Honey (2003)

Director:

Bille Woodruff

Writers (WGA):

Alonzo Brown (written by) &
Kim Watson (written by)

Release Date:

5 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Her dream. Her terms.

Plot:

Honey is a sexy, tough music video choreographer who shakes up her life after her mentor gives her an ultimatum: sleep with him or be blacklisted within their industry.

Plot Keywords:

Dancer | Choreographer | Dancing | Dance | Hip Hop

Awards:

8 nominations

Cast

Jessica Alba	...	Honey Daniels
Mekhi Phifer	...	Chaz
Romeo	...	Benny (as Lil' Romeo)
Joy Bryant	...	Gina
David Moscow	...	Michael Ellis
Lonette McKee	...	Mrs. Daniels
Zachary Williams	...	Raymond (as Zachary Isaiah Williams)
Christian Monzon	...	Bar Customer
Al Shearer	...	Bar Customer
Jull Weber	...	Joey
Laurieann Gibson	...	Katrina (as Laurie Ann Gibson)
O'Neal McNight	...	Katrina's Friend
Kevin Duhaney	...	Otis
William Omar Tobar	...	Beat Boxer
Ivan 'Flipz' Velez	...	Street Dancer
Jeremy Cedeno	...	Street Dancer
Nicole Neal	...	Street Dancer
Suga May	...	Street Dancer
Damien Luvara	...	Neighborhood Guy
Shawn Newman	...	Neighborhood Guy (as Sean Newman)
Sarah Francis	...	Letitia
Anthony Sherwood	...	Mr. Daniels
Lee Smart	...	Casting Director
Scott Neil	...	Lenny
Wes Williams	...	B.B. (as Wes Maestro Williams)
Tracy Dawson	...	Assistant Director
Ward Marie	...	Choreographer (as Brandy Marie Ward)
Jordan Madley	...	Honey's Friend
Evans Johnson	...	Honey's Friend (as Natalie Johnson)
Richard Fagon	...	Bouncer
Farnsworth Bentley	...	Barber (as Derek J. Watkins)
Alicia Bruce	...	Barber
Lyriq Bent	...	Barber
Alison Sealy-Smith	...	Marisol
Dwayne Morgan	...	Poet
Judi Embden	...	Mrs. Strom (as Judy Embden)
Edney Hendrickson	...	2nd Assistant Director
Roy T. Anderson	...	Undercover Cop (as Roy Anderson)
Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott	...	Herself (as Missy Elliott)
Jadakiss	...	Himself
Sheek Louch	...	Himself (as Sheek)
Shawn Fernandez	...	Himself (as Shawn Desman)
Ginuwine	...	Himself
Harmonica Sunbeam	...	Himself
Rodney Jerkins	...	Himself
Silkk	...	Himself
3rd Storee	...	Themselves
Tweety	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shamari Fears	...	Herself (as Blaque)
Natina Reed	...	Herself (as Blaque)
Brandi Williams	...	Herself (as Blaque)

Directed by
Bille Woodruff

Writing credits (WGA)
Alonzo Brown		(written by) &
Kim Watson		(written by)

Produced by
Nicole Brown	....	associate producer
Andre Harrell	....	producer
Billy Higgins	....	executive producer
Marc Platt	....	producer

Original Music by
Mervyn Warren

Cinematography by
John R. Leonetti

Film Editing by
Mark Helfrich
Emma E. Hickox

Casting by
Aisha Coley
Michelle Morris		(as Michelle Gertz)

