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Head of State (2003)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
28 March 2003 (USA)
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Tagline:
The only thing white is the house.
Plot:
When a presidential candidate dies unexpectedly in the middle of the campaign, the Democratic party unexpectedly picks a Washington, D.C. alderman, Mays Gilliam (Rock) as his replacement . full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
9 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(14 articles)
Rock's Dog-fighting Comments Cost Him Pryor Role?
(From WENN. 21 October 2009, 6:36 PM, PDT)
Queen Elizabeth's tsunami sympathy
(From Monsters and Critics. 1 October 2009, 4:00 AM, PDT)
(From WENN. 21 October 2009, 6:36 PM, PDT)
Queen Elizabeth's tsunami sympathy
(From Monsters and Critics. 1 October 2009, 4:00 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Toothless
more (80 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Chris Rock | ... | Mays Gilliam |
 | Bernie Mac | ... | Mitch Gilliam |
 | Dylan Baker | ... | Martin Geller |
 | Nick Searcy | ... | Brian Lewis |
 | Lynn Whitfield | ... | Debra Lassiter |
 | Robin Givens | ... | Kim |
 | Tamala Jones | ... | Lisa Clark |
| James Rebhorn | ... | Sen. Bill Arnot |
 | Keith David | ... | Bernard Cooper |
 | Tracy Morgan | ... | Meat Man |
| Stephanie March | ... | Nikki |
 | Robert Stanton | ... | Advisor |
 | Jude Ciccolella | ... | Mr. Earl |
| Nate Dogg | ... | Himself |
 | Angie Mattson | ... | Nate's girl |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug references.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
95 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:L |
Finland:K-7 |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:M |
Canada:14A |
Germany:6 |
Ireland:15 |
Norway:11 |
Singapore:PG |
Spain:T |
Sweden:Btl |
UK:12A |
USA:PG-13 (certificate #39659)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Rock got the idea for this story from the 1984 Geraldine Ferraro/Walter Mondale ticket, in which the democrats thought that since they had no chance of winning against Bush/Reagan, they might as well make a historic first so they can win support for the next election. So they ran Ferraro as the first ever woman vice president (they eventually lost).
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Goofs:
Errors in geography: There is no 9th ward of DC, only 8.
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Quotes:
[Mays and Mitch are interrupting Brian Lewis's campaign commercial shoots to force him to debate Mays]
Mays Gilliam: I thought I told you that we won't stop, I thought I told you that we won't stop!
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Mays Gilliam: I thought I told you that we won't stop, I thought I told you that we won't stop!
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Soundtrack:
Slipped on da Ice
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (80 total)
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The real, angry Chris Rock doesn't put in an appearance until the final moments of this political satire (directed and co-written by Rock) but it's not enough to rescue what has come before. Rock's fantasy of being the first African-American to achieve the White House (although he's initially set up to fail by spin doctors Dylan Baker and a surprisingly funny Lynn Whitfield) is somewhat toothless by Rock's own standards. The problem is his altered perception of himself as a film star (as opposed to the established HBO black equivalent of Dennis Miller): he phonily positions himself from the onset as cuddly, concerned for the constituents of the ward he's an alderman for and reasonably ignorant of national issues; he's finally allowed to become self-aware only when his older brother (the always welcome Bernie Mac) intercedes. You keep waiting for Rock to change but when he does, it's first into a playa that comes up with glib quips in response to standard questions. (With barely a mention of foreign policy, they seem a bit stale). Only in the final debate against his opponent (Nick Searcy) does he let loose with some honesty and only then do the jokes carry some weight. Rock, making his directorial debut, opts for the equivalent of a made-for-TV movie with a flat look, very mild gags (there are not nearly enough white fright jokes but there is a fundraiser that turns into a dance party with elderly WASPs doing the electric slide, and opening credits that state Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, George Bush and Hillary Clinton, among others, `are not in this movie') and very little interest in being taken seriously. Warren Beatty covered this turf far more handily in `Bulworth'. With Tamala Jones as his love interest, Robin Givens (cleverly cast as a gold digger) and, unfortunately, only a couple of bits from Tracy Morgan.