The Cookout (2004)

When Todd Anderson signs a $30 million deal with his hometown team, the New Jersey Nets, he knows that his life is set for a big change. To keep things real, he decides to throw a barbeque ... See full summary »

Director:

Lance Rivera

Writers:

Queen Latifah (story), Shakim Compere (story),

Stars:

Ja Rule, Tim Meadows, Jenifer Lewis

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ja Rule	...	Bling Bling
Tim Meadows	...	Leroy
Jenifer Lewis	...	Lady Em
Quran Pender	...	Todd Andersen (as Storm P)
Jonathan Silverman	...	Wes
Meagan Good	...	Brittany
Farrah Fawcett	...	Mrs. Crowley
Ruperto Vanderpool	...	Wheezer
Frankie Faison	...	Jojo Andersen
Vincent Pastore	...	Poo Salesman
Kevin Phillips	...	Jamal Washington
Reg E. Cathey	...	Frank Washington
Rita Owens	...	Nettie Washington
Gerry Bamman	...	Butler
Carl Wright	...	Grandpa

Storyline

When Todd Anderson signs a $30 million deal with his hometown team, the New Jersey Nets, he knows that his life is set for a big change. To keep things real, he decides to throw a barbeque at his place -- just like the ones his family used to have. But when you have new and old friends, family, agents, and product reps in the same house, things are bound to get crazy.

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Plot Keywords:

marriage | flatulence | interracial marriage

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Taglines:

This summer, get your grill on!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for drug content, sexual references and language

Details

Official Sites:

Lions Gate Films [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 September 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Barbecue Party

Filming Locations:

Bernardsvile, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$59,413 (South Africa) (15 July 2005)

Gross:

$59,413 (South Africa) (15 July 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cookout Productions, Flavor Unit Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Farrah Fawcett's last movie role.

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Quotes

Leroy: In hockey, they hit a black puck around, why can't the puck be white.
Wes: Well on ice, a white puck might be difficult to see.
Leroy: I would expect you to say that.

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Connections

Referenced in The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Summertime"
Performed by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Written by Robert Kool Bell (as Robert Bell) / Ronald Bell / George Funky Brown (as George Brown) / Lamar Hula Mahone / Robert Spike Mickens (as Robert Mickens) / Craig Simpkins / Claydes Smith (as Claydes Eugen Smith) / Willard Smith / Alton Taylor (as Alton Dameron Taylor) / Dennis D.T. Thomas (as Dennis Ronald Thomas) / Richard Westfield
Courtesy of Jive Records
Published by Zomba Songs, Inc. o/b/o itself & Da Posse Music (BMI)/Zomba Enterprises Inc. o/b/o itself and Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince Publishing Co. (ASCAP)

User Reviews

No, please Hollywood, pander to us more. We don't find it insulting.

First, I'd like to start of by saying I'm black. So I took especial dislike to this film along with the regular dislike due to the absolute horridness of this movie. I can imagine the conversation at the studios regarding this mess of a movie...

Exec 1: Hey, I've got a great idea for a movie. Exec 2: Shoot Exec 1: Well, it's going to aimed at the black community. So it'll make money without us having to spend money. Exec 2: Or use creativity! Exec 1: Exactly. We use the Black movie formula. Number one, find a topic that the black "community" can relate to. You, know, something that's solely afrocentric. Like "da hood", or rap, or dancing, or how "da sistas" play games with men, or basketballs, or like... a cookout! Number 2, stuff a bunch a race relation jokes in it and pass it off as comedy. Number 3, get one good actor, a rapper, and a white person (you know, so the race relation jokes seem at least semi-relevant), then get a bunch of no name actors. And number 4, put some type of easily grasp high concept, like family or community. And wa la! You've got a movie that'll make money without the makers putting anything (and I mean anything) into it! Exec 2: It's gold!

Unfunny, uninspiring, unoriginal, and insulting to your intelligence whether you're black, white, Asian, native American, Arabic, south Asian, Hispanic or pacific islander, but especially if your black. This is what Hollywood thinks black people want. Mindless entertainment that panders to their race. And frankly, it makes me angry. The story was uneven, the jokes failed to illicit even a chuckle, the acting is bad, and the "high concept" was lost in the swirling mass of awful that was this movie.

A complete and utter waste of time.