Production Design by
Jasna Stefanovic

Art Direction by
Anastasia Masaro

Set Decoration by
Steven Essam

Costume Design by
Susan Matheson

Makeup Department
Katie Brennan	....	assistant makeup department head
Renee Chan	....	assistant hair stylist
Sylvain Cournoyer	....	makeup department head
Melissa Forney	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Dennis Chapman	....	unit production manager
Sean Garrett Fogel	....	production supervisor
Virginia Landis Albertson	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Darrin Brown	....	third assistant director
Marcei A. Brown	....	first assistant director (as Marcei A. Brubaker)
Sarah Campbell	....	second assistant director
Ruben Garcia	....	second second assistant director
Andrew Shea	....	first assistant director
Nancy L. Ventura	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Sylvain Bombardier	....	second assistant art director
Kirk Cheney	....	construction coordinator
Jacinta Cooper	....	third assistant art director
Glenn Forbes	....	property master: re-shoots
Nazgol Goshtasbpour	....	art department production assistant
Dwight Hendrickson	....	set designer
I.R. McEune	....	key scenic artist
Matt Middleton	....	third assistant art director
Yassara Monteleone	....	second assistant art director
Vic Rigler	....	property master
Dawn Rivard	....	set decoration buyer
Paul Vernon	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Peter Brown	....	sound effects editor
Sera DiBlasio	....	sound
Alison Fisher	....	adr editor
Cameron Frankley	....	supervising sound editor
Douglas Ganton	....	production sound mixer
Scott G.G. Haller	....	sound effects editor
Ryan Juggler	....	sound editor
Benjamin Kaplan	....	sound production assistant
John Kohlbrenner	....	sound effects editor
Andy Koyama	....	sound re-recording mixer
Colin McLellan	....	adr recordist
Bill Meadows	....	sound recordist
Jon Michaels	....	assistant sound editor
Michael Paterson	....	daily sound transferer
Blair Robb	....	audio playback engineer
Philip Rogers	....	adr recordist
James Simcik	....	supervising adr editor
Ron Stermac	....	utility sound
Nancy Tracy	....	assistant sound editor
Robert Troy	....	dialogue editor
Christopher Flick	....	foley editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Tim Barraball	....	special effects technician
Rob Sanderson	....	special effects director

Visual Effects by
Shaina Holmes	....	digital compositor
Travis Wade Ivy	....	roto/digital paint artist
Lori C. Miller	....	digital compositor
Laurie Powers	....	visual effects

Stunts
Milan Alavanja	....	stunt rigger
Winston T. Anderson	....	stunts
Shelley Cook	....	stunt coordinator
David Harcourt	....	stunt rigger
Regan Moore	....	stunt rigger
Nick Nolan	....	stunt rigger
Billy Oliver	....	stunts
John Stoneham Sr.	....	stunt coordinator
Roy T. Anderson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark Beauchamp	....	second assistant camera
Bob Becchio	....	first assistant camera
Craig Bulmer	....	electrician
Michael Carella	....	camera operator
Alejandro J. Castillo	....	lighting technician: Los Angeles
Angelo Colavecchia	....	camera operator
John Colavecchia	....	assistant camera
Tim Davis	....	video assist operator
Cylvan Desrouleaux	....	assistant camera
Ava Gerlitz	....	still photographer
Brian Harper	....	camera operator
Sean Higgins	....	rigging electric best boy
Mike Kirilenko	....	key grip
Derrick Kolus	....	gaffer
Doug Lawrance	....	daily camera operator
Jason Marlow	....	assistant camera
Morten Petersen	....	rigging electrician
Danny Piva	....	best boy
Ron Renzetti	....	dolly grip
Brent Robinson	....	daily first assistant camera
Tracy Shaw	....	dolly grip
Stephen Spurrell	....	rigging gaffer
Tom Starnes	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Robin D. Cook	....	casting: Canada
Nicole Hilliard-Forde	....	casting associate: Canada
Sara Kay	....	casting assistant: Canada
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting
Jennifer Ricchiazzi	....	casting associate
Jane Rogers	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Quita Alfred	....	key set costumer
Suzanne Aplin	....	costume supervisor
Catherine Ashton	....	assistant costume designer
John Girouard	....	costumer
Tatjana Hutinec	....	key costume breakdown artist
Richard Krough	....	set costumer
Whitney Kyles	....	additional costumer
Rodney O'Neal McKnight	....	costume consultant
Christina Soletti	....	additional costumer

Editorial Department
Charise E. Angone	....	assistant editor
Frank Cuomo	....	post-production coordinator
Terry Hubbard	....	assistant editor
Mato	....	color timer
Geoffrey O'Brien	....	assistant editor
Anthony Reyna	....	editorial assistant
Robb Sullivan	....	second editor
David Tarnawsky	....	first assistant film editor: Canada
Julia Wong	....	associate editor

