Jump to content

Get On Up (film): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Updated gross
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
→Critical reception: Brandon Smith received numerous rave reviews for portraying Little Richard
Line 101: Line 101:
== Critical reception ==
== Critical reception ==
{{Expand section|date=August 2014}}
{{Expand section|date=August 2014}}
''Get On Up'' has been met with positive reviews from critics, with praise mainly going to the performance of Chadwick Boseman. The film currently has a rating of 77% on the review aggregator site [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 110 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's consensus reads: "With an unforgettable Chadwick Boseman in the starring role, ''Get On Up'' offers the Godfather of Soul a fittingly dynamic homage".<ref>Rotten Tomatoes, "[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/get_on_up/ Get On Up (2014)]. Accessed July 31, 2014.</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 71 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>http://www.metacritic.com/movie/get-on-up</ref>
''Get On Up'' has been met with positive reviews from critics, with praise mainly going to the performance of Chadwick Boseman, as well as a show-stealing scene featuring Brandon Smith as Little Richard.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/.../movie-review-chadwick.../story...</ref><ref>http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/james.../2014/08/01...</ref><ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.../get-on-up-review_n...</ref> The film currently has a rating of 77% on the review aggregator site [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 110 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's consensus reads: "With an unforgettable Chadwick Boseman in the starring role, ''Get On Up'' offers the Godfather of Soul a fittingly dynamic homage".<ref>Rotten Tomatoes, "[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/get_on_up/ Get On Up (2014)]. Accessed July 31, 2014.</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 71 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>http://www.metacritic.com/movie/get-on-up</ref>


==Box office==
==Box office==

Revision as of 20:23, 7 August 2014

Get on Up
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTate Taylor
Screenplay byJez Butterworth
John-Henry Butterworth
Story bySteven Baigelman
Jez Butterworth
John-Henry Butterworth
Produced byBrian Grazer
Mick Jagger
Tate Taylor
Victoria Pearman
Erica Huggins
Starring
CinematographyStephen Goldblatt
Edited byMichael McCusker
Music byThomas Newman
Production
companies
Imagine Entertainment
Jagged Films
Wyolah Films
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • August 1, 2014 (2014-08-01) (United States)
Running time
138 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30 million[2]
Box office$16,164,470[3]

Get on Up is a 2014 American biographical drama film about the life of singer James Brown directed by Tate Taylor and written by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth.[4] The film stars Chadwick Boseman as Brown, Nelsan Ellis and Tika Sumpter. The film was released on August 1, 2014.[5]

Plot

James Brown walks through a darkened hall. From outside, an audience is chanting his name loudly. As he takes his walk, he hears voices of people he knew throughout his life. In 1988, in Augusta, Georgia, James, wearing a green tracksuit, goes to a strip mall that he owns, and learns that somebody had been using his bathroom without his consent. He returns to his truck and retrieves a shotgun, to the horror of those in attendance. He addresses the people about who can use the bathroom and when before he accidentally fires a round into the ceiling. A frightened woman, Shirley Buell, confesses to having used the bathroom. James forgives her, saying she did right by herself. Sirens are heard, and James realizes he must leave.

During the 1960s, James and his band decide to travel to Vietnam to show support to the black troops. Their plane flies in the middle of warfare, with the right propeller getting hit. James addresses the corporal when they land, angry that someone would dare to try and kill him, and also annoyed with the corporal telling him how long he can play, but James disregards this because nobody tells him how long he can keep the funk going. He puts on a show for the troops, and they all love it. In 1939, Little James is calling out for his mama in the woods. She emerges from the trees and runs out, with James chasing her. Her name is Susie. They go back to their home, when James's father Joe comes back. Susie chastises him for spending his money on gambling. Joe starts to harass her to get her to bed. She starts to run from him until she willingly jumps into his arms and kisses him, allowing him to take her to bed.

We see some of James's performances with his singing group, The Famous Flames, performing live before audiences. At one point, they precede The Rolling Stones. James's manager Ben Bart tells him about this, and they both believe that The Stones will be has-beens within a year. The Stones watch James perform, admiring his dance moves and energy. Later, James watches The Stones perform on TV and seems to enjoy what he sees. On another occasion, James performs in front of a crowd of white kids, and then imagining himself performing in front of a black crowd where he appears more comfortable. We shift back to James's childhood. Susie has packed her bags and is ready to leave Joe and her son behind. She walks away, only to return to get James. Joe tries to grab him away from her, but she fights him off. Susie is forced to leave James behind when Joe comes back with a gun. James lives with Joe, who abuses the boy for singing. Later, when Joe goes off to join the army, he leaves James with his Aunt Honey, where she makes James work. Honey takes the boy to church, where he takes an interest in the dancing and singing of the choir.

