Queen Latifah Movies
One of the most prominent female hip-hoppers of the 1990s thanks to her soulful and uplifting rhymes, Queen Latifah has also crafted an increasingly successful screen presence.Born Dana Owens in Newark, NJ, on March 18, 1970, this police officer's daughter worked at Burger King before joining the group Ladies Fresh as a human beatbox. Disgusted at the misogynistic, male-dominated rap scene, Owens adapted the moniker of Queen Latifah (meaning delicate and sensitive in Arabic) and was soon on her way to changing the way many people looked at hip hop. Soon gaining a loyal following due to her unique perspective and role model-inspiring attitude, Latifah recorded the single "Wrath of My Madness" in 1988 and the following year she released her debut album, All Hail the Queen. Making her feature debut three short years later in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever, Latifah began refining a screen persona that would be equally adept in both drama and comedy. After starring as magazine editor Khadijah James on the FOX sitcom Living Single (1993-1998) and landing increasingly prominent film roles in Set It Off (1996), Living Out Loud (1998), and The Bone Collector (1999), she was given her own personal televised outlet in the form of The Queen Latifah Show in 1999. Losing her brother in a motorcycle accident in 1995 (she still wears the motorbike's key around her neck) in addition to grieving a friend who was shot when the two were carjacked the same year, Latifah has persisted in overcoming tragedy to remain positive and creative. The talented songstress has also appeared as both the Wicked Witch of the West (1998's The Wizard of Oz) and Glenda the Good (The O.Z. in 2002), in addition to remaining an innovative and inspiring recording artist. In 2003, Latifah hit a watershed moment in her career and in the public perception of her image: she signed to portray Matron Mama Morton in Rob Marshall's bold cinematization of the Bob Fosse musical Chicago. For Latifah, the turn embodied a breakthrough to end all breakthroughs - it dramatically reshaped the artist's image from that of a hip-hop singer turned actress to that of a multitalented, one-woman powerhouse with astonishing gifts in every arena of performance - voice, drama and dance. Latifah deservedly netted an Oscar nomination for this role, but lost to Catherine Zeta-Jones, who played Velma Kelly in the same film.
Later that same year, the multifaceted singer/actress took a dramatic step down in ambition and sophistication, joining Steve Martin for the odd couple comedy Bringing Down the House. That farce tells the occasionally rollicking story of a hyper-anal white lawyer (Martin) who attempts to "hook up" with a barrister he meets online, but discovers that she is (surprise!) actually a slang-tossing black prison escapee with a mad taste for hip hop dancing (Latifah). Ironically - given the seemingly foolproof and ingenious premise - the film collapsed, thanks in no small part to an awkward and craven screenplay that fails to see the logic of its situations through to fruition, and wraps with a ludicrous denouement. The film did score with viewers, despite devastating reviews from critics across the country. (If nothing else, the picture offers the uproarious sight of Martin in hip-hop attire, and does celebrate Latifah's everpresent message of much-deserved respect for black women).
