Tracey E. Edmonds Movies
Hollywood wunderkind and megamogul Tracey E. Edmonds's list of business titles speaks, by itself, to the producer's seemingly endless array of accomplishments. She not only works as president and COO of Our Stories Films, a movie studio catering to African-American audiences, but functions as president, owner, and CEO of Edmonds Entertainment Group, which encompasses both the e2 Records music label and the Edmonds Entertainment film production company. Edmonds's resumé incorporates such urban-themed hits as Soul Food, Punks (one of the first commercial releases about gay African-American males), and the 2007 Who's Your Caddy?, a rollicking comedy about a larger-than-life rapper (Big Boi) who literally storms his way onto a snotty white golf course and takes over.Born in 1967, Edmonds graduated from high school ahead of schedule. She attended Stanford University and majored in psychobiology, but quickly projected an entrepreneurial spirit after an early college graduation, and moved into the real estate and mortgage business. In time, Edmonds became acquainted with music pioneer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds on both personal and professional levels, and after Tracey finished familiarizing herself with all aspects of music and film production, the two co-founded Edmonds Entertainment Group. EEG achieved national fame and success with its breakthrough urban comedy Soul Food (1997), starring Vanessa L. Williams and Vivica Fox, highly acclaimed by the public and press for presenting a more domestic and everyday view of middle-class African-American life. For some reason, the "gangsta" drama Light It Up (1999, which the Edmonds co-produced) reversed this strategy; the producers then broadened their Tinseltown fan base with the female buddy comedy Josie and the Pussycats, based on the popular 1970s animated cartoon. The Edmonds Entertainment series Soul Food (which debuted in 2000 on Showtime) constitutes a small-screen spin-off of the theatrical movie. Tracey Edmonds is also the creator and executive producer of the reality series Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown. Tracey Edmonds received an appointment to COO and president of Our Stories Films, established by BET pioneer Robert L. Johnson, in September 2006. The label secured an exclusive distribution deal with The Weinstein Company, and Who's Your Caddy? represented its first major release. Edmonds has also netted a host of awards and honors for her accomplishments, including The Tower of Power Award from Turner Broadcasting, the 2005 National Organization for Women's Excellence in Media award, and an honorary doctorate in business from Southern University. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. headline this romantic comedy about an ambitious Miami executive who meets the man of her dreams and begins reassessing her big-city values after accepting a temporary transfer to the middle of nowhere. When it comes to climbing the corporate latter, Lucy Hill (Zellweger) is a good few rungs above her closest competitor; she's got ambition to spare, and she cares more about driving the latest model car and filling her closet with shoes than making friends around the office. Offered a temporary assignment restructuring a manufacturing plant in the snowbound town of New Ulm, Lucy accepts, knowing that a big promotion is just around the corner. But New Ulm and Miami couldn't be more different if they were each located on separate continents, and as Lucy warms to the locals she discovers that there's more to life than making top dollar and wearing the latest fashions. When handsome local Ted Mitchell (Harry Connick Jr.) takes an interest in Lucy, it isn't long before the whole town is abuzz with rumors of romance, and the girl from the city discovers that a bit of rural magic could work wonders for her outlook on life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Renée Zellweger, Harry Connick, Jr., (more)
- 2008
Comedian Katt Williams stars as a wannabe CIA agent who starts up a "temp from hell" business designed to provoke unwanted employees into quitting their jobs. When his latest target decides to fight fire with fire, however, the man whose job it is to make lives miserable finally gets a taste of his own medicine. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Katt Williams
- 2007