At the age of 17, James breaks into a car and steals a suit. The police chase after him and he is arrested, receiving a 5-13 year sentence. In prison, James sees a group of singers performing, leading him to stand among the other inmates, clapping and singing along with them. One inmate gets up in James's face, and James punches him twice, inciting a riot. Afterwards, James meets one of the singers, Bobby Byrd, who was hit in the face with something that was thrown at him. James and Bobby become well-acquainted, and, following James being granted parole, Bobby convinces his mother to let James stay with them. Bobby's sister Sarah takes a liking to James, and Bobby later catches them fornicating in her room.

Years later, James joins Bobby's gospel group. They put on a show at a club as The Famous Flames, following a performance from Little Richard. Later, James goes the burger joint where Richard works. Richard goes on a rant about not wanting to make music for the "white devil". Another flashback from James's childhood shows him and other children being painted with numbers on their bodies and having one hand tied behind their backs, being forced to fight each other blindfolded. James gets beaten easily, but he watches a funk band playing in the distance. It keeps his spirits up.

In the 1950s, James and Bobby are at a diner. A man walks in and asks the waitress if she's seen them, as he is an agent from King Records. The boys go up to him and introduce themselves. Later on, James, Bobby, and the rest of the Flames record their first song, "Please, Please, Please" with King Records. The executive, Syd Nathan, isn't very interested in the repetitive nature of the song, but he changes his mind when he hears James singing. Soon, James brings Ben Bart on board as his manager. When the band receives their records, they aren't happy to see it labeled as "James Brown and His Famous Flames". Ben explicitly states that James is the true voice of the group. The others, except Bobby, admit they never liked James, and they quit.

James and Bobby form a new band, with instrument players Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis, Nafloyd Scott, and Baby Roy. The band performs at the Apollo Theater to an excited audience. While the band relaxes in their dressing rooms, Bobby goes over to James and tells him that a lady claiming to be his mother is there. Susie walks into the room, smiling at James. We then see a flashback of Little James seeing his mother walking with a soldier. James runs up to her and calls for her. The soldier asks Susie if she knows him, but she shakes her head. James runs away, disappointed and angry. Aunt Honey tells James that his mother is a no-account fool, and that someday, he'll be a rich man, because he has the spirit in him.

James has a child, Teddy, with his first wife Velma, and then later divorces her. He gets married to a woman named DeeDee. On one occasion, the couple hosts a Christmas event outside their house, where James hands money to children. Afterwards, James hits DeeDee for wearing an outfit that allows men to stare at her. James does his best to reach out to the black community. He gathers a group of children and records the song "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud". A performance at The Garden is nearly cancelled following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., out of fear that riots may break out, but James convinces the manager of The Garden to keep it going. During that show, several audience members try to get on stage and dance alongside James, but the security guards keep pulling them away. James stops the show to allow the people to dance with him. His music does end up appealing to the white community as well. While staying at a hotel, a couple voice their complaints over the noise and abundance of black guests, but even they cannot resist dancing to James's music.

As his success grows, James's relationships with others turn sour. He treats his bandmates like his lackeys and doesn't allow creative input from the others. Maceo confronts James one day about the band not getting paid on time and having to spend their off days rehearsing. Eventually, they all quit and leave James. Ben dies after suffering a heart attack during a golf game. James buries his friend, tearing as he does so. After another performance, Bobby sits onstage and muses about following in James's footsteps and taking the stage himself. James is not happy at this thought, thinking Bobby is trying to steal James's thunder. He argues with Bobby and berates him.

