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
Academy Award-winner Roberto Benigni adapts the classic children's tale by Carlo Collodi for the big-budget family-oriented comedy Pinocchio. In his usual fashion, Benigni directs and stars, this time as the little puppet boy made out of wood. The familiar story begins as a log of pinewood falls out of a cart and lands in front of woodcarver, Geppetto (Carlo Giuffré), who carves the puppet out of longing for a son. When the puppet begins to come alive and cause trouble, Geppetto is arrested and Pinocchio is left to his own naïve worldview. After getting a stern warning from the Blue Fairy (Benigni's wife and producer Nicoletta Braschi), Pinocchio sets out to reunite with his father, become a real boy, and succumb to some desire for adventure. Along the way, he meets a number of characters played by mostly Italian stage actors, including Franco Javarone, Peppe Barra, and Kim Rossi Stuart. The popular Italian comedy team Fichi d'India plays the roles of the Cat and Fox. Released by Miramax in the U.S., the film received an English-dubbed soundtrack with the voice talents of Glenn Close, David Suchet, and Breckin Meyer as Pinocchio. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, (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)
This family musical enjoys the dubious distinction of being the first film ever based on a theme park attraction, the "Country Bears Jamboree" at Disneyworld. Beary Barrington (voice of Haley Joel Osment) is an adolescent bruin raised by a human family after he was found by a park ranger, abandoned in the forest. Curious about his biological roots, Beary travels to Tennessee to seek out his birth parents while attempting to locate the members of his favorite musical group -- a defunct country music act called the Country Bears -- along the way. Country Bear Hall, the famed venue where the band was launched, is facing imminent destruction at the hands of greedy banker Reed Thimple (Christopher Walken), but young Beary has a plan to save the hall by staging a reunion benefit concert. Beary's path takes him through a guitar duel, a vintage coffee house, and a car wash, as he's pursued by a pair of bumbling cops (Diedrich Bader and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell) trying to reunite him with his adoptive parents. Meanwhile, a panoply of musical legends including Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, and Queen Latifah appear Behind the Music-style to comment on the Country Bears' alleged artistic influence on their work. The Country Bears, the first in a pair of planned Disney projects based on the company's theme park rides (the second is slated to be based on "Pirates of the Caribbean"), co-stars Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Garrett, Alex Rocco, and Stephen Root. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Walken, Stephen Tobolowsky, (more)
This two-part CBS TV movie was filmed as Talking to Heaven, the title of the autobiographical book upon which it was based. Ted Danson stars as real-life psychic James Van Praagh, a man who spent much of his life ignoring or denying his clairvoyant gifts until it became impossible for him to suppress them any longer. After experiencing several "visitations" from dead people in his youth, Van Praagh was tagged as a freak and shunned by friends and family members alike. It is only during a particularly difficult period of his adult life that James is willing to acknowledge his special talents, and then only because he has had visions of a forlorn young boy with bound hands. Galvanized into action by such grim images, not to mention the plaintive voices of several additional ghostly youngsters, James agrees to assist the authorities in locating the buried victims of a serial killer who may still be at large. Living With the Dead originally aired on April 28 and 30, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, (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)
- 2001
- Add Through the Years of Hip Hop, Vol. 1: Graffiti to QueueAdd Through the Years of Hip Hop, Vol. 1: Graffiti to top of Queue
Hip-Hop culture has always been about much more than just rap music; hip-hop embraced a number of vehicles of expression for youth in Urban America, and an integral part of the formative years of Hip-Hop was graffiti. As hip-hop culture grew, graffiti evolved from gang members "tagging" buildings to mark their territory to elaborate murals which often expressed the same issues of ghetto life reflected in rap music, as well as celebrating the hard-won joys of life in the inner city. Through the Years of Hip Hop, Vol. 1: Graffiti is a documentary which looks at the role of graffiti in hip-hop, and how it grew into a internationally recognized art form. The video also features videos for seven classic old-school hip-hop tracks, including hits by Run-DMC, Dana Dane, Queen Latifah, De La Soul, and Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 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
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
Filmed on location in Montreal and New York, The Bone Collector is a suspense thriller that combines Rear Window and Seven. Two cops on the trail of a brutal serial killer must see as one, act as one, and think as one before the next victim falls. Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) is an intelligent forensics detective who was paralyzed in the line of duty. The author of several books, he has a keen eye for detail and nose for clues that have made him a legend in the law enforcement community. Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie) is a street-smart policewoman in her twenties. On her last day as a street cop, before being transferred to a desk job, Amelia discovers a badly mutilated corpse. Rhyme is asked to investigate the case, but he declines. To him, it is an open-and-shut case not worth his time. But when he takes a close look at the evidence, he is intrigued, as the photos reveal complex messages in their details. The lunatic, who might be a taxi driver (a Scorsese allusion), amuses himself by paying homage to legendary murders in his own gruesome acts. Amelia is assigned to assist Rhyme, and she must be the eyes and ears of the quadriplegic detective. And they must capture the killer before he strikes again. Written by Jeremy Iacone and based on a book of the same title by Jeffrey Deaver, The Bone Collector was directed by the Australian thriller specialist Phillip Noyce, who directed such films as Clear and Present Danger and Dead Calm. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, (more)
- 1999
For the absolute best in the world of hip-hop music, why not go straight to The Source? Collecting some of the hottest acts on the scene onto one stage for an unforgettable night of music and awards, the 1999 Hip-Hop Music Awards features such talented performers as Lauryn Hill, Puff Daddy, DMX, and many, many more. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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)