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This BET reality series was a spinoff of College Hill,which followed several African American students during their four years in college. On this occasion, ten students aged 19 to 22, recruited from campuses all over the country, were set loose in the "real" world to compete for a highly coveted summer internship with a Chicago-based Fortune 500 company. Living together in the same apartment, the students were encouraged to hone and refine their management skills and work ethic, and to "give back" to the community in a variety of charitable ways. Of course, if they happened to party a lot along the way, that was all for the better ratings-wise. Gradually, those who didn't yet have what it took to survive in the business world were weeded out, leaving one single "winner" by series' end. Overseeing the competition was bestselling author and medical expert Dr. Ian Smith. Running ten episodes per season, College Hill: Interns was first telecast on October 24, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When a high-profile hip-hop star is denied membership into an exclusive country club in the Hamptons, he comes up with a cunning plan to subvert the questionable ruling in this comedy of manners starring OutKast's Antwan Andre Patton. By purchasing property directly adjacent to the 18th hole, popular rapper C-Note (Patton) is subsequently granted membership into the haughty club by default. As the curmudgeonly club members make it their mission in life to get him kicked out, the clever rapper infuses the stodgy old club with new life. Andy Milonakis, Jeffrey Jones, and Faizon Love co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Antwan Andre Patton, Andy Milonakis, (more)
A serial dater afflicted with a lifelong curse of loneliness attempts to win the love of a clumsy but beautiful penguin expert in the one romantic comedy that proves true love never comes easy. As a ten-year-old boy, Charlie (Dane Cook), breaks the cardinal rule of spin-the-bottle by refusing to kiss a demented goth girl. Crushed by the disheartening snub and determined to ensure that Charlie never finds true love, the vengeful brooder places a hex on the cowardly rule breaker that follows him well into his adult life. Flash-forward 20 years, and Charlie is a successful dentist who just can't seem to maintain a stable relationship. Sure he's had his fair share of one-night stands, but these days Charlie is just looking to find a nice girl he can settle down with. One day, while attending an ex-girlfriend's wedding, Charlie realizes that every girl he has ever dated has proceeded to find true love with the very next man they've met. When word gets out that Charlie is something of a lucky charm for women looking to tie the knot, every women within a 100-mile radius comes calling for a one-night stand; and while taking a bevy of beauties to bed is fun for the time being, it doesn't take long for Charlie to realize just how empty sex can be without true love. Upon meeting hard-to-get aquatic bird specialist Cam (Jessica Alba), Charlie begins to suspect that he has found the woman of his dreams. Cam is the kind of woman whom Charlie would be happy to grow old with, but what will come of their relationship if Charlie and Cam sleep together? Now, in order to ensure that Cam doesn't end up with the next guy she meets, Charlie will finally attempt to break the curse that has plagued him since childhood. Perhaps with a little help from smooth-talking ladies' man and sympathetic best friend Stu (Dan Fogler), Charlie will finally be able to experience true happiness. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dane Cook, Jessica Alba, (more)
Based on the animated hit TV show of the 1970s, Josie and the Pussycats is a live-action tale of a group of young girl rockers who desire to make it big. Josie (Rachael Leigh Cook), Val (Rosario Dawson), and Melody (Tara Reid) make up an aspiring garage band that is discovered by shady megalomaniac executive Wyatt Frame (Alan Cumming), the sidekick to MegaRecords boss Fiona (Parker Posey), who runs an industry powerhouse that has been grooming the very successful boy band Du Jour. Unbeknownst to the band, MegaRecords is a company whose real intent is to brainwash young people, with subliminal messages inserted in CDs to assure a healthy sales record. Josie and her crew soon latch on to the real deal behind their new label and are forced to choose between their burgeoning rock-star success and doing what's right for future music lovers. The film also stars Gabriel Mann as Josie's love interest/folk singer Alan M. Its soundtrack features work by Counting Crows' Adam Duritz, the Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin, and Babyface. Rachael Leigh Cook's voice was dubbed by Letters to Cleo's Kay Hanley for the film's musical set pieces. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, (more)
- 2000
- R