Latifah's onscreen activity skyrocketed over the following half-decade, with an average of around 5-7 roles per year. One of her most popular efforts, Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), constitutes a sequel to the urban comedy-drama Barbershop (2002). The original picture (without Latifah in the cast) concerned the proprietors and patrons of a (mostly) all-black barbershop on the south side of Chicago, with seriocomic lead characters portrayed by Ice-T, Cedric the Entertainer and others. In the second Barbershop go-round, Latifah plays Gina, the owner of an inner-city beauty parlor who operates her business next door. Those films reached a combined total of around $143 million worldwide, thanks in no small part to a pitch-perfect demographic that flocked to both efforts without abandon. The pictures also generated a Latifah-dominated sequel, Beauty Shop (2005), devoted to the exploits of Gina, her customers, and her employees, particularly the flamboyantly gay stylist Jorge Christoph (Kevin Bacon). The movie expanded the target audience of its predecessors and upped the ante by working in WASPy female characters played by A-listers Andie MacDowell and Mena Suvari and having Gina move her shop to the more audience-friendly Atlanta. Though the picture failed to match the grosses of its predecessors, it did reel in just under $38 million worldwide. Each of the installments generated mixed reviews from critics,
Concurrent with Beauty Shop's release, Latifah signed on to collaborate with director Mark Forster and stars Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson in the comedy-fantasy Stranger than Fiction (2006). In that picture - about a man (Ferrell) who discovers he is the character in a book by a washed-up author (Thompson), and due to be killed shortly, Latifah plays Penny Escher, the "assistant" hired to end Thompson's creative block and put her back on track. Though Latifah's constituted a minor role (and, arguably, a throwaway at that), the film itself scored on all fronts, including craftsmanship, audience reactions, box office and critical response. After voicing Ellie in the CG-animated feature Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Latifah revisited cinematic song-and-dance (and reteamed with House director Adam Shankman) for the hotly-anticipated musical comedy Hairspray, based on the hit Broadway production (which was, in turn, based on the 1988 John Waters film). Latifah plays Motormouth Maybelle, in a cast that also includes Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer and an in-drag John Travolta, reprising the role originated by Divine. At about the same time, Shankman and Latifah (doubling up as executive producer and star) signed to team up for a third cinematic outing - a remake of the 1984 Carl Reiner-directed Steve Martin-Lily Tomlin comedy All of Me, set in the realm of African American politics. New Line Cinema slated the picture for a 2008 release.
Meanwhile, Latifah signed to star alongside Diane Keaton and Katie Holmes in the crime comedy Mad Money -- a remake of the British farce Hot Money (with echoes of 1976's How to Beat the High Cost of Living) about a trio of female janitors in the Federal Reserve bank who team up to rob the place blind.
In addition to music, movies, and television, Latifah also found time to author a book on self-esteem entitled Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman, and to serve as co-chairman of the Owens Scholarship Foundation, Inc., which provides assistance to academically gifted but financially underpriveleged students.
~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2008
Singer-turned-actress Queen Latifah stars as an outspoken politician who is suddenly removed from her physical being and forced to share a body with a stanch conservative in producer Adam Shankman's remake of the 1984 Steve Martin/Lily Tomlin comedy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah
- 2000
And Ya Don't Stop: Hip Hop's Greatest Videos collects a dozen music videos that all helped define one of the most popular music forms in the last two decades of the twentieth century. Included are such seminal clips as Public Enemy's "Fight the Power," N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton," House of Pain's "Jump Around," and Arrested Development's "Tennesse." ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
March of the Penguins producers National Geographic Films team with An Inconvenient Truth producers Paramount Vantage to take viewers on an epic journey into the arctic wilderness in a documentary that explores what happens when the beautiful frozen world occupied by two majestic creatures gradually begins to melt away. Seela is a mother walrus thriving in the chilly waters of the Great North, and Nanu is a polar bear with curved claws that make it easy to maintain her footing on ice. As director Sarah Robertson follows these two remarkable creatures from birth through adolescence, maturity, and, ultimately, parenthood, viewers will bear witness to the cycle of life as it unfolds in a vast frozen landscape that could pose problems for all of humankind if it continues to thaw at the current rate. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah
