Lackawanna Blues (TV 2005)

In a story fueled by rhythm and blues, a young boy's life is shaped by love and the stories of a cast of characters in the boarding house where he lives in 1960s Lackawanna, New York.

Director:

George C. Wolfe

Writers:

Ruben Santiago-Hudson (play), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (teleplay)

Stars:

S. Epatha Merkerson, Marcus Carl Franklin, Mos Def

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 26 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Rachel "Nanny" Crosby
Marcus Carl Franklin	...	Ruben Santiago Jr. (as Marcus Franklin)
Mos Def	...	The Bandleader
Carmen Ejogo	...	Alean
Bill Simms Jr.	...	Himself
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Ol'lem Taylor
Macy Gray	...	Pauline
Terrence Howard	...	Bill Crosby (as Terrance Dashon Howard)
Ernie Hudson	...	Dick Barrymore
Delroy Lindo	...	Mr. Lucious
Rosie Perez	...	Bertha
Ruben Santiago-Hudson	...	Freddie Cobbs
Liev Schreiber	...	Ulysses Ford
Jimmy Smits	...	Ruben Santiago Sr.
Patricia Wettig	...	Laura's Mother

Storyline

Based on the true story of Ruben Santiago Jr. and his relationship with his guardian Rachel Crosby, set in 1950's and 1960's Lackawanna, New York. After the separation of his parents, young Ruben "Junior" Santiago, a part-black, part-Hispanic child, is sent to live in a small-scale boarding house run by the kind-hearted Rachel "Nanny" Crosby and her younger husband Bill. Ruben then grows up witnessing the world of soul and blues music and grows to know the various characters that Nanny takes into her household to help out, from disturbed Ol'lem Taylor; one-armed handyman Mr. Lucious; hairdresser Bertha; war veteran Lonnie; ex-convict Mr. Paul; butch cleaner Ricky and many others.

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Plot Keywords:

1960s | boarding house | new york | veteran | 1950s | 

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Taglines:

Play it. Sing it. Shout it. Feel it.

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

HBO [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 February 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Notes storgis

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, HBO Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the autobiographical one-man show by Ruben Santiago-Hudson.

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Goofs

During the club scenes during the 1950s, there are a number of 45 rpm singles hanging on the walls. One is a Columbia Records single with the 1970s design and logo.

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Quotes

Laura: Nanny, it's Laura.
Rachel "Nanny" Crosby: Laura, what you doing with them babies out here this time of night?

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Connections

Featured in The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Boogie Woogie Country Girl"
Written by Reginald Ashby and Doc Pomus
Performed by Big Joe Turner

User Reviews

A Wonderful Ensemble and an Unforgettable Main Character

The centerpiece of Lackawanna Blues is the character Rachel "Nanny" Crosby, who runs a boardinghouse and provides unflagging support to a young boy, Ruben, the narrator of the film. Based upon the experiences of writer-actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the film lovingly recreates the upstate New York boardinghouse and evokes the cultural climate of a world in transition in the 1960s.

The first half of the film is virtually non-stop music. The second half addresses more completely the various characters in the boardinghouse. Nanny's ability "to take fragments and make them whole" affects everyone within her sphere. An especially vivid scene is when she confronts an abusive husband, telling him firmly, "If you ever touch that child again, we're going to dance!" As delivered by actress S. Epatha Merkerson, that line is so steely and filled with such resolve that the husband with the hair-trigger temper is frozen in his tracks.

From start to finish, Merkerson delivers a commanding presence Her character binds together the disparate lives of the borders in her home. This was a touching, heartfelt film with a wonderful cast. As played by Merkerson, the character of Nanny simply radiates love. This is a film experience that I will remember for a long time to come.