Dreamgirls (film)
Dreamgirls is a 2006 American musical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name, Dreamgirls is a film à clef, a work of fiction taking strong inspiration from the history of the Motown record label and its superstar act, The Supremes.[5] The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit girl group known as "The Dreams" and their manipulative record executive.
Dreamgirls
Bill Condon
Virginia Katz
- December 4, 2006 (Ziegfeld Theatre)
- December 15, 2006 (United States)
130 minutes[2]
United States
English
$155.4 million[4]
The film adaptation features an ensemble cast, starring Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles and Eddie Murphy with Jennifer Hudson, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose and Keith Robinson in supporting roles. In addition to the original compositions by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist Tom Eyen, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various lyricists, were added for the film.[6] The film marks the acting debut of Hudson, a former American Idol contestant.[5]
Dreamgirls debuted in four special road show engagements starting on December 4, 2006, before its nationwide release on December 15, 2006.[7] With a production budget of $80 million, Dreamgirls is one of the most expensive films to feature a predominant African-American starring cast in American film history.[3] The film received positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised Condon's direction, the soundtrack, costume and production design, and performances of the cast, in particular Hudson and Murphy, and was also a commercial success, grossing $155.4 million worldwide.[4] At the 79th Academy Awards, the film received a leading eight nominations, winning Best Supporting Actress (for Hudson), and Best Sound Mixing. At the 64th Golden Globe Awards, it won three awards, including for the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.[8]
Plot[edit]
In 1962 Detroit, Cadillac salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. meets a Black girl group called "The Dreamettes", consisting of lead singer Effie White and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, at an R&B amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre. Presenting himself as their new manager, he hires them as backup singers for Chitlin' Circuit R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early. He soon starts his own record label, Rainbow Records, out of his dealership, appointing Effie's brother C.C. as the head songwriter. When their first single "Cadillac Car" underperforms after white pop group "Dave and the Sweethearts" releases a cover, Curtis, C.C., and their producer Wayne turn to payola to make "Jimmy Early & The Dreamettes" mainstream pop stars, beginning with their follow-up single "Steppin' to the Bad Side". Offstage, Effie falls in love with Curtis while the married Jimmy does likewise with Lorrell.
Jimmy's manager, Marty Madison, grows weary of Curtis' plans to make his client more pop-friendly and walks out. When Jimmy bombs in front of an all-white Miami Beach supper club audience, Curtis sends him out on the road alone, keeping The Dreamettes (whom he renames "The Dreams") behind to headline in his place. Feeling that Effie's plus size figure and distinctive, soulful voice will not attract white audiences, he appoints the slimmer, more conventionally attractive Deena as the new lead singer, as Deena's voice, although more basic and generic, is more marketable.
Aided by new songs and a new image, Curtis and C.C. transform The Dreams into a top-selling mainstream pop group. By 1965, however, Effie begins acting out, particularly when Curtis' affections also turn towards Deena. He eventually drops Effie, hiring his secretary Michelle Morris to replace her, beginning with their 1966 New Year's Eve debut in Las Vegas as "Deena Jones & the Dreams". Though Effie defiantly and desperately appeals to Curtis, he, C.C., and The Dreams abandon her, forging ahead to stardom. Effie learns she is pregnant with his child, but conceals the news.
By 1973, Effie has become an impoverished single mother living on welfare in Detroit with her daughter Magic. To restart her music career, she appoints Marty as her manager and begins performing at a local nightclub. Meanwhile, Deena Jones & the Dreams have become superstars and Rainbow, now headquartered in Los Angeles, has become the biggest pop label in the nation. Curtis, now Deena's husband, pitches a film about Cleopatra to feature her in the titular role. However, Deena clandestinely hopes the film will never be greenlit, wanting to pursue other acting gigs.
The following year, Jimmy has descended into drug addiction due to both Curtis' preoccupation with Deena and his rejection of his politically-charged charity single "Patience", written by C.C., that he recorded with Lorrell. During a televised special for Rainbow's tenth anniversary, Jimmy abandons his soulful act to do an impromptu rap, which excites the audience, until he drops his pants. Embarrassed, Curtis promptly drops him from the label and Lorrell ends their affair. Sometime later, C.C., who feels Curtis is undermining his songs' artistic merit by making them into disco music, quits the label. Jimmy soon dies from a heroin overdose, devastating Lorrell, who is barred from his funeral.
