Gladys Knight Movies
A soul singer of great power and sensitivity, best known for singing with the Pips, Gladys Knight has also appeared (in small roles) as an actress in two feature films, Pipe Dreams (1976) and Twenty Bucks (1993). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
A hard-living nightclub singer discovers the importance of family with the help of a handsome Mexican immigrant in this inspirational comedy drama from writer/director Tyler Perry. When pistol-packing granny Madea (Perry) awakens to the sound of her home being ransacked by wayward teen Jennifer (Hope Olaide Wilson) and her two younger brothers, she promptly marches the troubled kids over their aunt April's house. But despite being the only relative the kids can turn to, April (Taraji P. Henson) is hardly a role model; a self-destructive songbird with a serious drinking problem, she spends her nights at the club and relies on her married boyfriend, Raymond, to pay the bills. Suddenly, into April's life wanders Sandino (Adam Rodriguez), a hard-luck immigrant in search of some honest work. Before long, Sandino has moved into April's basement room, and formed a solid connection with the kids. The closer April and Sandino grow, the more April begins to recognize the importance of faith and family. When the time comes to say goodbye to her old ways and start a new life, the wounded chanteuse realizes that she may have finally found the true love that's always eluded her. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Taraji P. Henson, Adam Rodriguez, (more)
- 2008
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Dionne Warwick, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and others take the stage to perform some of their best known hits in this collection of rare concert clips featuring some of pop-music's biggest divas. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tina Turner, Gladys Knight, (more)
- 2007
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Santa finds himself in serious trouble when Rusty Reindeer leaves the North Pole in order to do some soul searching in the big city, and a malfunctioning "Nice 'N Naughty O'Matic" leaves him unable to distinguish the good kids from the bad in this animated adventure for the entire family. Rusty Reindeer is having a personal crisis, and now he's hoping to find his true role in Christmas by venturing into the city and joining a support group for holiday icons. Meanwhile, as Rusty is trading stories with Albert the Thanksgiving turkey and Mr. C the ornery cupid, Santa's "Nice 'N Naughty O'Matic" goes on the fritz. Now a young boy who should have been on the good list has been mistakenly shifted to the bad, and in order to ensure that the child has a good Christmas Rusty will enlist the aid of moody Halloween ghosts Trick and Treat. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Savage, Fred Willard, (more)
This concert features performances by Gladys Knight, Bonnie Raitt, and others. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
Further cementing 2003 as the year of Ron Shelton cop movies, the director continued his vacation from the sports genre with Hollywood Homicide, a police comedy that comes right on the heels of Shelton's Dark Blue, a decidedly grittier cop thriller. The film stars Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett as LAPD homicide detectives Joe Gavilan and K.C. Calden, two cops with bigger dreams. Gavilan moonlights as a real estate agent, while Calden teaches yoga and yearns for a career on the big screen. When an entire hip-hop group is murdered on-stage, Gavilan and Calden are called in to handle the case. As their investigation progresses, they begin to suspect that the rappers were offed for attempting to get out of their recording contract with label head Sartain (Isaiah Washington). Along with Bruce Greenwood and Keith David, the supporting cast boasts a plethora of real-life musicians, including Dr. Dre, Gladys Knight, Dwight Yoakam, Master P, and Ronald DeVoe of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Josh Hartnett, (more)
This fascinating chronicle of the life and times of a twenty dollar bill was originally written by Endre Boehm in 1935 and languished forgotten on the shelf until his son Leslie resurrected it after his father's death, and updated the script. (Both received screenwriter credit for the released version). The scrap of currency's journey begins after it is spit out of a downtown Minneapolis ATM machine into the hands of a busy young mother. It's a windy day, and the crisp bill is blown out of her hands into those of a bag lady who uses it on the lottery because she believes the serial numbers are lucky. Unfortunately, the bill is plucked from her hands by a light-fingered skate boarder who uses the money at a local bakery. From there the bill's odyssey takes it to a wide variety of places including a wedding, a stripper's g-string, a con artist's scam, and a robbery. It ends up used as a note pad, a birthday present, a coaster, and a fishing contest trophy. Interestingly, every one who encounters the bill changes in some way. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Hunt, David Rasche, (more)
- 1990
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This musical performance features Kenny Rogers doing "Proud Mary" and others with the First Edition. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1988
Appearing as "herself", Gladys Knight arrives at Hillman to give a concert. Upon hearing that Gladys needs some new backup singers, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) team up with aspiring opera diva Angela (Sharon Brown) to prepare an audition. Perhaps it goes without saying that before long, the three ladies are at each others' throats. Elsewhere, Freddie (Cree Summer) is all set to accompany Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) to Gladys' concert--assuming that she can work up enough gumption to ask him. Gladys Knight joins Jasmine Guy and Dawnn Lewis in a performance of "Love Overboard". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Desperado was the first of several made-for-TV movies revolving around the exploits of itinerant cowboy Duell McCall (Alex McArthur). This time around, McCall finds himself in the middle of a deadly feud in a small mining town. As the only honest man in the territory (comparatively speaking), our hero is ripe for a double-cross. Framed for the murder of Sheriff Whaley (Robert Vaughn), McCall is forced to wander the wild frontier in search of the one man who can clear him. Written by Elmore Leonard, this sagebrush Fugitive first aired April 27, 1987. Designed as the pilot for a weekly series, Desperado instead spawned a cluster of feature-length sequels, produced between 1987 and 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Thanks to a series of financial windfalls, the Jeffersons and the Willises are living high off the hog. Envious Florence (Marla Gibbs) would like to get in on this good fortune, especially after Helen Willis (Roxie Roker) meets a number of celebrities at a fancy health spa. Using her own savings, Florence arranges a session at the selfsame spa, where in due course she meets none other Gladys Knight -- whom she fails to recognize. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, (more)
- 1978
Concert performance of Gladys Knight and the Pips, joined by Ray Charles, with songs including "Imagination," and "Midnight Train to Georgia." ~ All Movie Guide
- 1976
- PG
The rugged world of those who built the Alaskan pipeline provides the backdrop for this drama featuring the non-singing film debut of soul-singer Gladys Knight (she and her Pips do sing on the soundtrack though). The story centers on her attempts to regain the love of her estranged husband who works up there. She goes to the wild, wooly town where he is based. There women are hard to find, and those who are there make big bucks selling themselves to lonely workers. Knight is a pretty woman so it doesn't take long for the man who runs the town to try and convince her into becoming a high--priced whore. She refuses and eventually achieves her original goal. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gladys Knight, Barry L. Hankerson, (more)
- 1973
- G
"Brothers and Sisters" is not the name of a singing group; it is more along the lines of an ideal. This feature-length concert film was lensed during the 1972 Black Exposition in Chicago. What we have here, quite simply, is a spectacular display of the finest African-American pop-music talent of the era. Highlight performers include The Jackson 5 (with Michael, of course), Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes and Gladys Knight. Brothers and Sisters in Concert was directed by Stan Lathan, who later helmed such ethnically-oriented subjects as Almos' a Man (1974), The Sky is Gray (1980) and Beat Street (1984). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