Music Department
Rodney Jerkins	....	executive music producer
Kathy Nelson	....	executive music supervisor
Angie Rubin	....	music editor: temp score
Terry Wilson	....	music editor: temp score & final
Jeffrey Potokar	....	temp assistant music editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Wumi Adedokun	....	dancer
Juan Aguirre	....	assistant accountant
Rachel Alix	....	dancer
Naomi Allen	....	dancer
Dwayne Anderson	....	dancer
Andre	....	dancer
Tre Armstrong	....	dancer (as Tracey Armstrong)
Ashleigh Au	....	dancer
MacGregor Austin-Olsen	....	production assistant
Joquan Banks	....	dancer
Barbie-Q	....	dancer
Drazen Baric	....	assistant location manager
Ron Bedeau	....	dancer
Carla Bennett	....	dancer
Denosh Bennett	....	dancer
John 'Frenchie' Berger	....	armorer
Leon Blackwood	....	dancer
Noelle Boggio	....	dancer
Jesse Brown	....	dancer
Luther A. Brown	....	choreographer
Jerome Butler	....	dialect coach
Matthew Campanile	....	dancer
Marc Cardarelli	....	dancer
Julia Carnevale	....	dancer
Mario Castillo	....	dancer
Ilia Jessica Castro	....	dancer
J. Castro-Ilia	....	Honey dbl.
Daniel Celebre	....	dancer
Andrea Ciacci	....	dancer
Shanna Cipressi	....	dancer
Amanda Cleghorn	....	dancer
Vanessa Cobham	....	dancer
Lisa Colalillo	....	dancer
Conchita	....	dancer
Nicky Craft	....	payroll accountant: re-shoots
Romina D'Ugo	....	dancer
Jessica Dawson	....	dancer
Michelle Digioacchino	....	dancer
Ava DuVernay	....	promotional services
Andrea Edmead	....	dancer
Lee Erdman	....	dancer
Josh Feldman	....	dancer (as Joshua Feldman)
Melissa Flerangile	....	dancer
Jordan Francis	....	dancer
Shawn Frazer	....	dancer
Michelle Galati	....	dancer
Victoria Galati	....	dancer
Laurieann Gibson	....	choreographer
Monica Gomez	....	assistant choreographer
Pamela B. Green	....	producer: main titles
Terri Greening	....	accountant: re-shoot
Michelle Gu	....	dancer
Christian Hamilton	....	assistant production coordinator
Hardkora	....	dancer
Harmonica	....	dancer
Laurie A. Hoover	....	first assistant accountant
Niky Johnson	....	dancer
Sugamai Johnson	....	dancer
Shara Kim	....	dancer
Kira	....	dancer
Jason Krauskopf	....	production assistant
Amy Leigh Johnson	....	unit publicist
Chantelle Leonardo	....	dancer
Joey Levy	....	assistant: Mr. Platt
Simone Lindo	....	craft service
Alicia Lucchese	....	dancer
Chuck Maldonado	....	dancer
Sheldon Mamaril	....	dancer
Kennis Marquis	....	assistant choreographer
Jonathan Matthews	....	location manager
Kojo Mayne	....	dancer
Kwame Mensah	....	dancer
Bianca Mior	....	dancer (as Bianca Noel Mior)
Edwin Arthur Moore Jr.	....	dancer
Monica Muehlhause-Horn	....	production accountant
Shaneen Murrell	....	dancer
Courtney Napper	....	dancer
Onika Ndukwe	....	dancer
Nicole Neal	....	dancer
Eboni Nichols	....	dancer
Jeffery Ong	....	dancer
Dorina Pagliaro	....	dancer
George A. Parker	....	technical supervisor: preview
Sonya Pead	....	dancer
Devon Perri	....	dancer
George Ploszczansky	....	personal security
Sabrina Porco	....	dancer
Michael Prosserman	....	dancer
Michelle Ramez	....	payroll accountant
Natalie Ravera	....	dancer
Mike Reilly	....	production assistant: New York
Tiffanie Retes	....	dancer
Darrell Reyes	....	dancer
Diana Reyes	....	dancer
Annie Rhodes	....	assistant: Mr. Higgins
Tasha Ricketts	....	dancer
Latoya Robinson	....	dancer
Jeremy Rodriguez	....	dancer
Vergi Rodriguez	....	assistant choreographer
Victor Rojas	....	dancer
Anthony Rue II	....	dancer
Jillian Sabean	....	production secretary
Kiera Sangster	....	dancer
Niki Sedlar	....	dancer
Jason Sermonia	....	dancer
Jordan Setacci	....	dancer
Jordan Setacci	....	lead dancer
Natalie Sherisse	....	dancer
Cheyenne Shirley	....	dancer
Stacey Simpson	....	dancer
Onanong Souratha	....	assistant: Mr. Woodruff
Ashley Springer	....	dancer
Philip Spurvey	....	location scout
Supi	....	dancer
Charmine Toppin	....	dancer
Derek Ursacki	....	third assistant accountant
Jull Weber	....	dancer
Debbie Wilkinson	....	production coordinator
Ryan Wilson	....	dancer
Adrian Wiltshire	....	dancer
Jeff Wong	....	dancer
Jodi Woodside	....	dancer
Earl Wright	....	dancer (as Earl 'Punch' Wright)
Russell 'Goofy' Wright	....	dancer
Ma'at Zachary	....	dancer
Janet Zdyb	....	dance coordinator
Arif S. Kinchen	....	voice-over artist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents)
• Marc Platt Productions
• NuAmerica Entertainment

