Jenifer Lewis Movies
Best known for playing unapologetically mature, assertive, and intelligent adult women, African-American supporting actress Jenifer Lewis originally launched her career as a vocalist, singing in a church choir in Kinloch, MO. Lewis' passion (and gift) for singing carried her to the Great White Way, where she appeared in a number of sell-out Broadway musicals -- including Ain't Misbehavin' and Dreamgirls. She subsequently migrated to the West Coast for a string of appearances in TV programs such as Roc, A Different World, Murphy Brown, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Touched by an Angel, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and graduated to features in 1992. The films in which Lewis has appeared run the gamut of quality, from outstanding (What's Love Got to Do With It?, 1993) to satisfactory (Sister Act, 1992; The Preacher's Wife, 1996) to downright abominable (Frozen Assets, 1992); many, however, demonstrated her fine gifts.More recently, Lewis attained some much-deserved recognition (and ascended to higher than usual billing) with her multi-season portrayal of Lana Hawkins in the prime-time medical drama Strong Medicine (2000). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Lena Horne (playing herself, of course) arrives at Hillman to dedicate a scholarship in her grandmother's name. In honor of Ms Hornes' visit, Whitley organizes a musical testimonial to the singer--haughtily refusing to let Mr. Gaines (Lou Myers) cater the affair because he isn't "classy" enough. But it is Whitley who ends up with egg on her face when Lena chooses the "modest" home-cooked dinner provided by Gaines, who turns out to be an old friend of the legendary vocalist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Dean Davenport (Jenifer Lewis) assigns her students to write a hypothetical conversation between Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Unfortunately, Terrell (Patrick Y. Malone) lowers the level of the assignment several degrees when, as a result of a previous run-in with a gang of punks, he brings a gun to class--and is nearly expelled on the spot. Elsewhere, Kim (Charnele Brown) hesitates at accepting Spencer's (Michael Ralph) marriage proposal (even though we've already seen her accept in an earlier episode). This final network telecast of A Different World was originally scheduled to air in February of 1993, then reshuffled to June and finally July. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Season Six of A Different World opens with the first episode of a two-part story, in which newlyweds Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Whitley (Jasmine Guy) regale their friends with their recollection of the chaotic events surrounding their honeymoon. No sooner has the couple set foot in Los Angeles than the city is thrown into a frenzy over the Rodney King verdict. Trapped in the middle of the city-wide riots, the newlyweds are separated and Dwayne ends up in jail for no reason whatsover. And back at Hillman, incoming law-school student Freddie (Cree Summer) surprises one and all with her "new look"; Kim begins her first year in med school; and Lena has turned into a social activist, accusing practically everyone of selling out. New regulars include Cosby Show alumnus Karen Malina White) in her familiar role as garrulous Charmaine Brown; Bumper Robinson as goofy freshman Dorian Heywood; Patrick Y. Malone as punkish student Terrell Walker; and Jenifer Lewis as Hillman's dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In the conclusion of A Different World's two-part Season Six opener, Whitley (Jasmine Guy and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) continue to recall their chaotic honeymoon in riot-torn Los Angeles. At the same time, the couple's friends react to the violence (inspired by the infamous Rodney King verdict) in a variety of ways: Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman) is disillusioned over the fact that race relations haven't progressed much since the Watts riots, Lena (Jada Pinkett) places all the blame on the white population, and Freddie (Cree Summer) attempts to be level-headed--a difficult feat, inasmuch as she is being hit on by Ron (Darryl M. Bell) while his girlfriend Kim (Charnele Brown) fumes. Appearing in cameo roles are sitcom diva Roseanne and her then-husband Tom Arnold. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Now that Ron (Darryl M. Bell) and Freddie (Cree Summer) are aware of their mutual attraction, things get dicey for Ron when Freddie continues seeing Shazza (Gary Dourdan)--and for Kim (Charnele Brown),who feels that Freddie is responsible when a disconsolate Ron moves in with newlyweds Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison). As for that "loving couple," they're in the middle of their first real marital quarrel over how to decorate their apartment (she wants to keep her possessions and throw his out, and vice versa). Elsewhere, Lena (Jada Pinkett) manages to turn a coed "step" demonstation into a major controversy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Signing on with Freddie's new mentorship program for the teenagers at Juvenile Hall, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison)i tries to mediate between youthful parolees Billy (Chris Kelly) and Michael (Chris Smith, whose friendship has been torn asunder by gang-related violence. Dwayne's efforts to patch up the boys' differences are stymied by Billy's hostile father Loco (Ronald William Lawrence). The crisis is resolved with a lively musical number performed by guest stars Thomas and Wilson, better known as the rap duo Kriss Kross. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