Disillusioned by Curtis' cold reaction to Jimmy's death, C.C. reconciles with Effie in Detroit, writing and producing her comeback single, "One Night Only". Just as it begins gaining local radio play, Curtis uses payola to force radio stations to play The Dreams' disco cover of the song. The plan crumbles, however, as Deena, who has been increasingly frustrated over Curtis' control of her career, discovers his schemes and contacts Effie, who arrives in Los Angeles with C.C., Marty, and a lawyer. Deena and Effie reconcile, with Effie telling her that Curtis is Magic's father. He begrudgingly agrees to nationally distribute Effie's version of "One Night Only" to avoid being reported to the FBI. Inspired by Effie's victory and finally seeing Curtis’ true colors, Deena leaves him for good, vowing to start over.
In 1975, The Dreams give a farewell performance at the Detroit Theater, inviting Effie onstage for their final song. Towards the end, Curtis approaches the front row, encounters Magic, and realizes she is his daughter.
Production[edit]
Pre-production[edit]
In the 1980s and 1990s, several attempts were made to produce a film adaptation of Dreamgirls, a Broadway musical loosely based upon the story of The Supremes and Motown Records, which won six Tony Awards in 1982. David Geffen, the stage musical's co-financier, retained the film rights to Dreamgirls and turned down many offers to adapt the story for the screen. He cited a need to preserve the integrity of Dreamgirls stage director Michael Bennett's work after his death in 1987.[15] That same year, Geffen, who ran his Warner Bros.-associated Geffen Pictures film production company at the time, began talks with Broadway lyricist and producer Howard Ashman to adapt it as a star vehicle for Whitney Houston, who was to portray Deena. The production ran into problems when Houston wanted to sing both Deena and Effie's songs (particularly "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"),along with Ashman’s death in 1991, and the film was eventually abandoned.[16]
When Geffen co-founded DreamWorks in 1994 and dissolved Geffen Pictures, the rights to Dreamgirls remained with Warner Bros. Warner planned to go ahead with the film with director Joel Schumacher and screenwriter Tina Andrews[6] in the late 1990s, following the success of Touchstone Pictures's Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got to Do with It. Schumacher planned to have Lauryn Hill[17] portray Deena and Kelly Price play Effie. After Warner's Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love failed at the box office, the studio shut down development on Dreamgirls.[16]
DreamWorks' Dreamgirls adaptation came about after the film version of the Broadway musical Chicago was a success at both the box office and the Academy Awards. Screenwriter and director Bill Condon, who wrote Chicago's screenplay, met producer Laurence Mark at a Hollywood holiday party in late 2002, where the two discussed a long-held "dream project" of Condon's – adapting Dreamgirls for the screen.[18] The two had dinner with Geffen and successfully convinced him to allow Condon to write a screenplay for Dreamgirls.[19] Condon did not start work on the Dreamgirls script until after making the Alfred Kinsey biographical film Kinsey (2004).[18] After sending Geffen the first draft of his screenplay in January 2005, Condon's adaptation of Dreamgirls was greenlit.[12]
Stage to script changes[edit]
While much of the stage musical's story remains intact, a number of significant changes were made. The Dreams' hometown—the setting for much of the action—was moved from Chicago to Detroit, the real-life hometown of The Supremes and Motown Records.[15] The roles of many of the characters were related more closely to their real-life inspirations, following a suggestion by Geffen.[15]
Warner Bros. had retained the film rights to Dreamgirls, and agreed to co-produce with DreamWorks. However, after casting was completed, the film was budgeted at $73 million and Warner backed out of the production. Geffen, taking the role of co-producer, brought Paramount Pictures in to co-finance and release Dreamgirls. During the course of production, Paramount's parent company, Viacom, would purchase DreamWorks, aligning the two studios under one umbrella (and giving the senior studio US distribution rights on behalf of DreamWorks).[15] The completed film had a production budget of $75 million, making Dreamgirls the most expensive film with an all-black starring cast in cinema history.[3]
Casting and rehearsal[edit]
Mark and Condon began pre-production with the intentions of casting Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy, both actors with record industry experience, as Curtis Taylor Jr. and James "Thunder" Early, respectively.[18] When offered the part of Curtis, Foxx initially declined because DreamWorks could not meet his salary demands.[18] Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Terrence Howard were among the other actors also approached to play Curtis.[20] Murphy, on the other hand, accepted the role of Jimmy Early after being convinced to do so by DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg.[15]
While Condon had intended to cast relatively unknown actresses as all three Dreams,[12] R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles lobbied for the part of Deena Jones,[21] and was cast after a successful screen test.[15] Upon learning that Knowles and Murphy had signed on, Foxx rethought his original decision and accepted the Curtis role at DreamWorks' lower salary.[22]
