Hustle & Flow
| Hustle & Flow | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Craig Brewer |
| Written by | Craig Brewer |
| Produced by | John Singleton |
| Starring | Terrence Howard Anthony Anderson Taryn Manning Taraji P. Henson DJ Qualls Chris "Ludacris" Bridges |
| Cinematography | Amy Vincent |
| Edited by | Billy Fox |
| Music by | Scott Bomar |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Classics |
Release date |
|
Running time | 116 minutes |
| Country | Template:Film US |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.8 million |
| Box office | $23,563,727 |
Hustle & Flow is a 2005 independent drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton. Terrence Howard stars as a Memphis hustler who faces his aspiration to become a rapper. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Three 6 Mafia's "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp." Howard was nominated for Best Actor.
Plot
DJay (Terrence Howard) is a pimp and drug dealer who is dissatisfied with his life. After acquiring a keyboard and reacquainting himself with an old friend from school, Key (Anthony Anderson), who has become a sound technician, DJay decides to try making hip hop songs. Key and his sound-mixer friend Shelby (DJ Qualls) help DJay put together several "flow" songs. While DJay quickly proves to have a real talent for lyrics, in which he expresses the frustrations of a small-time hustler struggling to survive, it is his first fixed-length song, done at the urging of these friends, which most obviously has the chance of becoming a hit and getting local radio play.
The group experiences many setbacks throughout the creative process. DJay must hustle those around him in order to procure proper equipment and recording time, and Key's relationship with his wife becomes strained. DJay throws out one of his prostitutes, Lexus, for ridiculing his art. DJay's pregnant prostitute, Shug (Taraji P. Henson), joins in the creative process, singing hooks, and the group eventually records several fixed-length tracks, including "Whoop That Trick" and their primary single "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp". After their first recording, DJay begins to show a romantic interest in Shug.
DJay's friend, Arnel (Isaac Hayes), informs him that Skinny Black (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges), a successful Memphis rapper, will be returning to the neighborhood for a Fourth of July party. DJay gains admittance to the party under the pretext of providing marijuana, with the intention of giving Skinny Black his demo tape. Black is dismissive at first, but after a long night DJay successfully hustles him into taking the tape. Before leaving the party, however, DJay discovers that the drunken Black has destroyed his tape. In a rage, DJay assaults Black and shoots a member of his entourage (I-20) in the arm before fleeing.
DJay is arrested, but in prison he learns that his prostitute Nola (Taryn Manning) has hustled the local radio DJs into playing his songs, which have become local hits. The end of the film, in a bit of irony, sees a duo of prison guards who have their own rap group asking DJay to listen to their demo, much as DJay had approached Skinny Black. After the guards request DJay to listen to the demo, he accepts their tape and responds with the following: "You know what they say, everybody gotta have a dream," which was the slogan for the film.
Cast
- Terrence Howard as DJay, a small-time hustler who is dissatisfied with his unglamorous life and learns to express himself. He is also Shug's love interest.
- Anthony Anderson as Key, a modestly successful audio technician with a passion for music.
- Taryn Manning as Nola, a levelheaded prostitute of DJay's.
- Taraji P. Henson as Shug, a friendly prostitute of DJay's who is pregnant with an unknown client's child. She is also DJay's love interest.
- DJ Qualls as Shelby, a friend of Key's and an amateur musician.
- Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Skinny Black, a successful Memphis rapper who has forgotten his roots.
- Paula Jai Parker as Lexus, an arrogant and rude prostitute and part-time stripper with a young child.
- Elise Neal as Yevette, Key's straight-laced wife.
- Isaac Hayes as Arnel, a bar owner who is sympathetic to DJay's aspirations.
- Juicy J as Tigga, a local rapper.
- Haystak as Mickey, the strip club DJ.
Production
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2010) |
Terrence Howard initially turned down the role of DJay. He reportedly was attempting to avoid being typecast as a "pimp" archetype. However, after recognizing the complexity and depth of the character, he reversed his earlier decision and took on the role.
As concepts of both hustle and flow are unique to African American culture, it turned out to be nearly impossible to find proper translations for international release of the film. For example, the Russian translation of the title means "The fuss and the torrent".
The film experienced many years of near-misses and outright rejection from major studios and potential financiers before finally being backed by its longtime supporter John Singleton. In the DVD extras Singleton says that he decided at last to put up the money himself because he was exasperated at his friends' not getting what their film deserved.
Reception
Awards and nominations
- Best Actor in a Leading Role: Terrence Howard (Nominated)
- Best Original Song: Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, and Paul Beauregard for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" (Winner)
- Austin Film Critics
- Breakthrough Artist Award: Terrence Howard (Winner) also won for Four Brothers, Get Rich or Die Tryin', Lackawanna Blues and Their Eyes Were Watching God
- Black Movie Awards
- Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Terrence Howard (Winner)
- Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Taraji P. Henson (Winner)
- Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Anthony Anderson (Winner)
- Outstanding Motion Picture: (Nominated)
- Best Actor: Terrence Howard (Winner)
- Best Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson (Winner)
- Best Original Soundtrack: (Winner)
- Best Film: (Nominated)
- Best Supporting Actor: Anthony Anderson (Nominated)
- Best Ensemble: Nominated
- Best Actor: Terrence Howard (Nominated)
- Best Song: Terrence Howard for "Hustle & Flow" (Winner)
- Best Actor: Terrence Howard (Nominated)
- Breakout Award: Terrence Howard (Winner) also honored for Crash and Get Rich or Die Tryin'
- Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture: Terrence Howard (Nominated)
- Breakthrough Award: Terrence Howard (Nominated)
- Outstanding Motion Picture (Nominated)
- Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Terrence Howard (Nominated)
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture:
- Taraji P. Henson (Nominated)
- Elise Neal (Nominated)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Anthony Anderson (Nominated)
- Best Breakthrough Performance: Taraji P. Henson (Nominated)
- Best Kiss: Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson (Nominated)
- Best Performance: Terrence Howard (Nominated)
- Audience Award, Dramatic: Craig Brewer (Winner)
- Excellence in Cinematography Award, Dramatic: Amelia Vincent (Winner)
- Choice Actor Drama/Action Adventure: Terrence Howard (Nominated) also for Crash
- Choice Actor Drama/Action Adventure: Ludacris (Nominated) also for Crash
- Choice Summer Movie (Nominated)
Reviews the film received generally favorable reviews,garnering an 82 percent rating,with an average rating of 7.3 out of ten.
Soundtrack
The Hustle & Flow soundtrack was released on July 12, 2005 by Atlantic and Grand Hustle Records. The album centers on Southern hip hop.
References
External links
- 2005 films
- American films
- English-language films
- 2000s drama films
- African American films
- American drama films
- Best Song Academy Award winners
- Directorial debut films
- Films about music and musicians
- Films shot in Super 16
- Hip hop films
- Independent films
- MTV films
- Paramount Vantage films
- Sundance Film Festival award winners