Idlewild (2006)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Bryan Barber

Writer (WGA):

Bryan Barber (written by)

Release Date:

25 August 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Musical | Romance

Plot:

A musical set in the Prohibition-era American South, where a speakeasy performer and club manager Rooster...

Plot Keywords:

Speakeasy | Gangster | Jazz Club | Unfaithful Husband | Female Nudity

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

André Benjamin	...	Percival
Big Boi	...	Rooster (as Antwan A. Patton)
Paula Patton	...	Angel
Terrence Howard	...	Trumpy
Faizon Love	...	Ace
Malinda Williams	...	Zora
Cicely Tyson	...	Mother Hopkins
Macy Gray	...	Taffy
Ben Vereen	...	Percy Senior
Paula Jai Parker	...	Rose
Bobb'e J. Thompson	...	Young Rooster
Patti LaBelle	...	The Real Angel Davenport
Ving Rhames	...	Spats
Jackie Long	...	Monk
Oscar Dillon	...	Bobo

Also Known As:

My Life in Idlewild (USA) (working title)
Speakerboxxx (USA) (working title)
Untitled OutKast Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexuality, nudity and language.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Germany:12 | Singapore:M18 | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | USA:R (certificate #42268)

Filming Locations:

Burgaw, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Atlas Entertainment

Trivia:

The working title of the film was Speakerboxxx, named after Outkast's 2003 album.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the first big song sung by Rooster, the camera is on Percival playing the piano. A few seconds later, Rooster is seen dancing around the stage, but there is no one at the piano.

Quotes:

Trumpy: [Out of breath] What... was... that... you... told... me... Spatz? Never... never... bring... a... knife... to... a... gun... fight?
Trumpy: You son of a bitch jackass

Movie Connections:

Referenced in OutKast Goes to Idlewild: The Rebirth of Cool (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Vibrate

This movie is fun.

It is a highly stylized slice of life. As usual, reading through the comments left here, I'm finding that many just can't leave their pretense at the door. It would seem that any film with an all African-American cast set in the American south is required to beat us over the head with an idea we are all (I would hope) aware of. ie; Jim Crow sucked. Instead, this film simply portrays people with hopes and dreams, faults and virtues, capable of love and hate, good and evil. in other words, people. Not "black people". That was refreshing. (and, IMHO, a far stronger statement than one could ever make through heavy-handed symbolism) Is the film perfect? Far from it. The plot is in many ways pedestrian. The film telegraphs plot twists rather than foreshadowing them. However, are there flashes of brilliance? Good Lord yes. These are two astonishingly talented men (Andre and Big Boi) and simply as a showcase for that talent, this film succeeds. If you just sit down and let the film wash over you, you will enjoy. If you over-think, and ask it to be something it isn't, you won't. It's that simple.