New student Charmaine (Karen Malina White) is so overbearing in Dwayne's statistics class that someone slaps a sign on her back reading "Digit Ho." Convinced that punkish Terrell Walker (Patrick Y. Malone) is the guilty party, Charmaine files a formal complaint against him. Taking on the task of defending Terrell in Student Court, Freddie (Cree Summer) realizes anew that in certain cases, everyone is a little bit guilty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In this spoof of The Twilight Zone, Walter (Sinbad) uses his best Rod Serling voice to narrate the misadventures of his friends when they take on their mid-terms and enter. . ."The Exam Zone." For starters, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) has a devil of a time finding a peaceful, quiet place to cram for her accounting exam. Also, Dwayne ends up in the doghouse when, while substitute-teaching for Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman), he allows Taylor's irresponsible son Terrence (Cory Tyler) to go astray. And finally, Freddie (Cree Summer) hears weeeeeird voices just before an African-American Studies test. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
After making a few stupidly sexist remarks at a Halloween party, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) has a dream in which all the candidates in the 1992 Presidential race are female: Georgia Mush, Rose Godot, et. al. In the episode's most memorable (and, as it turns out, most forward-looking) sequence, candidate "Jill Blinton", aka Whitley (Jasmine Guy), must deal with the sexual peccadilloes of her husband "Hilliard", aka Dwayne. This is one of the few episodes in which star Jasmine Guy is heard using her own, very lovely singing voice, instead of the tone-deaf caterwauling of her "Whitley" character. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A pedal-to-the-metal race car determined to prove his worth on the tracks discovers that life isn't always about crossing the finish line first in Toy Story director John Lasseter's mechanically minded tale of friendship and loyalty. Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) may be just a rookie, but he's convinced that he can realize his dream of zooming by the checkered flag if he can only make it to California in time to compete in the upcoming Piston Cup Championship. When Lightning takes a detour into the slow-moving, Route 66 town of Radiator Springs, however, it begins to appear as if his shot at the big time has effectively stalled out. Of course, Lightning's exciting cross-country trek wasn't all for naught, and after befriending such quirky Radiator Springs residents as Sally the Porsche (voice of Bonnie Hunt), Doc Hudson (voice of Paul Newman), and Mater the Tow Truck (voice of Larry the Cable Guy), the eager young racer learns that sometimes life is more about the voyage than the outcome of the race. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, (more)
In this comedy-drama set in the late 1950s, Manny Singer (Ray Liotta) is a songwriter who makes his living penning jingles for radio and television commercials. Manny's wife has recently died, leaving him an emotionally broken man; Manny buries himself in his work rather than deal with his grief. His young daughter Molly (Tina Majorino) is taking it even harder; since her mother's passing, Molly has refused to speak. Manny realizes that he needs help taking care of the house and looking after Molly, so he places an ad looking for a maid who can double as a nanny. After a long series of unsuitable applicants, Manny meets Corrina Washington (Whoopi Goldberg), who isn't much on cooking, cleaning, or domestic chores -- but who strikes an immediate chord with Molly. Corrina gets the job, and her vivacious, unconventional personality brings the joy of living back to the Singer home. A romance also begins to bloom between Manny and Corrina, though Manny quickly discovers that being in an interracial relationship in 1959 is not always easy or pleasant. Joan Cusack and Don Ameche highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whoopi Goldberg, Ray Liotta, (more)