- 2004
- PG13
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Kevin Rodney Sullivan steps in to direct the urban comedy sequel Barbershop 2: Back in Business. The whole gang -- Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer), Jimmy James (Sean Patrick Thomas), Terri (Eve), Isaac (Troy Garity), Ricky (Michael Ealy), and Dinka (Leonard Earl Howze) -- are still there in the same old barbershop in the south side of Chicago. Owner Calvin Palmer (Ice Cube) tries to keep his family business alive in order to pass it on to his own son one day. However, the beloved neighborhood barber shop is threatened by a hair salon franchise called Nappy Cuts. This time around, the old friends are joined by Gina (Queen Latifah) from the beauty shop next door. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, (more)
While the men of Barbershop and Barbershop 2 have plenty to mouth off about, they may have met their match in the female staff and clientele of a nearby beauty shop. Directed by Bille Woodruff, Beauty Shop revolves around these women led by Gina (Queen Latifah), who opened Beauty Shop to give all the females in the community, from a conservative Southern socialite (Andie MacDowell) to a poetry-reciting stylist, a place to talk about life, love, and the issues of the day, all while getting their hair done. Bryce Wilson puts in a supporting performance, as does Kevin Bacon, who plays the snooty owner of a rival salon. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah
Brandy: The Videos is a collection of video works from the young artist's career, showcasing her solo hits like "Baby," "Best Friend," and "I Wanna Be Down," as well as collaborative vocal efforts like "The Boy Is Mine" with Monica and "Brokenhearted" with Wanya Morris. The video is a selection of her most popular hits through 1999. ~ Sarah Sloboda, All Movie Guide
A man looking for a woman just like himself ends up with someone quite different in this farcical comedy. Peter Sanderson (Steve Martin) is a lawyer who is having trouble getting his life back on track after his wife, Kate (Jean Smart), divorces him; he's also adjusting to his new status as a single father. Looking for companionship, Peter tries an internet dating site and virtually meets "lawyer-girl," an attractive and single fellow attorney. Peter makes a date with her, but the woman who arrives at his door turns out to be Charlene Morton (Queen Latifah), who not only isn't a lawyer, she turns out to be an escaped convict. Charlene is also a brash and brassy African-American, while Peter is perhaps the most tightly wound white guy in L.A. Charlene explains to Peter that she's strung him along because she's innocent of the crime for which she was convicted, and she needs a top-notch attorney to help prove her case. Peter isn't the least bit interested at first, but Charlene isn't the sort of woman to take "no" for an answer, and in time she wears him down and agrees to help. As Charlene moves into Peter's home, she helps him to loosen up and unleash his inner groove, which quite surprises Kate, and her down-to-earth advice comes in handy for Peter's son and daughter. But Charlene may end up going too far when Peter is asked to entertain Mrs. Arness (Joan Plowright), a wealthy woman looking for a new law firm. Bringing Down the House also features Eugene Levy as Howie, one of Peter's friends who takes a keen interest in Charlene, and Betty White as one of Peter's neighbors. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Queen Latifah, (more)
A woman wonders if it's just friendship or real love she feels when a close male friend announces he's tying the knot in this romantic comedy. Dre (Taye Diggs) and Sidney (Sanaa Lathan) became best friends when they were ten years old -- the same time that both first became aware of the first rumblings of the Hip Hop revolution in New York City. Today, Dre runs a successful record label, and Sidney is a respected music journalist; both have managed to turn their love for the music into careers, and both are still close friends. Close enough, in fact, that many of their pals wonder why they've never become boyfriend and girlfriend. While both have always denied their attraction to one another, Sidney begins to have second thoughts when Dre proposes to his girlfriend Reese (Nicole Ari Parker), a lawyer. Even though Sidney has a relationship of her own with professional basketball player Kelby (Boris Kodjoe), as Dre's wedding draws closer, Sidney begins to suspect that her longtime best friend is actually the love of her life. Brown Sugar features supporting performances form real life Hip Hop stars Mos Def and Queen Latifah; former basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson served as executive producer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, (more)
