	....	line producer
Ron Rotholz	....	producer
Alinur Velidedeoglu	....	associate producer
Beata Rosenbaum	....	co-producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
American Cream Team
Oliver 'Power' Grant		(as Oli 'Power' Grant)

Cinematography by
David M. Ferrara

Film Editing by
Myron I. Kerstein

Casting by
Stephanie Corsalini
Louis DiGiaimo

Production Design by
Anne Ross

Art Direction by
Alisa Grifo

Set Decoration by
Maureen Osborne

Costume Design by
Jacki Roach

Makeup Department
Lacey Cope	....	additional makeup artist
Deanna	....	key hair stylist (as R. Deanna)
Nuria Sitja	....	makeup department head
Megan Alter	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Jonathan Manzo	....	production manager
Exile Ramirez	....	production supervisor
Jill Rubin	....	production manager
Sabrina Sipantzi	....	production manager: Los Angeles

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Darren Goldberg	....	assistant director
Michael Lerman	....	second assistant director
Eric Liney	....	assistant director
Vince P. Maggio	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Rae McGrath	....	property master
Duke Scoppa	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Antonio L. Arroyo	....	production sound mixer
Matthew C. Beville	....	adr mixer
Kevin Bowe	....	second boom operator
Glenn Gaines	....	sound mixer: Los Angeles
John Gutierrez	....	boom operator
Bobby Johanson	....	adr recordist
Dan Paikin	....	boom operator
Alex Raspa	....	adr mixer
Brian Vancho	....	foley artist
Byron Wilson	....	supervising sound editor
Jamie Lowry	....	adr editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Drew Jiritano	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Rob Blue	....	digital artist: main title
Paul Rigg	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cesar Baptista	....	grip
Caswell Cooke	....	key grip
Todd Csernecky	....	rigging gaffer
Moira Demos	....	electrician
Glenn Fishel	....	grip
Kate Fix	....	second assistant camera
Matthew W. Flannery	....	first Steadicam assistant
David Harges	....	electrician
Patrick R. Heffernan	....	best boy grip
Jendra Jarnagin	....	additional electrician (as Jendra Robinson)
Tom Kempf	....	best boy grip
Dan Kubicek	....	grip
Ted LeHane	....	rigging key grip
Jamie A. Marlowe	....	first assistant camera
Alexa D. O'Brien	....	additional electric
Jason Summers	....	first assistant camera
Seamus Tierney	....	gaffer
Robert Lau	....	first assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Winsome Sinclair	....	extras casting

Editorial Department
Andrew Buckland	....	assistant editor (as Andrew Buchland)
Rick Greenhead	....	telecine colorist
Shelby Siegel	....	second assistant editor
Tim Streeto	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Oliver 'Power' Grant	....	music supervisor (as Oli 'Power' Grant)
Don 'One Eye' Saunders	....	composer: additional music

Other crew
Steven C. Beer	....	legal counsel
Chris Connolly	....	assistant to producers
David A. Gluck	....	assistant: James Toback
Terri Jackson	....	assistant production coordinator
Brian Lamia	....	production assistant
Livia Monte	....	production coordinator
Jessica O'Brien	....	production assistant
Allen Pinero	....	accountant
Josh Schneider	....	accountant
Jason M. Schwartz	....	unspecified assistant
Jonathan Shepard	....	location manager (as Jon Shepard)
J.P. Summerskill	....	production accountant
Tony Trimarco	....	production accountant
Sol Tryon	....	key set production assistant
Sara Tune	....	production assistant
Maureen Tuohy	....	script supervisor
Ajamu Walker	....	production assistant
Maria Williams	....	assistant: Ben Stiller
John Michael Sudol	....	key production assistant (uncredited)
George F. Miller	....	stand-in: Joe Pantoliano (uncredited)

Thanks
Gleb Klioner	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Bigel / Mailer Films
• Palm Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Films (France)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2000) (Argentina) (all media)
• Grey Productions Inc.
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Palm Pictures
• Screen Gems (2000) (USA)
• Sony Pictures Video

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, graphic language, some violence and drug use (cut)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:(Banned) | South Korea:18 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | Chile:18 | France:U | Germany:16 | Ireland:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 | USA:R (certificate #36809) (cut) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Columbia University - Broadway & 116th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Bigel / Mailer Films

Trivia:

Claudia Schiffer had to have her ears pierced specially for the large hoop earrings worn by her character in this movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: Dean is described repeatedly as a "star point guard." Actually, like the actor (a star basketball player in real life), Dean is a shooting guard who sometimes also plays small forward.

Quotes:

Will King:These pants is just big, yo!

Movie Connections:

References Rush Hour (1998)

Soundtrack:

Angel Baby

What a frustrating movie!

I always find the idea of improvised (or semi-improvised) film making an interesting one, even if the results themselves are disappointing, and very rarely work (exceptions being some of the movies of Christopher Guest and Abel Ferrara). It's a risky idea because it's a true test of an actors talent. Some succeed and some fall flat on their faces. 'Black and White' is a perfect example of this, for every interesting moment involving say Ben Stiller, or yes, Mike Tyson, there's way too many dull and rambling scenes that go nowhere (come on down Brooke Shields and Bijou Phillips). What makes this movie even more frustrating is James Toback is obviously aiming for a BIG STATEMENT regarding race relations in contemporary America, yet the movie is so superficial and confused it ultimately says nothing much. Toback is a maddingly uneven film maker, but he is responsible for one of my all time favourite movies, the sadly underrated 'Fingers', so I usually give him the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately 'Black and White' is a missed opportunity and has very little to recommend it. I suppose Toback deserves some credit for at least attempting to do something other than mainstream Hollywood dreck, but ultimately a crappy movie is still a crappy movie, no matter how good the intentions.