R&B star Usher was to have been cast as C.C. White,[23] but contract negotiations failed; Usher was unable to dedicate half a year to the project. André 3000 of Outkast was also offered the role, but declined.[24] After briefly considering R&B singer Omarion,[25] singer/actor Keith Robinson was eventually cast in the role.[26]
Anika Noni Rose, a Broadway veteran and a Tony Award winner, won the part of Lorrell Robinson after an extensive auditioning process.[21] Rose, significantly shorter than most of her co-stars at five feet and two inches (157 cm), was required to wear (and dance in) four and five-inch (127 mm) heels for much of the picture, which she later stated caused her discomfort.[22]
The most crucial casting decision involved the role of Effie White, the emotional center of the story.[21] The filmmakers insisted on casting a relative unknown in the role, paralleling the casting of then-21-year-old Jennifer Holliday in that role for the original Broadway production.[21] A total of 783 singing actresses auditioned for the role of Effie White, among them American Idol alumnae Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson, former Disney star Raven-Symoné, and Broadway stars Capathia Jenkins and Patina Miller. Community actress Yvette Nicole Brown was also in the running for the role but was eventually cast as the legal secretary to Foxx's character.[27] Though Barrino emerged as an early frontrunner for the part,[28] Hudson was eventually selected to play Effie, leading Barrino to telephone Hudson and jokingly complain that Hudson "stole [Barrino's] part."[29][30][31]
Hudson was required to gain twenty pounds for the role,[32] which marked her debut film performance. In casting Hudson, Condon recalled that he initially was not confident he'd made the right decision, but instinctively cast Hudson after she'd auditioned several times because he "just didn't believe any of the others."[33]
After Hudson was cast in November 2005, the Dreamgirls cast began extensive rehearsals with Condon and choreographers Fatima Robinson and Aakomon "AJ" Jones, veterans of the music video industry.[34] Meanwhile, the music production crew began work with the actors and studio musicians recording the songs for the film. Although rehearsals ended just before Christmas 2005, Condon called Hudson back for a week of one-on-one rehearsals, to help her more fully become the "diva" character of Effie. Hudson was required to be rude and come in late both on set and off, and she and Condon went over Effie's lines and scenes throughout the week.[22]
Loretta Devine, who played Lorrell in the original Broadway production, has a cameo as a jazz singer who performs the song "I Miss You Old Friend."[21] Another Dreamgirls veteran present in the film is Hinton Battle, who was a summer replacement for James "Thunder" Early onstage and here portrays Curtis' aide-de-camp Wayne.[21]
Principal photography[edit]
Principal photography began January 6, 2006 with the filming of dance footage for the first half of "Steppin' to the Bad Side," footage later deleted from the film.[35] The film was primarily shot on soundstages at the Los Angeles Center Studios and on location in the Los Angeles area, with some second unit footage shot in Detroit, Miami, and New York City.[35] The award-winning Broadway lighting team of Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer were brought in to create theatrical lighting techniques for the film's musical numbers.[36]
Beyoncé Knowles elected to lose weight to give the mature Deena Jones of the 1970s a different look than the younger version of the character. By sticking to a highly publicized diet of water, lemons, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper (also known as the Master Cleanse), Knowles rapidly lost twenty pounds, which she gained back once production ended.[37]
Shooting was completed in the early-morning hours of April 8, 2006, after four days were spent shooting Jennifer Hudson's musical number "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", which had purposefully been saved until the end of the shoot.[35] Originally scheduled to be shot in one day, Condon was forced to ask for extra time and money to finish shooting the "And I Am Telling You" scene, as Hudson's voice would give out after four hours of shooting the musical number, and she was unable to plausibly lip-sync while hoarse.[18][33] The scene was felt by everyone involved to be pivotal to the film, as "And I Am Telling You" was Jennifer Holliday's show-stopping number in the original Broadway musical.[18][21]
Related promotions and products[edit]
To give the story more exposure for the upcoming film release, DreamWorks and the licenser of the original play, The Tams-Witmark Music Library, announced that they would pay the licensing fees for all non-professional stage performances of Dreamgirls for the calendar year of 2006. DreamWorks hoped to encourage amateur productions of Dreamgirls, and familiarize a wider audience with the play. As a result, more than fifty high schools, colleges, community theaters, and other non-commercial theater entities staged productions of Dreamgirls in 2006, and DreamWorks spent up to $250,000 subsidizing the licensing.[91]
The Dreamgirls novelization was written by African-American novelist Denene Millner, and adapts the film's official script in chapter form, along with fourteen pages of photographs from the film. The book was released on October 31, 2006. A scrapbook, entitled Dreamgirls: The Movie Musical, was released on March 27, 2007. The limited edition program guide accompanying the Dreamgirls road show release was made available for retail purchase in February. In addition, the Tonnor Doll Company released "The Dreamettes" collection, featuring dolls of the characters Deena, Lorrell, and Effie, to coincide with the release of the film.