A starry-eyed would-be star discovers just how far the notion that "there's no such thing as bad publicity" can go in this screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Chicago, originally directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. In the mid-'20s, Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger) is a small-time chorus dancer married to a well-meaning dunderhead named Amos (John C. Reilly). Roxie is having an affair on the side with Fred Casley (Dominic West), a smooth talker who insists he can make her a star. However, Fred strings Roxie along a bit too far for his own good, and when she realizes that his promises are empty, she becomes enraged and murders Fred in cold blood. Roxie soon finds herself behind bars alongside Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a sexy vaudeville star who used to perform with her sister until Velma discovered that her sister had been sleeping with her husband. Velma shot them both dead, and, after scheming prison matron "Mama" Morton hooks Velma up with hotshot lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), Velma becomes the new Queen of the scandal sheets. Roxie is just shrewd enough to realize that her poor fortune could also bring her fame, so she convinces Amos to also hire Flynn. Soon Flynn is splashing Roxie's story -- or, more accurately, a highly melodramatic revision of Roxie's story -- all over the gutter press, and Roxy and Velma are soon battling neck-to-neck over who can win greater fame through the headlines. A project that had been moving from studio to studio since the musical opened on Broadway in 1973, Chicago also features guest appearances by Lucy Liu and Christine Baranski. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger, (more)
Adam Shankman's adaptation of the stage musical Hairspray, itself an adaptation of the non-musical John Waters film of the same name, stars Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad, an overweight high-school student whose only dream is to be on a local Baltimore teen dance program. While her father (Christopher Walken) tells her to follow her dreams, her mother Edna (John Travolta in drag) reminds her that she doesn't look like the girls on that show. After impressing the show's host (James Marsden), Tracy earns a coveted spot on the program, but when she becomes a popular addition to the cast, she earns the wrath of the prettiest girl in school -- a girl whose mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) just happens to operate the local television station. Tracy's visit to detention hall opens her eyes to the racial tension on the show, as does the budding relationship between her best friend (Amanda Bynes) and an African-American boy named Seaweed (Elijah Kelley). Thus empowered, Tracy attempts to integrate the races on her favorite program. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, (more)
The white-run Mafia and the black-run numbers game meet head on with explosive impact in this period crime thriller. Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (Laurence Fishburne) is an African-American ex-con who, after a stay in prison, returns to Harlem at the height of its renaissance before World War II. Looking for work, Bumpy becomes a lieutenant for Stephanie St. Clair (Cicely Tyson), the queen of Harlem's numbers racket. Bumpy's old friend Illinois Gordon (Chi McBride) gently expresses his concern about Bumpy's life of crime, and social worker Francine Hughes (Vanessa L. Williams), who is attracted to Bumpy (and vice versa), suggests he should be doing something more positive with his life. But Bumpy contends that the numbers game is the only business in the community that blacks are able to control themselves. The numbers game is very profitable -- enough so that mob boss "Lucky" Luciano (Andy Garcia) wants in on the action. He assigns one of his key men, "Dutch" Schultz (Tim Roth), to try to strike a deal with Stephanie, but negotiation isn't Dutch's strong suit -- he finds that murder is a far more effective tactic in taking control of a business, and Dutch is not the sort of person who's bothered by violence. Hoodlum was director Bill Duke's second film set in the milieu of the Gangster days of the 1920s and 1930s, after his breakthrough picture A Rage in Harlem. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth, (more)
Robin Harris, Christopher Reid's foul-mouthed and irascible father from the original House Party film, died in the interim, but he has a university named after him in this follow-the-dots sequel. Kid (Christopher Reid) has finally made it to college in House Party 2, but not without problems. Sent to Harris University on a scholarship check given to him by his local church congregation, he finds himself broke before he can even buy the books for his college courses. He can thank his old pal Play (Christopher Martin) for his financial straits, since Play borrowed the money to pay a phony music producer named Shelia (Iman), who has headed off to parts unknown. Kid tries to pay for tuition by working in the college cafeteria but is thrown out because he is not considered a student. Problems compound when his girlfriend Sidney (Tisha Campbell) spends more time studying than with him. He also receives lectures on political correctness from her strident roommate Zora (Queen Latifah). Still, Kid's main concern is finding the money for college. Finally Kid agrees to go along with Play's scheme -- to hold a surreptitious late-night pajama party in the faculty hall to raise funds to pay for Kid's education. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher "Kid" Reid, Christopher "Play" Martin, (more)
