Hustle & Flow (2005)

With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.

Director:

Craig Brewer

Writer:

Craig Brewer

Stars:

Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Anthony Anderson

Won 1 Oscar. Another 25 wins & 46 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Terrence Howard	...	Djay
Anthony Anderson	...	Key
Taryn Manning	...	Nola
Taraji P. Henson	...	Shug
DJ Qualls	...	Shelby (as D.J. Qualls)
Ludacris	...	Skinny Black
Paula Jai Parker	...	Lexus
Elise Neal	...	Yevette
Isaac Hayes	...	Arnel
Juicy J	...	Tigga
William Engram	...	Slobs (as William 'Poon' Engram)
Bobby Sandimanie	...	Yellow Jacket (as Bobby 'I-20' Sandimanie)
Haystak	...	Mickey
Claude Phillips	...	Harold
Josey Scott	...	Elroy

Storyline

Aspiring emcee DJay works the angles to get his first record made with help from assorted people in his Memphis 'hood. And when he hears that hip-hop superstar Skinny Black is heading to his area, he throws together a supreme hustle to grab Skinny's attention.

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Plot Keywords:

blowjob | electronic keyboard | audio cassette | car | disc jockey | 

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Taglines:

Everybody gotta have a dream.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sex and drug content, pervasive language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 July 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ritmo de un sueño

Filming Locations:

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,017,808, 24 July 2005, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$22,201,636, 20 November 2005

Company Credits

Production Co:

Crunk Pictures, Homegrown Pictures, MTV Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Distribution rights were sold to Paramount Pictures/MTV Films at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival for $9 million, a festival record.

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Goofs

When Djay lays down the track for his song, his hair is slicked back in the recording studio, messy when he is told to go outside, then slicked back again when he returns to the studio.

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Quotes

Key: Just because you got the bacon, lettuce, and tomato don't mean I'm gonna give you my toast.

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Connections

Referenced in The Best of RiffTrax Shorts: Volume Two (2009)

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Soundtracks

Morning Light
by Adriana Evans & Jonathan Scott
Performed by Adriana Evans
Courtesy of Next Thing Records

User Reviews

Terrence Howard is phenomenal!

Incredibly moving, yet definitely not for everyone, Hustle & Flow tells the story of D-Jay, an incredibly conflicted Memphis pimp down on his luck. In one of the most raw and intense performances of recent memory, newcomer Terrence Howard embodies D-Jay with an animal-like ferocity that will help you overcome what few formulaic clichés embody the script. In his mid forties, D-Jay seems too old and far too nice for his profession, and his "hos" seem to take notice. You see, D-Jay represents a lifetime of failed dreams, ambitions, and wrong turns. It seems as if it could all be over, but then fate offers him the opportunity to realize his life-long goal of becoming a successful rap star. D-Jay pours his heart and soul into his music, just as Howard pours his into the performance, and the result is somewhat of a urban Rocky, a true underdog tale. This is perhaps the first hip-hop film to actually get it right, and everything that 8-Mile should have been. Don't let the subject matter keep you from enjoying Howard's brutal tour-de-force.