Dreamgirls (2006)

Based on the Broadway musical, a trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s.

Director:

Bill Condon

Writers:

Bill Condon (screenplay), Tom Eyen (book)

Stars:

Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy

Won 2 Oscars. Another 49 wins & 50 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jamie Foxx	...	Curtis Taylor Jr.
Beyoncé Knowles	...	Deena Jones
Eddie Murphy	...	James 'Thunder' Early
Danny Glover	...	Marty Madison
Jennifer Hudson	...	Effie White
Anika Noni Rose	...	Lorrell Robinson
Keith Robinson	...	C.C. White
Sharon Leal	...	Michelle Morris
Hinton Battle	...	Wayne
Mariah I. Wilson	...	Magic (as Mariah Wilson)
Yvette Cason	...	May
Ken Page	...	Max Washington
Ralph Louis Harris	...	M.C. (as Ralph Harris)
Michael-Leon Wooley	...	Tiny Joe Dixon
Loretta Devine	...	Jazz Singer

Storyline

Detroit, the early 1960s. Curtis Taylor, Jr., a car salesman, breaks into the music business with big dreams. He signs a trio of young women, the Dreamettes, gets them a job backing an R&B performer, James "Thunder" Early, establishes his own record label and starts wheeling and dealing. When Early flames out, Curtis makes the Dreamettes into headliners as the Dreams, but not before demoting their hefty big-voiced lead singer, Effie White, and putting the softer-voiced looker, Deena Jones, in front. Soon after, he fires Effie, sends her into a life of proud poverty, and takes Deena and the Dreams to the top. How long can Curtis stay there, and will Effie ever get her due?

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Plot Keywords:

singer | 1960s | trio | pop chart | backup singer | 

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Taglines:

One Dream Will Change Everything

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Musical

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

Dreamworks [us] Official site [es]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Soñadoras

Filming Locations:

Alexandria Hotel - 501 S. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,329,817 (UK) (2 February 2007)

Gross:

$103,338,338 (USA) (13 April 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Pictures, Laurence Mark Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Beyoncé Knowles auditioned in full costume and performed with choreography. She has said she considers this her first film as an actress.

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Goofs

Just before the gospel break of the "Steppin' to the Bad Side" number, a medium shot of the Dreamettes features Deena on the left, Lorrell in the middle, and Effie on the right. The shot immediately following is a long shot showing the full stage, with Effie now on the left, Deena in the middle, and Lorrell on the right.

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Quotes

C.C. White: [knocking on the dressing room door] You ladies decent?
Deena Jones: I am. I can't speak for these two.

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Crazy Credits

The film begins immediately after the distribution studio logos, with no opening titles/credits of any kind.

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Connections

Referenced in Hewy's Animated Movie Reviews: The Princess and the Frog (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Step on Over"
Written by Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen
Performed by Beyoncé Knowles, Anika Noni Rose, and Sharon Leal
Produced by The Underdogs (Harvey Mason Jr. and Damon Thomas)
Published by Dreamgirls Music (ASCAP) admin. by Universal-Geffen Music and Dreamettes Music (BMI) admin. by Universal-Geffen Music

User Reviews

A great American musical....

Screened overnite in Australia for critics and industry.

Ten minutes into director Bill Condon's adaptation of the hit musical, I whispered to my friend "There's no way the film can go at this pace for two hours!" Because up to that point, we had been utterly dazzled by breathtaking staging, impassioned performances and a display of film-making craftsmanship in all its forms (direction, editing, design) that had the packed audience stunned.

Well, two hours later, I'd been proved wrong. Condon has created a vivid, emotional spectacle that will dominate the 06/07 Oscar nominations. Dreamgirls is one of the five best movie musicals ever made.

There is really nothing new about the storyline - smalltown singers make it big and ride the roller-coaster of fame. But thats what works so well for the film - the great cinematic clichés are embraced and played to the hilt by a creative team, both behind and in front of the camera, that knows what makes a great Hollywood musical.

There's not one weak link in the cast. Condon's camera is in love with Beyonce Knowles and she handles the journey from the innocence of the groups early years to the staggering success and fortune of the group at its peak with surprising range. While most singer/actress attempts are failures (Madonna, Whitney, Britney, k.d. lang), Beyonce proves to have genuine talent.

Jamie Foxx centres and grounds the film in a less-flashy role but one that is crucial to the films credibility.

But there are two standouts. Eddie Murphy as fading star Early has never done better work. And Jennifer Hudson delivers an absolute tour-de-force performance in a role that sees her dominate every scene she is in. Her belting solo number was applauded by the audience (a rare enough occurrence during an industry screening but a moment that was repeated a few times thru the film). Hudson is a lock for the supporting actress Oscar, even this far from the ceremony.

Dreamgirls is a better movie in every way than recent award winning musicals Chicago and Moulin Rouge (both of which I am a huge fan). It is a film that tells a classic rags-to-riches story utilising great cinematic technique and bravado. 2006 has offered up some great movie-going experiences for me (Thank You For Smoking, Children Of Men, V For Vendetta, Little Miss Sunshine); for the sheer cinematic thrill it provides, however, Dreamgirls proves to be the best two hours I've spent in a cinema this year.