- 2009
- PG
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The fun continues as Diego, Manny, and Sid all return for another round of prehistoric fun in this installment of the popular computer-animated children's series. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, (more)
Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), and Diego (Denis Leary) may have made it through the big freeze, but when the ice begins to melt, the heroic trio must warn the other inhabitants of their peaceful valley of the coming flood in directors Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha's sequel to the computer-animated 2002 hit Ice Age. As the ice age winds to an end, the animals of the Earth have taken warmly to the melting paradise that surrounds them. Despite the false comfort of a lush valley teeming with vegetation, however, great danger looms just over the horizon. When Manny, Sid, and Diego realize that the miles of liquefying ice overlooking their valley will soon turn from a gentle trickle to a violent force of nature capable of destroying anything and everything unfortunate enough to be in its path, they quickly set out to spread the word and get their endangered friends out of harm's way. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, (more)
- 1996
This documentary explores the accomplishments and inspirations of African-American women and examines some of the issues they face in contemporary society. The program, hosted by actresses Queen Latifah and Halle Berry, discusses women's efforts to balance work and family, deal with economic stress, health matters, and interpersonal relationships. Also featured are interviews with Nobel laureate Maya Angelou, Academy Award-winning actress Esther Rolle, choreographer Debbie Allen, economist Juliane Malveaux, violence prevention expert Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, and Susan Taylor, editor-in-chief of Essence magazine. This is one volume in the four-part series, Images & Realities, which examines contemporary concerns and issues faced by African-American people, and discusses how solutions can be found through nurturing, shared values, and a sense of community. ~ Alice Duncan, All Movie Guide
Cinematographer Ernest R. Dickerson directed and co-wrote this crime drama about a group of friends who get involved in a robbery. Bishop (Tupac Shakur), Q (Omar Epps), Raheem (Khalil Kain), and Steel (Jermaine Hopkins) are four Harlem friends who spend their days skipping school, getting in fights, and casually shoplifting. The only member of the group who has plans for the future is Q, who dreams of becoming a deejay. But one day Bishop happens to see James Cagney in White Heat and the film inspires him to buy a gun. His plan is to rob a corner store and split the money. Everyone goes along with the plan except for Q, who is competing that night in a deejay contest. At the club, Q is a rousing success, but he spies the stern faces of his friends through the cheering crowd and realizes that he has to go along with the robbery, which goes completely wrong. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, (more)
Spike Lee defines "jungle fever" as sexual attraction between members of two races. In his film Jungle Fever, he examines the repercussions of an interracial affair upon two very distinct communities. Wesley Snipes is Flipper, a happily married and successful architect, and Annabella Sciorra is Angie, an office temp. When she starts working in Flipper's Manhattan office, one day they look at each other and are soon having sex over a blueprint-strewn desk. Their liaison causes an explosion on both homefronts. Flipper's family consists of his father Doctor Purify (Ossie Davis), a former preacher; his mother Lucinda (Ruby Dee); his violent, crackhead brother Gator (Samuel L. Jackson); and his wife Drew (Lonette McKee), whom he loves, despite his sexual attraction to Angie. Angie's family is a typical Italian-American household from Bensonhurst. She's engaged to Paulie Carbonne (John Turturro), who works in a deli owned by his father Lou (Anthony Quinn). When the two families find out about Flipper and Angie's affair, their shock leads to recriminations and racial animosity. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, (more)