Allusions to actual events[edit]
Aside from the overall plot of the film and elements already present in the stage musical, many direct references to The Supremes, Motown, or R&B/soul history in general are included in the film. In one scene, Effie saunters into Curtis' office and discusses Rainbow Records' latest LP, The Great March to Freedom, a spoken word album featuring speeches by Martin Luther King Jr. This LP is an authentic Motown release, issued as Gordy 906 in June 1963.[92][93] A later scene features Curtis and the Dreams recording in the studio, while a riot rages outside. By comparison, Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio remained open and active during Detroit's 12th Street Riot in July 1967.[94][95] The photo shoot montage which accompanies "When I First Saw You", as well as the subplot of Deena being forced to star in Curtis' Cleopatra film against her will, reflect both scenes from and the production of Mahogany, a 1975 Motown film starring Diana Ross and directed by Motown CEO Berry Gordy.[96] In a snapshot, Ed Sullivan appears presenting the real Supremes on his show.
Among the more direct references are the uses of adapted Supremes album cover designs for albums recorded in the film by the Dreams. Three Supremes albums – Let the Sunshine In, Cream of the Crop, and Touch – were reworked into Deena Jones & The Dreams album designs, with the only differences in the designs being the substitution of the names and images of the Supremes with those of Deena Jones & the Dreams. Another Dreams LP seen in the film, Meet the Dreams, is represented by an album cover derived from the designs for the Supremes LPs Meet The Supremes, More Hits by The Supremes and The Supremes A' Go-Go.[97] There is also a solo album, Just In Time, recorded by Deena Jones shown in the film, the album cover for which is based on Dionne Warwick's 1970 album, Very Dionne.
Diana Ross, long a critic of the Broadway version of Dreamgirls for what she saw as an appropriation of her life story,[98] denied having seen the film version.[99] On the other hand, Mary Wilson attended the film's Los Angeles premiere, later stating that Dreamgirls moved her to tears and that it was "closer to the truth than they even know".[100]
However, Smokey Robinson was less than pleased about the film's allusions to Motown history. In a January 25, 2007 interview with NPR, Robinson expressed offense at the film's portrayal of its Berry Gordy analogue, Curtis Taylor Jr., as a "villainous character" who deals in payola and other illegal activities.[101] He repeated these concerns in a later interview with Access Hollywood, adding that he felt DreamWorks and Paramount owed Gordy an apology.[102] On February 23, a week before the Oscars ceremony, DreamWorks and Paramount issued an apology to Gordy and the other Motown alumni.[103] Gordy issued a statement shortly afterwards expressing his acceptance of the apology.[103]
The payola scheme used in the film's script, to which Robinson took offense, is identical to the payola scheme allegedly used by Gordy and the other Motown executives, according to sworn court depositions from Motown executive Michael Lushka, offered during the litigation between the label and its chief creative team, Holland–Dozier–Holland.[104][105] Several references are also made to Mafia-backed loans Curtis uses to fund Rainbow Records.[106] Gordy was highly suspected, though never proven, to have used Mafia-backed loans to finance Motown during its later years.[107]