Barry Levinson directed this $100+ million adaptation of Michael Crichton's science fiction novel about the investigation of a half-mile-long spacecraft sitting on the South Pacific ocean floor. Government functionary Barnes (Peter Coyote) assembles a crack scientific team -- psychologist Dr. Norman Goodman (Dustin Hoffman), who wrote a presidential report on alien contact; biochemist Beth Halperin (Sharon Stone), once involved romantically with Goodman; mathematician Harry Adams (Samuel L. Jackson); and astrophysicist Ted Fielding (Liev Schreiber). After descending a thousand feet, they set up housekeeping at their underwater Habitat base, suit up, and enter the craft, finding evidence that it's a U.S. ship from the future. However, the craft's cargo of a shimmering, golden sphere is definitely alien. After Harry contrives to enter the sphere, Norman notes his odd behavior. When the Habitat computer system receives an email message from the sphere ("I am happy"), it's not long before the messages from this entity take a threatening turn ("I will kill you all"), triggering fears to surface along with violent attacks to the Habitat. The film is divided into chapters, such as "The Ride Down," "The First Exchange," and "The Monster." Shot on soundstages at the abandoned Mare Island Naval Shipyard (Vallejo, California), the effects combine animation, miniatures, prosthetics, animatronics, and digital images. Ed Asner reads the Sphere audiobook. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, (more)
This four-hour miniseries is based on author Alex Haley's continuing family saga. Covering the 1920s-1970s, the story centers on Mama Flora, the matriarch of a large black family who is determined to keep her brood together and close to their God during rapidly changing and tempestuous times. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cicely Tyson, Queen Latifah, (more)
- 1997
The fifth and final season of Living Single finds Manhattan-based magazine editor Khadijah (Queen Latifah) short one roommate when her cousin Synclaire (Kim Coles) gets married to her longtime fiancé Overton (John Henton). Moving in with Khadijah and her best friend Regine (Kim Fields Freeman) is Ira Lee "Tripp" Williams III, a composer of commercial jingles who aspires to bigger things. Meanwhile, Khadijah's former college roommate Max (Erika Williams) has decided not to move to London with her erstwhile sweetheart Kyle (T.C. Carson). Even so, Kyle is not completely out of her life, as Max learns to her amazement when, at season's end, she discovers the identity of the donor with whose sperm she has been artificially inseminated! In other developments, honeymooners Synclaire and Overton are briefly stranded on a desert island, and once rescued they move to Hollywood, the better for Synclaire to pursue her blossoming acting career. Gold-digging Regine finally marries her millionaire, a fellow named Dexter Knight (Don Franklin). And after a three-year absence, Khadijah's former beau Scooter (Cress Williams) returns to her life, hoping to pick up where he left off...and them's the conditions that prevail as Living Single concludes its five-year run. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, (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)
- 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)
- 1996
Ace award-winner Bill Maher hosts a 1993 and a 1995 episode of his provocative and irreverent Comedy Central roundtable talk show. The first episode guest stars Tim Allen, Tim Daley, Queen Latifah, and ex-Los Angeles district attorney Ira Reiner in a discussion of the O.J. trial and Hollywood's portrayal of government. The second episode again features Allen, along with actor and liberal activist Ed Asner, columnist Arianna Huffington, and California state senator Tom Hayden, as they engage the topics of Whitewater, China, and the use of force by police. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 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
The sophomore film effort from music video director F. Gary Gray, Set It Off is a crime thriller about four women bank robbers from a housing project in L.A. Ever since her parents' death, Stony (Jada Pinkett Smith) has had to act as a parent to her little brother Stevie (Chaz Lamar Shepard). She works in various capacities to make a future for him at U.C.L.A. Cleo (Queen Latifah) is a butch lesbian who wants nothing more than to customize her classic car. Tisean (Kimberly Elise) is a painfully shy single mother to her son Jajuan, struggling to make ends meet. Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) is the stylish bank teller who gets fired in the opening scene and ends up working with the other three at a janitorial service owned by irritating boss Luther (Thomas Jefferson Byrd). With Frankie upset from her unjust firing, Stony angry from the wrongful killing of her brother, and Tisean losing her baby to the child protective services, the four friends are motivated to rob a bank themselves. Looking for thrills, Cleo gets some guns from Black Sam (Dr. Dre in a cameo role), and they pull off their first job without a hitch. Their success starts a trend and they rob other banks in the area, all the while being investigated by Detective Strode (John C. McGinley). In a romantic subplot, Stony finds romance with wealthy Harvard-educated Keith (Blair Underwood) before the violent chase-scene ending. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, (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)
- 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)
In My Life, Michael Keaton stars as Bob Jones, who has just been informed that his wife Gail (Nicole Kidman) is pregnant with their first child. However, he has also been told he has kidney cancer that has spread to his lungs; the longest Bob is expected to live is four months, which will deny him the joy of witnessing the birth of his child. Raging within, he visits a Chinese healer, Mr. Ho (Haing S. Ngor), who encourages him to let go of all the anger and fear he has kept trapped inside himself. Bob proceeds to videotape himself, on the advice of Mr. Ho, where Bob will talk to his unborn child and discuss what he has learned in life. In the process of the videotape sessions, Bob discovers that his anger resides in his past with his family, and Bob reveals secrets that he has kept hidden from himself and his wife through the years. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Nicole Kidman, (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)
In this comedy, bumbling Harlem barbers Dr. Dre and Ed Lover are shipped off to the police academy by their frustrated boss, Nick (Jim Moody). However, when a crooked land developer threatens to forcibly take over their ex-boss' land, it is up to Dr. Dre and Ed to use their new-found police powers to stop him. A number of well-known rap artists make appearances in this film, including Queen Latifah, Humpty Hump, Kriss Kross, B-Real, and Ice-T. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
