A frustrated African-American TV writer proposes a blackface minstrel show in protest, but to his chagrin, it becomes a hit.A frustrated African-American TV writer proposes a blackface minstrel show in protest, but to his chagrin, it becomes a hit.A frustrated African-American TV writer proposes a blackface minstrel show in protest, but to his chagrin, it becomes a hit.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 10 nominations
Jada Pinkett Smith
- Sloan Hopkins
- (as Jada Pinkett-Smith)
Gillian White
- Verna
- (as Gillian Iliana Waters)
Yasiin Bey
- Big Blak Afrika
- (as Mos Def)
M.C. Serch
- Mau Mau: 1-16th Blak
- (as MC Serch)
Craig muMs Grant
- Mau Mau: Hard Blak
- (as Mums)
Dormeshia Sumbry
- Pickaninny: Topsy
- (as Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMost of this film was shot only on digital (Mini DV) camcorders, which can be purchased over the counter at any consumer electronics store. While this choice of technology sacrificed quality, it allowed the cinematographers to film with 15 cameras at a time, and it also allowed Spike Lee to get all the footage he needed shot within the film's modest budget. The "Mantan: The New Millennium Minstrel Show" sequences were the only scenes shot using 16mm film.
- GoofsOne character uses the phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid", a reference to the mass murder/suicide of the Peoples Temple cult in Jonestown, Guyana. The poisoned drink was Flavor-Aid. The pavilion was surrounded by armed guards, and anyone who did not drink the poisoned drink willingly (including children) was either forced to drink it or injected with poison. A number of the bodies had puncture or bullet wounds. Jim Jones died of a gunshot wound to the head, that may have been self-inflicted.
- Quotes
Myrna Goldfarb: I happen to have a Master's degree in African-American studies.
Pierre Delacroix: So you fucked a nigger in college.
- Crazy creditsThe credits roll over several "coon" collectable items that are wound-up.
Featured review
Uneven but interesting
This could have been a brilliant film. The problem I had with this film is that Spike Lee had too many ideas he was trying to pursue, and should have kept to the single focus. Yet, there were some brilliant scenes. We see a black gangsta group of hip-hoppers and one scene shows a member drinking out of a bottle shaped like a rocket. Later on we see a commercial for this product. Subtle and interesting. The film clips from old films and the display of of toys during the endtitles, were fascinating and could have made an interesting documentary.
One thing I didn't like, besides the stereotypical white bigots, was Lee's focusing upon 40s black comedian Mantan Moreland as the epitome of black humiliation. Moreland was a brilliant comic who stole the show from the white actors of the day. Whites and Blacks turned against Moreland during the civil rights movement and the man could hardly make ends meet. Before he died in the early 70s, opinion changed again and he was seen as a pioneer. He once again managed to get some work in films and tv before his death. A better target for Lee should have been Stepin Fletchit, who made a career out of playing a lazy black freeloader.
I have to agree with Lee on hip-hop as a minstrel show. The gold chains, oversized sport jerseys, and baseball caps worn sideways are clownish and not far removed from the olden days when blacks played buffoons to entertain white people. The show is still going on....
One thing I didn't like, besides the stereotypical white bigots, was Lee's focusing upon 40s black comedian Mantan Moreland as the epitome of black humiliation. Moreland was a brilliant comic who stole the show from the white actors of the day. Whites and Blacks turned against Moreland during the civil rights movement and the man could hardly make ends meet. Before he died in the early 70s, opinion changed again and he was seen as a pioneer. He once again managed to get some work in films and tv before his death. A better target for Lee should have been Stepin Fletchit, who made a career out of playing a lazy black freeloader.
I have to agree with Lee on hip-hop as a minstrel show. The gold chains, oversized sport jerseys, and baseball caps worn sideways are clownish and not far removed from the olden days when blacks played buffoons to entertain white people. The show is still going on....
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- RDenial
- May 30, 2004
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $10,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,274,979
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $190,720
- Oct 8, 2000
- Gross worldwide
- $2,463,650
- Runtime2 hours 15 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
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