Do the Right Thing (1989)

On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.

Director:

Spike Lee

Writer:

Spike Lee

Stars:

Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Danny Aiello	...	Sal
Ossie Davis	...	Da Mayor
Ruby Dee	...	Mother Sister
Richard Edson	...	Vito
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Buggin Out
Spike Lee	...	Mookie
Bill Nunn	...	Radio Raheem
John Turturro	...	Pino
Paul Benjamin	...	ML
Frankie Faison	...	Coconut Sid
Robin Harris	...	Sweet Dick Willie
Joie Lee	...	Jade
Miguel Sandoval	...	Officer Ponte
Rick Aiello	...	Officer Long
John Savage	...	Clifton

Storyline

This film looks at life in the Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn on a hot summer Sunday. As he does everyday, Sal Fragione opens the pizza parlor he's owned for 25 years. The neighborhood has changed considerably in the time he's been there and is now composed primarily of African-Americans and Hispanics. His son Pino hates it there and would like nothing better than to relocate the eatery to their own neighborhood. For Sal however, the restaurant represents something that is part of his life and sees it as a part of the community. What begins as a simple complaint by one of his customers, Buggin Out - who wonders why he has only pictures of famous Italian-Americans on the wall when most of his customers are black - eventually disintegrates into violence as frustration seemingly brings out the worst in everyone.

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Plot Keywords:

pizzeria | bedford stuyvesant brooklyn new york city | police | pizza | boycott | 

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Taglines:

It's the hottest day of the summer. You can do nothing, you can do something, or you can...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Rosie Perez, her face is not shown in her nude scene, because she felt exploited and was crying. She later decided she didn't mind, and appeared nude again in other movies.

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Goofs

When Da Mayor first presents the bunch of roses to Mother Sister the blooms are fully opened. However, later in the film when the roses are again seen in her apartment, the blooms are closed.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mister Senor Love Daddy: Waaaake upl Wake up! Wake upl Wake upl Up ya wake! Up ya Wake! Up ya wakel This is Mister Señor Love Daddy. Your voice of choice. The world's only twelve-hour strong man on the air, here on WE-LOVE radio, 108 FM. The last on your dial, but the first in ya hearts, and that''s the truth Ruthl

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Crazy Credits

Film title logo at the end of closing credits

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Alternate Versions

the "pan & scan" version broadcast on ITV4 truncates the conversation between Radio Raheem and the Koreans when he visits their store to replace the batteries for his portable radio. The sequence where the husband loses his temper and swears "mother-f&%k you", to which Raheem responds warmly is omitted.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II (2017)

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Soundtracks

Never Explain Love
Music by Cathy Block
Lyrics by Raymond Jones
Performed by Al Jarreau
Strings Arranged by Clare Fischer
Building Block Music (BMI)
Zubaidah Music, Inc./Unicity Music Publishing (ASCAP)

User Reviews

The Boiling Point

A scorching summer day brings racial tensions to their boiling point in a Brooklyn neighborhood. Seen through many points of view Spike Lee paints a convincing and critical picture of tensions in the most diverse city in the USA.

The film's strength is its ability to ring true to many sets of ears and especially if you frequent or live in a big city. You always here of events - big and small - on the news and there is usually that element of "racial tensions" or "possible racial motive." In a city where over 200 different languages are spoken (which can give you an idea of how many distinguishable cultures there are) it is only a natural ingredient for friction between people. Whether you hate the other guy, or are just annoyed that you can't understand him nor he you, when all you want to do is buy some groceries. This film shows many situations of this type and how everyone is, in a sense, innocent and guilty at the same time. If a situation gets out of hand and you have people throwing slurs at each other there is that famous expression: "he crossed the line." Well even with critical hindsight, this "line" isn't always visible and when it is, it's faint.

Spike Lee manages to show that very well and with a lot of diverse characters, hence the film being able to ring true with an equally diverse audience.

The only problem is that in today's America the issue is more about class and not just race, though race and class are intertwined. "Crash" presented the issue of class and lifestyle a little bit more thoroughly, but in the end felt preachy and unrealistically sentimental. "Do the Right Thing" is much tighter and the film's climax and overall impact is more powerful. Also of the note is the terrific acting from the entire cast. --- 9/10

Rated R for profanity and some violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian Spanish Korean

Release Date:

21 July 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Heatwave

Filming Locations:

Stuyvesant Ave & Lexington Ave, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,563,535, 2 July 1989

Gross USA:

$27,545,445

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$37,295,445

Company Credits

Production Co:

40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR DTS (DTS: X) Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1