Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

Chicago, 1927. A recording session. Tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable "Mother of the Blues". Based on Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson's play.

Director:

George C. Wolfe

Writers:

Ruben Santiago-Hudson (screenplay by), August Wilson (based on the play by)

Stars:

Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Glynn Turman

Cast

Credited cast, sorted by IMDb STARmeter:
Chadwick Boseman	...	Levee
Viola Davis	...	Ma Rainey
Glynn Turman	...	Toledo
Colman Domingo	...	Cutler
Taylour Paige	...	Dussie Mae
Jonny Coyne	...	Sturdyvant
Michael Potts	...	Slow Drag
Jeremy Shamos	...	Irvin
Joshua Harto	...	Policeman
Dusan Brown	...	Sylvester

Storyline

Tensions and temperatures rise over the course of an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago as a band of musicians await trailblazing performer, the legendary "Mother of the Blues," Ma Rainey (Academy Award® winner Viola Davis). Late to the session, the fearless, fiery Ma engages in a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music. As the band waits in the studio's claustrophobic rehearsal room, ambitious trumpeter Levee (Chadwick Boseman) - who has an eye for Ma's girlfriend and is determined to stake his own claim on the music industry - spurs his fellow musicians into an eruption of stories revealing truths that will forever change the course of their lives. Adapted from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson's play, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM celebrates the transformative power of the blues and the artists who refuse to let society's prejudices dictate their worth. Directed by George C. Wolfe and adapted for the screen by Ruben ...

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Plot Keywords:

agent | 

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexual content and brief violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the last film performance of Chadwick Boseman, who passed away on August 28, 2020, due to a 4-year battle of colon cancer.

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Connections

Referenced in Sky World News: Episode dated 29 August 2020 (2020)

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 2020 (USA)

Also Known As:

Black Bottom

Company Credits

Production Co:

Netflix

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1