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International Finland (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Eagle Pictures (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Filmes Lusomundo (2004) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2003-2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Paradise Group (2003) (Russia) (all media)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Argentina) (all media)
• Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (VHS)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Custom Film Effects (visual effects and digital opticals)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Elektra Records  soundtrack published by
• Kaleidoscope Films Group  titles
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for drug content and some sexual references

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:18PL | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39508) | Brazil:14 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-7 | Germany:o.Al. (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:MG6 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The title role was originally intended for Aaliyah.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Honey's dancers set up the benefit performance sign, it has a black background with white writing, but on the night of the benefit performance, it has pink writing instead.

Quotes:

Gina:Hmm. Sounds like somebody's trying to dip their fingers in the Honey jar to me.
Honey:Gina, he's my boss.
Gina:You say that like you never heard of Monica Lewinsky.

Movie Connections:

References "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960)

Soundtrack:

Now Ride

The star of the show

Jessica Alba is the star of the show; in this movie and in Hollywood since I don't know when. Her situation is something to detail about. Personally, I look at her and I think she has acted her whole life. Everyone talks about her everyday as if she had decades in the business, but she doesn't. I could say I believe she's done over ten films, when this movie was probably her fifth important role. She did a TV show I never saw for two years, but even before that, her name was on the poster of the movies she appeared in. She is a star by nature, a leading star; and "Honey" is the evidence that proves my statement.

When the film starts, Honey Daniels (Alba) is working at the bar in a disco serving the usual free drinks to her best friend Gina (Joy Briant): "One, please", the friend says, and two guys standing right by her get closer: "Make that three". Honey, with a big smile in her face, tells the guys: "Today is your lucky day", and then Gina interrupts: "Don't get to excited though; she'll not be here much longer…She's gonna make it". So the guys ask how she's gonna make it.

Right away we find out Honey dances; and that she dances awesomely well. If Alba did her own dance moves I don't know for sure, but it always looks like her; in the dance floor, in the videos, in the dance lessons. OK, the film: Honey has a great talent for dancing and she could be a classic ballerina but she prefers to teach hip-hop in a place her mother owns. She goes to auditions, she works hard, and she ultimately gets recognized.

But Alonzo Brown and Kim Watson's story is not about "making it"; it is about the good-hearted people who fight for what they want, don't sell and don't quit. I don't even know if this is a veridical portrait of the hip hop world, but the video shoots seem real and I guess the artists/directors relationships should be how the movie shows them. What I wanted to say is that in the music world, mostly with hip hop (which I consider the easiest market today), when people make it, it goes over their heads, and they leave everything behind.

Although not Honey Daniels; she'll not fall into temptation, and she'll be there for the ones she cares for. It may sound too formulaic, but it's beautiful. Debutant director at the time Bille Woodruff, with previous experience from musical videos, shows us the nice face of his characters' world. Everything is shiny, everyone's happy, everyone's smiling. Yeah, sure some bad things happen, but everything will be ultimately worked out.

Great casting work with the youngsters, especially with Zachary Williams as a little boy, Raymond, who needs someone to watch over him; and Lil' Romeo in a tremendous and talented performance as the teenager Benny, who debates himself about being a gangster or a normal child. This plus Missy Elliott's cameo and Mekhi Phifer in the most charming performance of his career, and the some of the best lines as: "You peoples? Playa, playa, how'd you swing that? I've been trying' to be her peoples for weeks; ain't had no luck".

Not enough? Alba looks gorgeously beautiful in every outfit she wears and her acting skills are way above the film's requirements…She's stunning now and it is only the beginning.