Reggie Rock Bythewood makes his directorial debut with this sharp comedy-drama about love, compromise, and TV. The film opens with the parallel childhoods of Tomasina "Tommy" Crawford (Nicole Ari Parker) and George Washington (Isaiah Washington). Both were utterly shaped by television -- watching Roots was one of the few times that Tommy's parents stopped fighting long enough to sit on the couch together, while George was traumatized by being banned from TV for a month after swiping some church donation cash. As adults, George is a programming executive at the WPX network where fledgling writer Tommy tries to pitch shows. On the strength of both her passion for her craft and her striking good looks, George decides to champion her show called "Just Us," a serio-comedy about a juvenile offender adopted by a judge. They shoot the pilot, the network greenlights the project, and eventually they fall in love. Even though Tommy longs to present her characters in an uncompromised, unvarnished manner, pressure from network execs and advertisers forces her to water down the plot. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicole Ari Parker, James Avery, (more)
This TV movie's original title was Danielle Steel's Daddy, which was either an invitation or a warning depending upon one's outlook. The usual Steel formula of a big city high-roller finding love in the hinterlands is followed religiously. Patrick Duffy, a chauvinistic advertising man coming off an acrimonious divorce, heads West to film a few commercials. He takes along his infant child, whom his wife (Kate Mulgrew) had up and left behind while finding herself. What Duffy finds is beautiful actress Lynda Carter, as gorgeous a surrogate mommy as you're likely to see in Prime Time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Albert Hughes and his brother Allen Hughes followed their striking debut Menace II Society with this ambitious look at the social and political lives of the African-American community in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate) is a young man coming of age in the Bronx in 1968. Working two part-time jobs -- one as a milkman's helper and another for local numbers runner Kirby (Keith David) -- Anthony is torn between doing the right thing and trying to get by in a environment that offers few opportunities to young black men. After graduating from high school, Anthony decides to join the Marines, news that is not well-received by his parents, who want him to go to college, or his girlfriend Juanita (Rose Jackson), with whom Anthony recently lost his virginity. After serving a horrific tour of duty in Viet Nam with his friends Skip (Chris Tucker) and Jose (Freddy Rodriguez), Anthony finds himself back home in 1973, where Juanita has been raising the child he fathered before he shipped out, drugs and crime have crippled his community, and honest job prospects are practically nil. Eventually, Anthony falls in with Kirby, Skip, and Jose, who have teamed with Juanita's sister Delilah (N'Bushe Wright), a Black Power activist, and Cleon (Bokeem Woodbine), in a scheme to rob an armored truck taking worn greenbacks ("dead presidents") to a mint to be destroyed. Martin Sheen and Seymour Cassel appear unbilled in small roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larenz Tate, Keith David, (more)
- 1994
A friend's determination to uncover the truth is the basis for the made-for television drama. Sheila Kelley stars as Sarah Vincent, a woman who leads a bizarre double-life as a woman in business by day, and a sleazy bar-hopper by night. After Sarah is mysteriously killed, her best friend Elizabeth (Rachel Ticotin) goes on a quest to uncover the true story behind her friend's secretive life and untimely death. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
Writer/director Maurice Jamal follows up his debut feature, The Ski Trip, with this comedy about a gay man from the big city returning to his small Southern hometown. Rockmond Dunbar plays Sheldon, a New York magazine writer who has long left his roots behind. When he begrudgingly heads back to Georgia, cultures clash as the homosexual socialite reunites with the down-home folks of his youth. He also surprisingly learns that he has an estranged ten-year-old son. Dirty Laundry also stars Loretta Devine as Patrick's mother, Evelyn. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rockmond Dunbar, Loretta Devine, (more)
- 1994
Chandler's (Matthew Perry) friends have issues with his smoking habit, which has resurfaced after a traumatic experience. Monica's new boyfriend, Alan (Geoffrey Lower), is popular with everyone -- except Monica (Courteney Cox). And try as she might, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) can't divest herself of a huge amount of excess money (actually two huge amounts) that she doesn't feel she deserves. ("What is up with this universe?") A certain urban legend figures largely in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- PG13
A rising young executive is ecstatic to learn that he is to be acting president at the small-town bank his company just purchased until he gets there and realizes that it is a sperm bank. This base little comedy centers on his attempts to make the place profitable and also chronicles the growing love between himself and the uptight but pretty biologist who works there. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shelley Long, Corbin Bernsen, (more)
