A trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.A trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.A trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.
- Won 2 Oscars
- 67 wins & 93 nominations total
Beyoncé
- Deena Jones
- (as Beyoncé Knowles)
Keith D. Robinson
- C.C. White
- (as Keith Robinson)
Mariah Iman Wilson
- Magic
- (as Mariah Wilson)
Ralph Louis Harris
- M.C.
- (as Ralph Harris)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Eddie Murphy Through the Years
Eddie Murphy Through the Years
From Reggie Hammond in 48 Hrs. to Chris Carver in Candy Cane Lane, take a look back at the iconic career of Eddie Murphy.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film, and the original Broadway musical, are based heavily on The Supremes (later known as "Diana Ross & The Supremes"). Curtis Taylor, Jr. represents Motown Founder Berry Gordy. Both men worked in the automotive industry before focusing on music, and integrated aspects of the automotive business into the music making process. Both were romantically involved with the lead singer of their label's most successful female group. Effie's departure from the group closely matches Florence Ballard, whose voice was much more powerful than Ross's.
- GoofsWhen Deena and the girls perform the disco version of 'One Night Only', the stage backdrop is made up of computerized moving head lights, which didn't exist at the time.
- Quotes
Curtis Taylor Jr.: Who was the first artist to sing "Hound Dog"?
C.C. White: Elvis Presley.
Curtis Taylor Jr.: Big Mama Thorton. She had the number-one single on the R&B charts, but the white stations wouldn't play it, because to them it was just another race record.
- Crazy creditsThe film begins immediately after the distribution studio logos, with no opening titles/credits of any kind.
- Alternate versionsIn 2017, Paramount released a "Director's Extended Edition" of "Dreamgirls." This version runs ten minutes longer than the theatrical version and contains changes which include the following:
- The opening talent show scene has extended performances of "I'm Looking' for Something'" and "Goin' Downtown," including a longer scene on the stairs outside the Detroit Theater, where Curtis offers Marty a cigarette and a sales pitch after Charlene and Joanne walk out on him, and Curtis catches a first glimpse of Deena
- Sung dialogue leading up to "Steppin' to the Bad Side" ("You've got me to think for you now...") proceeds the scene in which Curtis tells Wayne and CC of his plan to sell off the car dealership, similar to the lead-up to the song in the original Broadway show. This scene takes the place of the shorter, spoken word alternate version used in the theatrical version
- All shots of Wayne enacting Curtis' payload plans at radio stations are replaced with scenes of the Mafia members Curtis makes a deal with distributing the records and the money
- The Jimmy & the Dreamettes performance section go "Steppin to the Bad Side" is extended
- "Love You I Do" is extended by adding an instrumental break under the scene in which Michelle gets a job at Rainbow Records, and then showing Effie sing the song's second verse on camera
- "Heavy" is extended by adding a break and a chorus, and placing more emphasis on Effie keeping an eye on Deena's image taking over the TV studio monitors
- There is an extra shot of Curtis and Deena's mansion as Deena heads to the service car outside
- An extra scene shows Curtis, C.C., Wayne and other Rainbow executives at a board meeting, at which Curtis decides to finance his "Cleopatra" film pet project with a 10th anniversary special (This scene includes two F-bombs by Jamie Foxx; the Director's Extended Edition is unrated as a result)
- "Patience" is extended by adding extra choruses to the section in which Jimmy and Lorrell record the song, accompanied by a choir
- "Perfect World" is extended by including a full verse and chorus
- "I Meant You No Harm" and "Lorrell Loves Jimmy" are both extended by a few bars
- Jimmy's silent glare at Deena basking in her fame at the Rainbow 10th anniversary TV special is replaced by sung dialogue ("Because I was here long before you...") similar to the "Firing of Jimmy" scene in the original Broadway show
- "I Miss You, Old Friend" is extended by a few bars
- "Effie, Sing My Song" - sung dialogue in which C.C. and Effie reconcile - is added in place of the spoken word alternate version used in the theatrical version
- "One Night Only" is performed in full (only half is used in the theatrical version). At the conclusion of the song, Curtis' Mafia associates come to Effie's performance in Max Washington's bar, which is how they get word (and a tape) to alert Curtis
- Curtis has an extra line of dialogue when being interviewed on the Dreams' farewell performance red carpet, in which he announces that his new artist, Tania Williams, will be releasing her debut album in a month
- ConnectionsEdited into Dreamgirls: T4 Movie Special (2007)
- SoundtracksI'm Looking for Something
Written by Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen
Performed by Maxi Anderson, Charlene Carmen, and Keisha Heely
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
Featured review
An undemanding and thoroughly enjoyable date movie
A dream date-movie, Dreamgirls offers to fulfil your fantasies and, if this is the type of movie you dream about, maybe it will.
A film version based on a stage musical's original book, Dreamgirls scales the octaves of anonymity to eminence for an African-American girl group amid 1960s racial turmoil.
Just looking at the publicity photos may have persuaded you that Dreamgirls is a sight for sore eyes. Lavish sets and costumes, fabulous choreography, and the lighting and razzamatazz associated with the best stage musicals, all exploding onto the big screen with a grandeur that can banish thoughts of anything else. Watch it as you melt into the arms of your lover. Two very powerful lead singers (Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson) to amaze you with their vocal ranges, and the sort of blockbuster publicity that makes going to see it almost an obligatory cultural event.
Dreamgirls is intense, emotion-laden eye-candy, but will it satisfy your every wish? Curtis Taylor Jr (Jamie Foxx) is a car salesman bursting to get into the music business as a forward-looking manager at a time when the industry is about to change. At a local talent show, he hears the Dreamettes - young, full of ability, but not getting the breaks. He gets them a deal as backing singers for James 'Thunder' Early. Thunder's blend of soul and rock 'n' roll is at its height, but times are a-changin' and soon the girls are re-launched as The Dreams - at the same time as Thunder's career fades. A few jealousies and heave-hoes later, and they rocket to success.
