Do the Right Thing (1989)
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Spike Lee, (more)
- Director(s):
- Spike Lee
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Category:
- Drama
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Director Spike Lee dives head-first into a maelstrom of racial and social ills, using as his springboard the hottest day of the year on one block in Brooklyn, NY. Three businesses dominate the block: a storefront radio station, where a smooth-talkin' deejay (Samuel L. Jackson) spins the platters that matter; a convenience store owned by a Korean couple; and Sal's Famous Pizzeria, the only white-operated business in the neighborhood. Sal (Danny Aiello) serves up slices with his two sons, genial Vito (Richard Edson) and angry, racist Pino (John Turturro). Sal has one black employee, Mookie (Spike Lee), who wants to "get paid" but lacks ambition. His sister Jade (Joie Lee, Spike's sister), who has a greater sense of purpose and a "real" job, wants Mookie to start dealing with his responsibilities, most notably his son with girlfriend Tina (Rosie Perez). Two of Mookie's best friends are Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn), a monolith of a man who rarely speaks, preferring to blast Public Enemy's rap song Fight The Power on his massive boom box; and Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito), nicknamed for his coke-bottle glasses and habit of losing his cool. When Buggin' Out notes that Sal's "Wall of Fame," a photo gallery of famous Italian-Americans, includes no people of color, he eventually demands a neighborhood boycott, on a day when tensions are already running high, that incurs tragic consequences. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 120 mins
Complete Cast:
- Danny Aiello - Sal
- Richard Edson - Vito
- Giancarlo Esposito - Buggin Out
- Bill Nunn - Radio Raheem
- Ruby Dee - Mother Sister
- Frankie R. Faison - Coconut Sid
- Joie Lee - Jade
- Martin Lawrence - Cee
- Frank Vincent - Charlie
- Gwen McGee - Louise
- Shawn Elliott - Puerto Rican Ice Man
- David Weinberg - Plain Clothes Detective
- Stephen Park - Sonny
- Joel Nagle - Sergeant
- Miguel Sandoval - Officer Ponte
- Travell Lee Toulson - Hector
- Nelson Vasquez - Stevie's Friends
- Steve White - Ahmad
- Spike Lee - Mookie
- John Turturro - Pino
- Rosie Perez - Tina
- Ossie Davis - Da Mayor
- Paul Benjamin - ML
- Robin Harris - Sweet Dick Willie
- Samuel L. Jackson - Mister Senor Love Daddy
- John Savage - Clifton
- Richard Habersham - Eddie
- Angel Ramirez - Stevie's Friends
- Roger Guenveur Smith - Smiley
- Rick Aiello - Officer Long
- Sherwin Park - Korean Child
- Christa Rivers - Ella
- Leonard Thomas - Punchy
- Ginny Yang - Kim
- Luis Ramos - Stevie
- Diva Osorio - Carmen
- Director(s):
- Spike Lee
- Writer(s):
- Spike Lee
- Producer(s):
- Jon Kilik
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Violence, Not For Children, Profanity, Sexual Situations)
- Categories:
- Drama
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
- 1999 - Do the Right Thing - Library of Congress - U.S. National Film Registry
- 1988 - Do the Right Thing - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Director
- 1988 - Do the Right Thing - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Music Score
- 1988 - Do the Right Thing - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Picture
- 1988 - Do the Right Thing - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Supporting Actor
- 1989 - Do the Right Thing - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Cinematography