We move back to the Apollo, where James asks Susie why she came to see him. He tells her she was never a mother. Susie says she never wanted to be a mother, but she chose to carry him inside her and she did love him. James gives her $100 and sends her away. Before leaving, she looks back at him and says "You so pretty. You so beautiful." When she's gone, James breaks down and quietly cries. Bobby comes back in and sees him. James tells him to make sure that she is well taken care of. In 1973, James receives a phone call. Teddy has been killed in a car accident. We go back to the scene at the strip mall. Prior to this, James smokes a joint laced with angel dust. Following the accidental discharge of the shotgun, James is pursued by the police in his truck. He drives through a barricade and has a police car driving next to him, in which he sees visions of both his mother and father. James is eventually cornered outside a factory and arrested.

In 1993, James visits Bobby at his home for the first time since Teddy's funeral. They are on better terms, and James gives Bobby two tickets to his next show for him and his wife. The scene goes back to the very beginning of the film, with James walking through the darkened hall. He sees visions of everybody from his life chanting his name, and remembering how far he's come to get to this point. He gets up on stage and performs "Try Me". The performance moves Bobby and his wife to tears. The audience cheers James on.

Cast

Production

On October 22, 2012, it was announced that Tate Taylor was set to direct the untitled biopic about James Brown, to be produced by Mick Jagger and Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer.[4] The film was shot in Mississippi.[6] On August 29, 2013, Universal Pictures set October 17, 2014 as a release date for the film, previously untitled.[22] Later, on November 13, Universal shifted the release date of the biopic from October to August 1, 2014.[5]

Casting

On August 26, 2013, Universal selected Chadwick Boseman to play the lead role of James Brown.[6] On September 17, Universal announced an open casting call for actors, musicians and extras for different roles in the biopic, which was held on September 21.[23] On September 30, Taylor cast Viola Davis to play Susie Brown and Octavia Spencer to play Aunt Honey.[9] On October 21, Nelsan Ellis joined the cast of film to portray Bobby Byrd, Brown's long-time friend.[7] Lennie James joined the cast on October 23, to play the role of Brown's father Joseph "Joe" James.[10] On October 24, Universal added James DuMont to play a USO envoy named Corporal Dooley.[16] On October 30, 2013, Kirk Bovill also joined the cast of the film.[17] Jill Scott and Dan Aykroyd were added to cast in Get on Up on October 31; Scott played Brown's wife while Aykroyd played Ben Bart, the President of one of New York's largest talent agencies Universal Attractions Agency.[8]

On November 3, Universal added Keith Robinson to the film to portray the role of Baby Roy, a member of Brown's band.[14] On November 14, Tika Sumpter also joined the cast, to play singer Yvonne Fair.[13] There was a rumor that Taraji P. Henson was to join the film to play Tammi Terrell.[24] Nick Eversman joined the cast on November 19, to play Mick Jagger.[15] On December 9, 2013, it became public that Brandon Mychal Smith was selected to portray Brown's musical idol, Little Richard.[25] On December 20, Josh Hopkins joined the film to portray the role Ralph Bass, a music producer.[11] After the shooting wrapped up in Natchez, MS, the production was looking for extras to begin a shoot on January 6, 2014, filming a concert scene set in Paris in 1971.[26] There was another call on January 6, 2014 for extras to film some daytime scenes in Jackson on January 7, 2014.[27]

Filming

Shooting began on November 4, 2013 in Natchez, Mississippi, in and around Natchez through the end of the year, and then in Jackson, Mississippi.[28] On December 20, 2013, the film wrapped up shooting in Natchez. Crews were set to take a holiday break and then returned to filming from January 6, 2014 to January 24, 2014 in Jackson.[26][29]

Filming got on track again on January 6, 2014 in Jackson.[27] On January 13, 2014, press posted the news that crews had filmed large scenes at Thalia Mara Hall, and they also shot other scenes at Mississippi Coliseum, Capitol Street and some of the restaurants in Jackson.[30]

Marketing

On March 13, 2014, Universal released some photos and a first official trailer of the film.[31][32] A second official trailer was released on May 20.[33]

Critical reception

Get On Up has been met with positive reviews from critics, with praise mainly going to the performance of Chadwick Boseman, as well as a show-stealing scene featuring Brandon Smith as Little Richard.[34][35][36] The film currently has a rating of 77% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 110 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's consensus reads: "With an unforgettable Chadwick Boseman in the starring role, Get On Up offers the Godfather of Soul a fittingly dynamic homage".[37] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 71 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[38]

Box office

The film grossed an $13.6 million during its opening weekend, finishing in third place at the box office behind fellow new release Guardians of the Galaxy ($94.3 million) and Lucy ($18.3 million).[39]