Dreamgirls relies on well-established techniques seen in MTV and director-writer Condon's earlier success, Chicago, to ratchet up emotional intensity. A song will start low key in an ordinary setting and modest musical backing, and then segue visually through more extravagant sets until it reaches an emotional climax with full orchestra and bright lights. At times it feels like watching a stage show. The devices are effective but formulaic to the point of being hackneyed. Many of the songs also feel like standard written-for-Broadway numbers, contorted lyrics being used to tell the story and the emotions that the players expect us to share.
The story has little substance beyond the songs (and the posturing that goes with them), but this matters little if you want to be entertained in a way that demands no long/deep attention span, or if you want to nip out for more popcorn, or even turn away for a canoodle until the volume tells you to come up for air. The inclusion of many set stage productions as the girl-group tours enables ample opportunity for show-stopping dance sequences, fabulous lighting and costumes to die for.
The film showcases two discoveries: one is that Eddie Murphy can work outside of comedy. The other is the remarkable talent of Jennifer Hudson (a competitor from the TV singing contest, American Idol) who demonstrates that she can stop you in your tracks as an actor as well as a singer.
But having Hudson and Beyonce together has its problems as well as benefits. Both are remarkable singing divas. This has some relevance to the story since there is a certain rivalry between their characters, but in a movie about a girl-band that is meant to evoke images of groups like the Supremes, they are vocally two divas too many. The large proportion of songs show off their incredible individual vocal talents - but as leads rather than as harmonies. At times, it is maybe like having two high-intensity Aretha Franklins advertising the Dolby-Digital sound dynamics rather than having Ronettes, Stylistics or Supremes soothe the eardrums. The film is about a girl group, yet focuses almost entirely on its two strongest singers. In the absence of a story with depth, characters with substance, or a worthier tribute to an era that had more originality than this big budget production, I longed for a gentle, all-girl ballad.
Dreamgirls contains all the talent that money can buy and more. It has more Academy nominations in its year than any other movie, but none of them in the major categories. So sad, but it lacks true greatness.
A film version based on a stage musical's original book, Dreamgirls scales the octaves of anonymity to eminence for an African-American girl group amid 1960s racial turmoil.
Just looking at the publicity photos may have persuaded you that Dreamgirls is a sight for sore eyes. Lavish sets and costumes, fabulous choreography, and the lighting and razzamatazz associated with the best stage musicals, all exploding onto the big screen with a grandeur that can banish thoughts of anything else. Watch it as you melt into the arms of your lover. Two very powerful lead singers (Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson) to amaze you with their vocal ranges, and the sort of blockbuster publicity that makes going to see it almost an obligatory cultural event.
Dreamgirls is intense, emotion-laden eye-candy, but will it satisfy your every wish? Curtis Taylor Jr (Jamie Foxx) is a car salesman bursting to get into the music business as a forward-looking manager at a time when the industry is about to change. At a local talent show, he hears the Dreamettes - young, full of ability, but not getting the breaks. He gets them a deal as backing singers for James 'Thunder' Early. Thunder's blend of soul and rock 'n' roll is at its height, but times are a-changin' and soon the girls are re-launched as The Dreams - at the same time as Thunder's career fades. A few jealousies and heave-hoes later, and they rocket to success.
Dreamgirls relies on well-established techniques seen in MTV and director-writer Condon's earlier success, Chicago, to ratchet up emotional intensity. A song will start low key in an ordinary setting and modest musical backing, and then segue visually through more extravagant sets until it reaches an emotional climax with full orchestra and bright lights. At times it feels like watching a stage show. The devices are effective but formulaic to the point of being hackneyed. Many of the songs also feel like standard written-for-Broadway numbers, contorted lyrics being used to tell the story and the emotions that the players expect us to share.
The story has little substance beyond the songs (and the posturing that goes with them), but this matters little if you want to be entertained in a way that demands no long/deep attention span, or if you want to nip out for more popcorn, or even turn away for a canoodle until the volume tells you to come up for air. The inclusion of many set stage productions as the girl-group tours enables ample opportunity for show-stopping dance sequences, fabulous lighting and costumes to die for.
The film showcases two discoveries: one is that Eddie Murphy can work outside of comedy. The other is the remarkable talent of Jennifer Hudson (a competitor from the TV singing contest, American Idol) who demonstrates that she can stop you in your tracks as an actor as well as a singer.
But having Hudson and Beyonce together has its problems as well as benefits. Both are remarkable singing divas. This has some relevance to the story since there is a certain rivalry between their characters, but in a movie about a girl-band that is meant to evoke images of groups like the Supremes, they are vocally two divas too many. The large proportion of songs show off their incredible individual vocal talents - but as leads rather than as harmonies. At times, it is maybe like having two high-intensity Aretha Franklins advertising the Dolby-Digital sound dynamics rather than having Ronettes, Stylistics or Supremes soothe the eardrums. The film is about a girl group, yet focuses almost entirely on its two strongest singers. In the absence of a story with depth, characters with substance, or a worthier tribute to an era that had more originality than this big budget production, I longed for a gentle, all-girl ballad.
Dreamgirls contains all the talent that money can buy and more. It has more Academy nominations in its year than any other movie, but none of them in the major categories. So sad, but it lacks true greatness.
helpful•71
- Chris_Docker
- Feb 2, 2007
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Dream Girls
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $70,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $103,365,956
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $378,950
- Dec 17, 2006
- Gross worldwide
- $155,456,301
- Runtime2 hours 10 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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