Patrik-Ian Polk directs this ensemble film about a quartet of gay African-American men looking for love in all the wrong places. The film opens with a quartet of friends hanging out by the pool with cocktails discussing who would be better in bed, Ricky Martin or Busta Rhymes. Outside of their overheated imaginations, though, the four are not seeing much action. During his 30th birthday party, Hill (Dwight Ewell) discovered his French beau getting a little fresh with a guest, causing their long term relationship to split. Marcus (Seth Gilliam), a closet romantic longing for Mr. Right, has a habit of scaring off one-night stands with his AIDS paranoia. Drag queen Chris (Jazzmun) talks constantly about a boyfriend no one has ever met, and rich Latino kid Dante (Renoly Santiago) is merrily promiscuous. As the film progresses, Hill, who moves in with Marcus, secretly revels in the prospect of single life. At the same time, Marcus lusts for hunky music producer Darby (Rockmond Dunbar) who moves in next door, though he has a live-in girlfriend (Vanessa Williams). The enormity of Chris' ego breaks up his lip-synched drag revue of Sister Sledge hits. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and features a soundtrack by Babyface and Janet Jackson. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Seth Gilliam, Dwight Ewell, (more)
- 2000
Adapted from the acclaimed 1997 film of the same name, the Showtime series Soul Food revolves around the fortunes of the Joseph clan, a close-knit African-American family coping with the death of their beloved matriarch, Big Mama (Irma P. Hall, who also played the character on the big screen). Opening five months after Big Mama's death, the series begins with Big Mama's youngest daughter Bird (Malinda Williams), ready to give birth to her first child. After leaving the hospital, Bird returns home with her husband Lem (Darrin Dewitt Henson) and newborn son Jeremiah, and is dismayed to find her mother's household flooded and in disarray. She quickly finds herself arguing with her sisters Teri (Nicole Ari Parker) and Maxine (Vanessa Williams) over how to best handle the disaster. The series' first episode was directed by E.R.'s Eriq La Salle and executive produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and his wife, Tracey, who also produced the film version of Soul Food. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rockmond Dunbar, Irma P. Hall, (more)
Noted R&B artist and producer Kenneth (Babyface) Edmonds served as executive producer for this tough urban drama. After a shooting incident in a neglected inner-city school leaves a police officer wounded, a group of students holds the cop hostage, in a desperate effort to force improvements to their school. The cast includes another R&B hitmaker, Usher, as well as Forest Whitaker, Vanessa L. Williams, and Rosario Dawson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Usher Raymond, Forest Whitaker, (more)
This hit domestic comedy-drama concerned the fortunes of an extended African-American family recalled through the eyes of young narrator Ahmad (Brandon Hammond). Ahmad's world revolves around his grandmother, Big Mama Joseph (Irma P. Hall) and her three daughters: workaholic attorney Teri (Vanessa Williams), newlywed salon owner Bird (Nia Long), and Ahmad's housewife mom, Maxine (Vivica A. Fox). Each sister is in turmoil. Teri has lost patience for her husband Miles (Michael Beach), who wants to quit the law and take up music. Bird doesn't realize that her husband Lem (Mekhi Phifer) is about to be humiliated by her ex-boyfriend (Mel Jackson). And while Maxine's relationship with her husband Kenny (Jeffrey D. Sams) is going well, her relationship with her jealous sister Teri needs fixing. These conflicts boil over at Big Mama's traditional Sunday dinners, where the matriarch plays peacemaker. The ritual faces extinction, however, when Big Mama suffers a stroke -- but Ahmad is waiting in the wings to take her place. Soul Food launched the directing career of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native George Tillman, Jr., who based the script on his own family experiences. In the summer of 2000, Soul Food was spun off into a cable TV series. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, (more)
This bittersweet romantic comedy tosses a few screwball comedics into the path to true love. Impoverished, would-be novelist Lee Plenty (Christopher Scott Cherot) lives off his pals while hoping to score big some day soon. Then wealthy, beautiful Havilland Savage (Chenoa Maxwell) invites him to Washington, D.C., for a quiet New Year's Eve party at her affluent family's home -- where Lee becomes the focus of attention from every woman on the premises. Hav's grandmother (Betty Vaughn), however, foresees that Hav and Lee were destined for each other. Shown at the 1997 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chenoa Maxwell, Christopher Scott Cherot, (more)
