Plot
With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.
Release Year: 2005
Rating: 7.4/10 (21,744 voted)
Critic's Score: 68/100
Director:
Craig Brewer
Stars: Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Anthony Anderson
Storyline Aspiring emcee DJay works the angles to get his first record made with help from assorted people in his Memphis 'hood. And when he hears that hip-hop superstar Skinny Black is heading to his area, he throws together a supreme hustle to grab Skinny's attention.
Cast: Terrence Howard
-
Djay
Anthony Anderson
-
Key
Taryn Manning
-
Nola
Taraji P. Henson
-
Shug
DJ Qualls
-
Shelby
(as D.J. Qualls)
Ludacris
-
Skinny Black
Paula Jai Parker
-
Lexus
Elise Neal
-
Yevette
Isaac Hayes
-
Arnel
Jordan Houston
-
Tigga
(as Juicy J)
William Engram
-
Slobs
(as William 'Poon' Engram)
Bobby Sandimanie
-
Yellow Jacket
(as Bobby 'I-20' Sandimanie)
Haystak
-
Mickey
Claude Phillips
-
Harold
Josey Scott
-
Elroy
Taglines:
The music will inspire them. The dream will unite them. This summer get crunk.
Opening Weekend: $8,017,808
(USA)
(24 July 2005)
(1013 Screens)
Gross: $22,201,636
(USA)
(20 November 2005)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Garrett Hedlund auditioned for the role of Shelby, but was considered too pretty.
Goofs:
Incorrectly regarded as goofs:
Clyde is in the shop buying batteries for his microphones. The microphones we see later are Shure studio microphones that do not use batteries. Batteries are very rarely used in studio microphones. However, it is possible that he was purchasing batteries for microphones used in his other endeavors such as wireless microphones or even the deposition microphones we see later in the film.
Quotes: Shug:
I get like this because I'm pregnant and everything... but, you know, letting me sing on the... on the demo and everything like you do... well, it just... it made me feel real. Real special. And... I mean, I know y'all gonna be moving on and moving up... and y'all gonna get real good people to sing, you know, back up for you and everything... but I just... D, I need you to know it meant the world to me.
User Review
A Fantastic film... but not for everyone.
Rating: 10/10
As a member of the Hollywood community, I was blown away by this
film... By the tight screenplay, the professional direction, and the
phenomenal acting. In my opinion, I think this is one of the best films
of the year so far.
With that said, it is not a film for children. It is not a film meant
to portray ideal role models for children. It IS a film meant to
realistically depict the lives of people who live at the very bottom of
America's socioeconomic ladder.
If you find yourself unable to reserve judgment against people born
into a life so vastly different than your own, you will probably not
like this film. In order to appreciate it, you have to be able to see
past the moral and ethical ambiguities of these characters.
So if anyone feels unsure whether they can handle the ugliness of this
type of world, but still feels curious enough to see it, take a cue
from the Anthropologists...
When studying a culture vastly different than your own, make sure to
leave the rights and wrongs of your society at home. Because once you
impose the moral judgment and ethical standards of your world upon
another's, you've sacrificed your objectivity. And by doing so, miss
the very point of empathy.
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