Jackie's Back! (1999)

Director:

Robert Townsend

Writers:

Dee LaDuke, Mark Alton Brown

Stars:

Jenifer Lewis, Tim Curry, T.V. Blake

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jenifer Lewis	...	Jackie Washington
Tim Curry	...	Edward Whatsett St. John
T.V. Blake	...	Antandra Washington (Jackie's Daughter)
Tangie Ambrose	...	Shaniqua Summers Wells (Jackie's Daughter)
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Nurse Ethyl Washington Rue Owens (Jackie's Sister)
Robert Bailey Jr.	...	Wilson Wells (Jackie's Grandson)
Loren Freeman	...	Kim (Jackie's Costume Designer)
Tom Arnold	...	Marvin Pritz (Jackie's Former Manager)
Patti Austin	...	Herself (Gospel Singer at Peaches' Funeral
Loretta Devine	...	Snookie Tate (Jackie's Childhood Friend)
Julie Hagerty	...	Pammy Dunbar (Host)
David Hyde Pierce	...	Perry (The Deaf Rehearsal Pianist)
Kathy Najimy	...	Lola Molina (Jackie's Stalker)
Isabel Sanford	...	Miss Krumes (Jackie's Play Mama)
JoBeth Williams	...	Jo Face (Jackie's Vocal Coach)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

spoof | character name in title

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Genres:

Comedy | Music

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 June 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jackie's Back: Portrait of a Diva

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hearst Entertainment Productions, Krost/Chapin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jackie's husbands: Milkman Summers (#1), "no comment" (#2), "gay" (#3), "annulled" (#4).

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Quotes

Jackie Washington: Of course, now, I *do* pay homage to all the dead divas -- Billie, Ella, Shirley Bassey...
Edward Whatsett St. John: Shirley Bassey is alive.
Jackie Washington: Really? God bless her. But now them others -- I'm not gonna name names... but they all stole from me. Aretha, Whitney, Little Brandy, Streisand, Diahann Carroll... Oh. and Bea Arthur. They all stole from me.

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Connections

References Cabaret (1972)

User Reviews

Sly, hilarious parody

I watched this for the ever-wonderful Tim Curry but was won over by the total package: this is a sly, deadly funny mockumentary that skewers diva ego, blaxploitation films, and the music industry, along with just about everything else that can be squeezed into the space of two hours. Jenifer Lewis is hilarious as the fiercely vain diva, and Tim Curry's dry pomposity is the perfect foil. The film's one flaw is the unlikely, unfunny ending in which all the deliciously evil humor succumbs to a saccharine feel-good production number and Curry, impossibly, grows to love the harpy he's been interviewing. In spite of the letdown of the ending, this is still a sharp, energetic send-up with lots of great surprises, including the priceless cameo by David Hyde Pierce (of Frasier fame). If this is ever aired again, set your VCR: it's a keeper.