A woman learns to love life when she finds out she won't be around long in this comedy. Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) lives in New Orleans, where she works in the cookware department of an upscale gourmet supply shop. While Georgia carries a torch for Sean (LL Cool J), one of her co-workers, she doesn't have the nerve to tell him, and despite her estimable skills in the kitchen, she lives frugally and doesn't put her talent to use. Georgia's good friend Rochelle (Jane Adams) often tells her that life is short and she needs to live a little, but she doesn't pay her much mind until a visit to the doctor reveals that Georgia has a very rare medical condition, and only has three weeks to live. Throwing caution to the wind, Georgia cashes out her life savings and heads to Europe for a last bit of revelry. She checks into a four-star hotel, trades her drab clothes for haute couture, finds herself flirting with a handsome and powerful politician (Giancarlo Esposito), convinces the head of a cooking supplies firm (Timothy Hutton) that she's a high-powered executive from a rival company, and makes friends with a four-star chef (Gérard Depardieu). But when Sean learns the truth about Georgia's condition, he sets out to find her before their chance at romance has passed. Directed by Wayne Wang, Last Holiday is a remake of a 1950 British comedy, which starred Alec Guinness as a salesman with a few weeks to live. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, (more)
Produced by Jamie Foxx for HBO, this drama stars Queen Latifah as Ana a woman struggling to maintain a happy life despite being HIV-positive. Though her home-life seems happy with a loving husband and young daughter, Ana remains haunted by a past that produced Kelly (Rachel Nicks), a resentful estranged older daughter who now lives with Ana's mother. Juxtaposed with Ana's healthy approach to life with HIV is Amare (Evan Ross), a friend of Kelly's who uses narcotics to deal with the disease. Life Support screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah, Anna Deavere Smith, (more)
Noted screenwriter Richard LaGravenese made his directorial debut with this dramatic comedy about two unlikely people who find each other while looking for love. Judith Nelson (Holly Hunter) is suddenly single after discovering her husband of fifteen years, a successful doctor (Martin Donovan), has been having an affair with a younger woman. Judith stews, plans, plots and fantasizes, but she can't decide what to do with her life until she goes out to a night club to see singer Liz Bailey (Queen Latifah), who is full of advice on life and love. While out on the town, Judith is suddenly kissed by a total stranger, which opens her eyes to new possibilities ... which is when she notices Pat (Danny De Vito), the elevator operator in her building. Pat's life is in even worse shape than Judith's; his wife has thrown him out for gambling, he's in debt to loan sharks, he's sleeping on the couch of his more successful brother, and his daughter is dying. At first Pat borrows money from Judith, but when the two start talking, they realize they have more in common than they imagined. LaGravenese based his screenplay on a pair of short stories by Anton Chekhov. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito, (more)
"Flavor" magazine editor Khadijah (Queen Latifah) is already sharing her Brooklyn brownstone with her cousin Synclaire (Kim Coles) and her best friend Regine (Kim Fields Freeman) as Living Single launches its first season. Hanging around the ladies' residence are Khadijah's sharp-tongued lawyer friend Maxine, aka "Max" (Erika Alexander); Max's favorite "bete noire", stockbroker Kyle (T.C. Carson); Synclaire's sweetie, maintenance man Overton (John Henton). Halfway through the season, Khadijah's ex-boyfriend Terrence (Cress Williams)), aka "Scooter", comes back into her life, but she balks at making a firm commitment. Our heroine also has another suitor named Alonzo (Adam Lazarre-White), who refuses to take "no" for an answer. Elsewhere, gold-digging Regine foments trouble among her friends by way of ill chosen beaux, notably Tony (Mark Curry), a comedian who uses the roommates' innermost secrets as fodder for his nightclub act. As for Max, she loses her job at the law firm in the season's final episode, whereupon she goes out on a drunken toot--and wakes up stark naked, lying next to her old nemesis Kyle! Could this be the beginning of a bee-yoo-ti-ful friendship? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, (more)
- 1994
