Notorious (2009)

The life and death story of The Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Wallace), who came straight out of Brooklyn to take the world of rap music by storm.

Director:

George Tillman Jr.

Writers:

Reggie Rock Bythewood, Cheo Hodari Coker

Stars:

Jamal Woolard, Anthony Mackie, Derek Luke

9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jamal Woolard	...	Christopher 'Biggie' Wallace
Momo Dione	...	Record Executive at Party (as Mohamed Dione)
Derek Luke	...	Sean 'Puffy' Combs
Dennis L.A. White	...	Damion
Marc John Jefferies	...	Cease
Menyone DeVeaux	...	Hot Girl #1
Christopher Jordan Wallace	...	Biggie (Age 8-13)
Ricky Smith	...	Wally
Amanda Christopher	...	Keisha
Angela Bassett	...	Voletta Wallace
Jasper Briggs	...	Damion (Age 8-13)
Cyrus Farmer	...	Selwyn
David Costabile	...	Mr. Webber
Julia Pace Mitchell	...	Jan
Red Café	...	Primo (as Jermaine Denny)

Storyline

NOTORIOUS is the story of Christopher Wallace. Through raw talent and sheer determination, Wallace transforms himself from Brooklyn street hustler (once selling crack to pregnant women) to one of the greatest rappers of all time; THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. Follow his meteoric rise to fame and his refusal to succumb to expectations - redefining our notion of "The American Dream."

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Plot Keywords:

biopic | death | gun | shot to death | drive by shooting | 

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Taglines:

No dream is too big

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language, some strong sexuality including dialogue, nudity, and for drug content

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jamal Woolard heavily prepared for his role for months, which includes listening and remembering lyrics to a variety of songs by Biggie, gaining weight and vocal lessons at Juilliard School to get the voice right.

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Goofs

When Biggie Smalls as a kid meets up with D Roc in the beginning of the film, several contemporary automobiles are visible driving on the street at the top of the shot. The scene is supposed to take place in 1983.

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Quotes

Sean Combs: Yo, he got sex appeal like LL?
Wayne Barrow: A little bigger than that.
Sean Combs: What, like Heavy D?
Wayne Barrow: He's a little darker than that.
Wayne Barrow: He look like Wesley Snipes?
Wayne Barrow: Oh, he ain't Wesley...

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Alternate Versions

The unrated cut features seven minutes of extended footage as well as an opening sequence involving the "Impala SS" killer.

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Connections

References Juice (1992)

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Soundtracks

Rooma Hazit
Written by Patrick Sturrock (as Crunk Daddy P.) and Spike T
Courtesy of Extreme Production Music

User Reviews

Sick of people writing things that make no sense !

First off, I went to see this movie, just left as a matter of fact and I think the movie was very well done. For the people saying that the movie was anti-climatic, what was the climax supposed to be ? We all know how it ends, or should they have added more to the story for dramatic effect so we could then talk about how fake it was, and how it didn't really happen that way ? They told it the way it happened It seems that many people are forgetting that this was a movie about someone's life, not somethingfabricated or concocted simply for the purpose of entertainment. It is supposed to tell a story,his story and if you are a true fan of B.I.G. then that should be the reason you went to see it. What good would that have done to his legacy to fill the movie up with speculation about who did what, if anything it just would have reignited the war between east and west for trying to implicate people in the shooting. The purpose was to show that behind the persona of Big Poppa was a real person, a person that loved and was loved by many people. Honestly its silly to be upset about the fact that it doesn't tell you who shot Pac, or B.I.G.,why diminish from the memory of either by using Biggie's life story to speculate on something that no one but those responsible, knows the answer to ? Also Pac, though I am a huge fan of his music as well, is just a supporting character, this movie wasn't about him, it was about Christopher Wallace, the man, the son, the father and the husband. I get sick of people making comments with no basis or foundation. Of cours things are going to be left out, it's inevitable,seeing as how you can't fit 24 years of someone's life into 2 hours of film, they put in the parts that were relevant to the story of how he came up, his brief career which introduced him to us all, and his tragic ending. I for one was touched, I bobbed my head, I laughed, I reminisced and I cried, and for 1 movie to evoke that many emotions, I say it's a job well done. I for one think B.I.G would be proud, so if you are one of those people that don't even like rap music, then here's some advice:don't even post a comment, better yet don't go see the movie, keep your negative comments to yourself. For those that loved B.I.G he was special to us, and deserving of his story being told just like anybody else who has left us and had their story touch our lives. He left a void, and hip-hop hasn't been the same since he left us. I loved the movie, and would gladly pay my $6.50 to see it again.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 January 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Notorious B.I.G. Project

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,497,596, 18 January 2009

Gross USA:

$36,843,682

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$44,420,167

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Voletta Wallace Films, Bystorm Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min 128 min (unrated director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1