Dreamgirls

Dreamworks/Paramount, 2006
Starring Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy
Directed by Bill Condon
Music by Henry Krieger and others; Lyrics by Tom Eyan and others

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day yesterday, I'm reviewing one of the biggest hit musical films of the last decade or so. The tale of a female African-American R&B group who rise to the top of the charts during the Civil Rights Movement era was a hit in 2006 and won an Oscar for newcomer Jennifer Hudson. Is this a dream of a movie, or should it be left behind? Let's head to a theater in Detroit, Michigan in 1962 and find out...

The Story: Effie White (Hudson), Deena Jones (Knowels), and Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose) are best friends from Detroit who sing together as the group the Dreamettes. Though they lose an amateur contest at their local theater, they catch the eye of car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. (Foxx). He hires the girls as backup singers for dynamic R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early (Murphy) and starts his own record label, Rainbow Records. Effie falls hard for Curtis, while Lorrell starts an affair with Jimmy, despite him being married.

After their first single flops when it's covered by a white surf group, Curtis uses some unscrupulous tactics - including paying off DJs - to make sure their next number is heard. His attempt to tone down Jimmy's act and play it at the very white Miami Beach goes over less well. The Dreamettes, rechristened The Dreams, are now split into their own group, with Deena leading over Effie's objections. The fame is enough at first, until Effie realizes how much attention Curtis is lavishing on conventionally slim and pretty Deena. It comes to an explosive confrontation on New Year's Eve when Effie learns that she's being replaced by Curtis' thinner secretary Michelle (Sharon Leal) just as she's about to tell Curtis that she's pregnant.

Though the Dreams go on to massive worldwide success, Curtis is the only one who's happy. He's micro-managing every aspect of Deena's career, including trying to push her into a huge Cleopatra biopic she knows she's unsuited for. Lorrell still can't get Jimmy to leave his wife, and he's now addicted to heavy drugs, too. Effie's brother CC (Keith Robinson) is tired of hearing his heartfelt ballads turned into disco dance tunes and turns to his big sister, who is finally getting back on her feet after years of being a broke single mother. It'll take tragedy and another payola scam to finally make the Dreams realize how much Curtis has manipulated them...and push them into fighting for their real dream.

The Song and Dance: Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy were nominated for Oscars for their amazing work here; Hudson deservedly won. I actually saw this movie at the theater with a friend on opening night, and I can assure that people went crazy after Hudson nearly blew the roof off the theater with her powerful "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going." Murphy's portrayal of a cocky fading R&B star is nearly as good. Knowles, Rose, and Foxx are also excellent as the remaining Dreams and the master manipulator who uses them to get an "in" with rich white audiences. I also love the colorful, period-accurate costumes and hair and makeup that give you a wonderful idea of what both black and white audiences expected of performers in the 60's and 70's.

Favorite Number: Along with the afore-mentioned "Not Going," my favorite song is the hard-hitting chorus number "Steppin' to the Bad Side," performed with verve by Murphy and the ladies. I'm also a big fan of Hudson's ballad "Love You I Do," which was written directly for the film, as was Beyonce's heartfelt "Listen." Foxx also gets a gorgeous ballad, "When I First Saw You," which he performs over a stylish montage of glamour shots of Deena at the height of her celebrity.

(And no offense to Effie and Hudson, but I kind of like the energetic Dreams disco version of "One Night Only" better than Effie's darker Dionne Warwick-style take.)

Trivia: The singer who performs "I Miss You, Old Friend" at Jimmy's wake was Loretta Divine, who played Lorrell in the original 1984 stage cast of Dreamgirls.

What I Don't Like: This is another musical where I wish they could have kept more of the original stage songs, including a solo for Lorrell, "Ain't No Party." The movie's message about the hard work and sacrifice needed in show business, as well as social acclimation and what happens when we give up our cultural identity for fame, can occasionally be a little heavy-handed, especially in the second half of the film.

The Big Finale: I loved this movie when I saw it with my friend in December 2006, and I love it now. It's one of my favorite movies of the last decade or so. If you love the cast or have any interest in the history of rock, Motown, or R&B, you'll want to make this movie your dream, too.

Home Media: Not only is the original DVD and Blu-Ray still widely available, but a "Director's Cut" with 10 minutes more of footage was released two years ago.

DVD
Blu-Ray - Director's Cut
Amazon Prime