Magazine editor Khadijah ($Queen Latifah) continues to preside over the merry mayhem in her crowded Brooklyn brownstone as Living Single enters its second season. After avoiding making a commitment to her erstwhile boyfriend Scooter (Cress Williams), she finally decides that he's stable enough to suit her when he lands a job as a PR man for a big record company; alas, the couple is soon rent asunder when Scooter departs on a six-month promotional tour with a female R&B group, never to be seen again. . .at least until Living Single's final season. Meanwhile, the eternally bickering Max (Erika Alexander) and Kyle (T.C. Carson) try to make sense of their "one-night stand" from the previous season, concluding that they're now in love--or at least that's what they think until they start sniping at one another again. On the professional front, Max survives a series of humiliating temp jobs until she finally lands a good position with the Public Defender's office, where her new boss is her former flame Preston August (played by Phil Morris of Seinfeld fame. Also, Khadijah's impressionable cousin Synclaire (Kim Coles) continues to date Overton (John Henton),even going on lengthy vacations with him; but she refuses to go to bed with her sweetheart, a fact that proves startling to her worldlier roommate Regine (Kim Fields Freeman). Synclaire also manages to secure a few acting assignments in some decidedly off-off-Broadway productions, one of which requires her to appear in the nude. And getting back to Regine, our favorite gold-digger continues to primp and preen in hopes of landing a wealthy husband, but experiences more than a few setbacks in this pursuit, notably when she is forced to undergo breast-reduction surgery to cure her aching back. Although the popularity of Living Single did not hinge upon its guest stars, mention should made of the prominent persons appearing in various Season Two episodes, among them composer Branford Marsalis, New York Mets player Bobby Bonilla and boxer Roberto Duran in "Who's Scooping Who?" Also, Rosie O'Donnell shows up as an old friend of Khadijah who disrupts the equilibrium of Flavor magazine when she is hired as a columnist in the episode "There's No Ship Like Kinship", while a young Will Ferrell appears as the"Roomate from Hell" in "Talk Showdown." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, (more)
- 1995
Although Queen Latifah is irrefutably the star of Living Single in the role of New York-based magazine editor Khadijah James, many of the series' third-season episode place emphasis on the other regulars. For starters, the eternally squabbling Max (Erika Alexander) and Kyle (T.C. Carson) break up their romance for the umpteenth time. Also, after a bitter quarrel with herroommate Khadijah at the end of Season Two, Regine (Kim Coles) moves into her own place, at least until she and Khadijah patch up their differences; later on, Regine gets a new job as assistant wardrobe consultant on the TV soap opera "Palo Alto." As for Khadijah's Synclaire (Kim Coles), she and her boyfriend Overton (John Henton) are moving ever closer to marriage. New to the cast this season are Shaun Baker as Jamaican-born Russell Montego, who makes no secret of his desire for the desirable Regine--who in turn spurns him because he can't support her in the manner to which she'd like to become accustomed; and Bumper Robinson as NYU student Ivan Ennis, the new "gopher" in the offices of Kadijah's magazine "Flavor." Season Three guest stars include the NBA's Grant Hill, the singing group TLC, Eartha Kitt, CCH Pounder, Jasmine Guy, and father-and-son filmmakers Melvin Van Peebles and Mario Van Peebles. As the season approaches its cliffhanger finale, Khadijah faces the loss of her magazine in a lawsuit; Max runs for alderman, only to be subjected to a smear campaign based on her past romantic travails; and Overton encounters incredible obstacles in his efforts to propose to Synclaire. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, (more)
- 1996
Season Four of Living Single opens with a jam-packed episode which resolves the many crises left unresolved at the end of Season Three: Khadijah (Queen Latifah) is spared the loss of her beloved magazine "Flavor" through the intervention of loyal employee Russell (Shaun Baker); Max (Erika Alexander) survives a vicious smear campaign and wins a local election, with erstwhile boyfriend Kyle (T.C. Carson) as her biggest booster; and Overton (John Henton) finally proposes to Synclair (Kim Coles). Surprisingly, the only person not affected by these crucial plot developments is Regine (Kim Fields Freeman), whose mercenary misadventures usually dictate the direction in which the story is going. As the season progresses, Khadijah finds romance in the form of Dr. Charles Roberts (Isaiah Washington), despite the embarrassing revelation that Roberts had been the anesthesiologist during our heroine's hemmorhoid surgery; Synclaire lands a few more oddball acting jobs, including the role of a clown on a popular daytime show starring a truly repulsive child actor (Adam Wylie); and when the TV soap opera "Palo Alto" is cancelled, Regine loses her job as wardrobe assistant, though she quickly secures new employment as a party coordinator (typically, her first client turns out to be one of the many boyfriends she'd dumped in the past. Season Four ends during the wedding of Overton and Synclaire, during which Kyle receives an offer to start up a new job in London--thereby driving yet another wedge between himself and his off-and-on sweetheart Max. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, (more)