References

  1. ^ "Get On Up". AMC Theatres. January 8, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  2. ^ http://online.wsj.com/articles/james-brown-the-making-of-get-on-up-1406228578
  3. ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=getonup.htm
  4. ^ a b Fleming Jr, Mike (October 22, 2012). "'The Help's Tate Taylor and Mick Jagger Join Brian Grazer On James Brown Biopic". deadline.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Universal Moves Up Release Date For James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". indiewire.com. November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c Kroll, Justin (August 28, 2013). "'42′ Star Chadwick Boseman to Play James Brown". variety.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Gallagher, Brian (October 21, 2013). "Nelsan Ellis Joins the James Brown Biopic Get on Up". movieweb.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d Kit, Borys (October 31, 2013). "Dan Aykroyd, Jill Scott Join James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c Fleming Jr, Mike (September 30, 2013). "Tate Taylor Reunites With 'The Help's Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer On James Brown Pic". deadline.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  10. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (October 23, 2013). "'Walking Dead' Actor 'Lennie James' Joins James Brown Biopic 'Get on Up'". variety.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  11. ^ a b Sneider, Jeff (December 20, 2013). "'Cougar Town' Star Josh Hopkins to Play James Brown's Producer in 'Get on Up'". thewrap.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 13, 2014). "Janina Gavankar Joins 'The Mysteries Of Laura', Brandon Smith In 'One Big Happy'". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  13. ^ a b "Tika Sumpter Cast In James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". deadline.com. November 14, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Keith Robinson Joins James Brown Pic 'Get On Up'". deadline.com. November 3, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  15. ^ a b "Mick Jagger-Produced James Brown Biopic Casts 'Nick Eversman' as Mick Jagger". hollywoodreporter.com. November 19, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  16. ^ a b Sneider, Jeff (October 24, 2013). "'Treme' Star James DuMont Joins James Brown Biopic 'Get on Up'". thewrap.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  17. ^ a b "Kirk Bovill Tapped for James Brown Biopic, Get On Up". pr.com. October 30, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  18. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (April 30, 2014). "Set Visit: Get On Up team promises a James Brown biopic done right". Hitfix.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  19. ^ "MASTERCLASS: AAKOMON "AJ" JONES INSTRUCTIONAL PT 2 [DS2DIO". YouTube. October 26, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  20. ^ http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=18492
  21. ^ https://www.youtube.com/user/codielwiggins
  22. ^ Hayden, Erik (August 29, 2013). "James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up' Gets October 2014 Release Date". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  23. ^ A. Obenson, Tambay (September 17, 2013). "Casting Call For Universal's James Brown Biopic - Actors, Musicians, Extras..." indiewire.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  24. ^ "Might Taraji P. Henson Be Playing Tammi Terrell In 'Get On Up,' The James Brown Biopic?". indiewire.com. November 18, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  25. ^ "Disney's Brandon Mychal Smith to Portray Little Richard". Btscelebs. December 9, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  26. ^ a b "Extras needed in Jackson, MS for the James Brown biopic 'Get On Up'". onlocationvacations.com. December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  27. ^ a b ""Get On Up" Call for Film Extras". jacksonfreepress.com. January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  28. ^ "'Get On Up', the James Brown biopic filming in Natchez, Mississippi". onlocationvacations.com. November 4, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  29. ^ "Filming slated to wrap today on 'Get On Up' film". natchezdemocrat.com. December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  30. ^ "Filming for 'Get On Up' ongoing in Jackson". miamiherald.com. January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  31. ^ Davis, Edward (March 13, 2014). "A New Trailer & Photos Of James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". indiewire.com. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  32. ^ McNary, Dave (March 13, 2014). "James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up' Gets First Trailer". variety.com. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  33. ^ Hughes, Jason (May 20, 2014). "Chadwick Boseman Overcomes Family Struggles in New Trailer for James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". thewrap.com. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  34. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/.../movie-review-chadwick.../story...
  35. ^ http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/james.../2014/08/01...
  36. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.../get-on-up-review_n...
  37. ^ Rotten Tomatoes, "Get On Up (2014). Accessed July 31, 2014.
  38. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/movie/get-on-up
  39. ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=getonup.htm
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Get_On_Up_(film)&oldid=620280882"