First Sunday (2008)

2 bungling, petty criminal BFFs try to rob a church, but someone from staff beat them to it. They spend the night with the church staff to get the money.

Director:

David E. Talbert

Writer:

David E. Talbert

Stars:

Ice Cube, Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ice Cube	...	Durell
Katt Williams	...	Rickey
Tracy Morgan	...	LeeJohn
Loretta Devine	...	Sister Doris
Michael Beach	...	Deacon
Keith David	...	Judge B. Bennet Galloway
Regina Hall	...	Omunique
Malinda Williams	...	Tianna
Chi McBride	...	Pastor Arthur Mitchell
Clifton Powell	...	Officer Eddie King
Nicholas Turturro	...	Officer D'Agostino
Olivia Cole	...	Momma T
Red Grant	...	Harold
C.J. Sanders	...	Durell Jr.
Rickey Smiley	...	Bernice Jenkins

Storyline

Durell Washington and LeeJohn Jackson are best friends and bumbling petty criminals. When Durell learns that his ex-girlfriend plans to move to another state with their son Durell Jr.--unless they can get her $17,000 to pay off a debt--, Durell and LeeJohn ultimately come up with a desperate scheme to rob their neighborhood church. When the duo fumbles their way through the break-in, they discover someone has beaten them to the punch. In order to get their hands on the money, Durell and LeeJohn are forced to spend the night in the presence of the Lord and his followers--and end up getting a lot more than they bargained for.

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Plot Keywords:

church | money | theft | slapstick comedy | singer | 

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Taglines:

Keep the faith. Steal the rest.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language, some sexual humor, and brief drug references

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tracy Morgan shot the whole movie with an ankle bracelet on his ankle, where if he didn't leave the set to go straight home, he was going to jail.

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Goofs

When LeeJohn and Darrel are in the Cafe, the toast (bottom right corner) he orders has butter on it in one frame and then a fork on it in the next frame. The toast changes throughout the whole scene.

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Quotes

LeeJohn: I'm gonna construct some construction that needs to be constructed.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Hugh Laurie/Kanye West (2008)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday
Written by Mildred J. Hill, Patty S. Hill (as Patty Smith Hill)

User Reviews

Funny, but only in very isolated parts.

So, it turns out "blaxploitation" films are still alive and well, and these days cast Ice Cube, Katt Williams and Tracy Morgan in the leading roles.

This offensive film parades just about every stereotype about African Americans that you can get away with while still maintaining a PG-13 rating. That translates into a ghetto setting curiously devoid of drug dealers and crack whores. There is one character who dresses like a pimp, but I'm convinced that was because of a mix-up in wardrobe, rather than a deliberate attempt at authenticity.

What is inexcusably absent though is a discernible plot. The screenplay seems to be a weak attempt to re-purpose the flimsy dramatic premise that powers "Die Hard", but relocating it in a church and mashing some Agatha Christie mystery elements for good measure.

What emerges then, in place of a plot, is a severely frayed thread, ambitiously intended to link together a series of set pieces where the various performers deliver signature material - kind of like what you'd find at a school concert, only less coherent.

"First Sunday" does have some funny moments and to be fair, the family did chuckle about the movie for a couple of days after watching it. So think of this movie as a set of toppings in search of a (first) sundae.

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 January 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

First Sunday

Filming Locations:

First Hope Community Church - E. Preston Street & Greenmount Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,714,821, 13 January 2008

Gross USA:

$37,931,869

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$38,810,311

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Gems, Cube Vision, The Story Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1