Spike Lee directed this comedy-drama about a woman who falls into a career in phone sex. An African-American woman (Theresa Randle) who aspires to a career as an actress endures a number of dispiriting jobs (handing out leaflets and working as a coat check girl) before reaching the end of her rope at an audition with Q.T. (Quentin Tarantino), a sleazy movie director. Q.T. claims that he wants to offer her a role in his next film -- but since the role requires nudity, she will have to show him her breasts first. After firing her agent, the actress is strapped for cash and is offered a job enacting sexual fantasies for men over the phone. Dubbed "Girl 6" by her employers, the actress is treated with respect by her boss (Jennifer Lewis) and is well-liked by her co-workers. However, she has a hard time emotionally distancing herself from her work, and she finds herself becoming infatuated with Bob (Peter Berg), one of her regular callers, going so far as to set up a meeting with him. As she deals in other people's fantasies for a living, Girl 6 begins retreating into her own world of make-believe, where she can be a sexy screen siren or a butt-kicking blaxploitation star. Meanwhile, her former fiancé (Isaiah Washington), who scrapes by as a shoplifter, desperately wants her to give him another chance, and her next door neighbor, a baseball card collector named Jimmy (Spike Lee), keeps pestering her that she ought to be doing something more positive with her life. Girl 6's supporting cast includes Madonna as one of Girl 6's supervisors, John Turturro as her agent, and Debi Mazar as one of the other phone-sex girls; the film also features an original song score by Prince. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Theresa Randle, Isaiah Washington, (more)
Soul diva Jackie Washington is determined to hit the comeback trail but seems to be having trouble finding the on-ramp in the mock-documentary comedy Jackie's Back. Jackie (played by Jenifer Lewis) was a Rhythm and Blues singer who had a few late '60's and early 70's hits, including "Yield" and the memorable "Look At Me (My Love For You Has Only Made Me Love Me More)," but she's spent much of the 80's and 90's playing the "Where Are They Now?" circuit. However, Jackie has organized what she hopes will be a gala comeback concert, and filmmaker Edward Whatsett St. John (Tim Curry) is on hand to film the event, and discusses the high and (frequent) low points of Jackie's career with such friends and well-wishers as Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Penny Marshall, Jackie Collins and Dolomite himself, Rudy Ray Moore. Meanwhile, Jackie's big gig is not going quite the way she planned. Directed by Robert Townsend, Jackie's Back was produced for the Lifetime Cable Network and originally aired June 14, 1999. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jenifer Lewis, Tim Curry, (more)
Robert Townsend directs this biopic on the life of one of the great early rock & roll entertainers -- Little Richard (played by Leon). The film charts Richard's rise from his humble origins in Macon, Georgia, to his chart-topping success to his much-reported return to the Church. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leon, Jenifer Lewis, (more)
- 1990
In a surprising gesture of goodwill toward her fellow man (and fellow woman), Murphy (Candice Bergen) persuades her coworkers not to exchange Christmas gifts, but instead to donate their holiday money to charity. This they do--only to stand agape as Murphy herself breaks the no-gift promise. As a result, the nervous staffers go on a frantic Christmas-eve shopping excursion, with the expected chaotic results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Season Four of Murphy Brown picks up where Season Three left off, as investigative journalist Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) comes to grips with the likelihood that she is pregnant. The staff of "FYI" reacts with a mixture of horror and dismay when Murphy breaks the news--but that's nothing compared to the reactions of the two main men in our heroine's life: Her ex-husband Jake (Robin Thomas) and her former lover Jerry (Jay Thomas). This first half of a two-part story originally aired as a part of a single 60-minute episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
My Father, My Son was based on the wrenching autobiographical book by Admiral Elmo Zumwalt. This TV movie begins in 1968, when Secretary of the Navy Zumwalt orders the anti-personnel drug Agent Orange to be sprayed on enemy troops in Vietnam; the Admiral has been assured by his superiors that the drug is essentially harmless. Meanwhile, Zumwalt's son Elmo III (Keith Carradine), having survived numerous debilitating childhood diseases, is serving in Nam. Fifteen years pass: Elmo III has contacted cancer, and Admiral Zumwalt must come to grips with the likelihood that his son's illness was caused by Agent Orange. Though the film does not shy away from politicizing, the focal point of My Father, My Son is the ever-strengthening relationship between Admiral Zumwalt and his stricken son (who died shortly after this film was first telecast in May of 1988). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
