Bamboozled (2000)

A frustrated African-American TV writer proposes a blackface minstrel show in protest, but to his chagrin it becomes a hit.

Director:

Spike Lee

Writer:

Spike Lee

Stars:

Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett Smith

1 win & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Damon Wayans	...	Pierre Delacroix
Savion Glover	...	Manray / Mantan
Jada Pinkett Smith	...	Sloan Hopkins (as Jada Pinkett-Smith)
Tommy Davidson	...	Womack / Sleep'n Eat
Michael Rapaport	...	Thomas Dunwitty
Thomas Jefferson Byrd	...	Honeycutt
Paul Mooney	...	Junebug
Sarah Jones	...	Dot
Gillian White	...	Verna (as Gillian Iliana Waters)
Susan Batson	...	Orchid Dothan
Yasiin Bey	...	Mau Mau: Big Blak Afrika (Julius Hopkins) (as Mos Def)
M.C. Serch	...	Mau Mau: 1 / 16th Blak (as MC Serch)
Gano Grills	...	Mau Mau: Double Blak
Canibus	...	Mau Mau: Mo Blak
DJ Scratch	...	Mau Mau: Jo Blak

Storyline

Dark, biting satire of the television industry, focusing on an Ivy League educated black writer at a major network. Frustrated that his ideas for a "Cosby Show"-esque take on the black family have been rejected by network brass, he devises an outlandish scheme: reviving the minstrel show. This is the hook: Instead of white actors in black face, the show stars black actors in even blacker face. The show becomes an instant smash, but with the success also come repercussions for all involved.

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Plot Keywords:

television industry | african american | actor | writer | minstrel show | 

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Taglines:

Starring the great negroe actors

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language and some violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

It's Showtime

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$190,720, 8 October 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,185,266, 19 November 2000

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The two award ceremony scenes are parodies of two real award recipients whom Spike Lee has publicly criticized: the first, where DelaCroix is fumbling around and yelling "Show me the money!", is a jab at Cuba Gooding Jr.'s enthusiastic victory speech for winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor; the second scene, in which DelaCroix becomes a teary-eyed brown-noser to Matthew Modine, is a shot at Ving Rhames' Golden Globe victory in which he gave teary-eyed kudos to Jack Lemmon.

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Quotes

Sloan Hopkins: I want you to look at this shit. Look to what you contributed to!

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Crazy Credits

The producers wish to thank ... New York Production Locals ...

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Connections

References Homeboys in Outer Space (1996)

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Soundtracks

Slippery Shoes
Written and Performed by Angie Stone
Courtesy of Bahama Rhythm Music and BMG Eurodisc Limited

User Reviews

Satire too narrow and too overt.

For the most part, Spike Lee is an angry filmmaker and I cannot blame his anger nor do I criticize it. With films such as Do the Right Thing and Jungle Fever, he shows his passion and understanding of situations such as racial feelings between all races, not just whites and blacks as well as how outsiders view interracial relationships. Here, his target is the entertainment industry, specifically television and he cuts right to the core because he knows how important and complex this issue is and wastes no time of this 135-minute film to stuff every frame and scene with a message and relating what he has seen in this country and how he feels about it.

First off, the acting is near flawless. Damon Wayans gives his best performance ever as Pierre Delacroix, a successful producer upset that he is not considered black with his fancy dress and white accent. Determined to make his case, he decides to create a minstrel show very much in the vein of those from the 1930s and 40s. However, he goes one step further and hires black actors to use blackface makeup as well as make the subject and setting the most politically incorrect setups imaginable. What he doesn't expect is the overwhelming popularity of the show complete with huge ratings and numerous critical awards.

For my money, Lee almost had a great film here. The first hour is terrific, biting satire, attacking everything and anything. Lee takes no prisoners and also gives some very interesting bits about how a TV show is brought to life. But, once the show becomes a success and the people involved develop consciences, Lee's vision narrows and soon it becomes more of the angry and socially-aware Spike Lee we've seen in much better films. Being white myself, I never liked how Lee seemed to portray whites as leering fools and the true ignorant people of America as opposed to the "more commonly accepted" view of blacks. Still, his feelings were justified in Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever and earlier works. Bamboozled tries too hard and loses its mission towards the end. The end is in fact a rehash of many other movies seen before, even ones self-consciously referred to here such as Network and The Producers.

Spike Lee is a gifted and fearless director and I cannot say this is a boring or uninspiring film. I was held captive every step of the way. I just wish he had picked a better and more effective way to satirize his subjects, as well as maybe broaden the horizons; only then could it really take root.