Product Description: Director Bill Condon brings Tom Eyen's Tony award-winning Broadway musical to the big screen in a tale of dreams stardom and the high cost of success in the cutthroat recording industry. The time is the 1960s and singers Effie (Jennifer Hudson) Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose) and Deena (Beyonc Knowles) are about to find out just what it's like to have their wildest dreams come true. Discovered at a local talent show by ambitious manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx) the trio known as "the Dreamettes" is soon offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of opening for popular singer James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). Subsequently molded into an unstoppable hit machine by Taylor and propelled into the spotlight as "the Dreams" the girls quickly find their bid for the big time taking priority over personal friendship as Taylor edges out the ultra-talented Effie so that the more beautiful Deena can become the face of the group. Now as the crossover act continues to dominate the airwaves the small-town girls with big-city dreams slowly begin to realize that the true cost of fame may be higher than any of them ever anticipated.System Requirements:Running Time: 130 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG - 13 UPC: 097363478249 Manufacturer No: 347824
Amazon.com: The spirit of Motown runs through the long-awaited film adaption of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, which centers around a young female singing trio who burst upon the music scene in the '60s, complete with bouffant hairdos, glitzy gowns, and a soul sound new to the white-bread American music charts. Sound familiar? You aren't the first one to draw comparisons to the meteoric rise of the Supremes, and despite any protests to the contrary, this is most definitely a thinly veiled reinterpretation of that success story. The Dreamettes--statuesque Deena (Beyonce Knowles), daffy Lorell (Anika Noni Rose) and brassy Effie (Jennifer Hudson)--are a girl group making the talent-show rounds when they're discovered by car salesman and aspiring music manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx). Sensing greatness (as well as a new marketing opportunity) Curtis signs the Dreamettes as backup singers for R&B star James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). But when Early's mercurial ways and singing style don't mesh with primarily white audiences, Curtis moves the newly-renamed Dreams to center stage--with Deena as lead singer in place of Effie. And that's not the only arena in which Effie is replaced, as Curtis abandons their love affair for a relationship with star-in-the-making Deena.
Besides the Supremes comparison, one can't talk about Dreamgirls now without revisiting its notorious Oscar snub; though it received eight nominations, the most for any film from 2006, it was shut out of the Best Picture and Director races entirely. Was the oversight justified? While Dreamgirls is certainly a handsomely mounted, lovingly executed and often vibrant film adaptation, it inspires more respect than passion, only getting under your skin during the musical numbers, which become more sporadic as the film goes on. Writer-director Bill Condon is definitely focused on recreating the Motown milieu (down to uncanny photographs of Knowles in full Diana Ross mode), he often forgets to flesh out his characters, who even on the Broadway stage were underwritten and relied on powerhouse performances to sell them to audiences. (Stage fans will also note that numerous songs are either truncated or dropped entirely from the film.) Condon has assembled a game cast, as Knowles does a canny riff on the essence of Diana Ross' glamour (as opposed to an all-out impersonation) and Rose makes a peripheral character surprisingly vibrant; only Foxx, who never gets to pour on the charisma, is miscast. Still, there are two things even the most cranky viewers will warm to in Dreamgirls: the performances of veteran Eddie Murphy and newcomer Jennifer Hudson. Murphy is all sly charm and dazzling energy as the devilish Early, who's part James Brown, part Little Richard, and all showman. And Hudson, an American Idol contestant who didn't even make the top three, makes an impressive debut as the larger-than-life Effie, whose voice matches her passions and stubbornness. Though she sometimes may seem too young for the role, Hudson nails the movie's signature song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," with a breathtaking power that must be seen and heard to believe. And for those five minutes, if not more, you will be in Dreamgirls' thrall. --Mark Englehart
Dreamgirls... Everything they said it would be Somewhere out there, Jennifer Holliday is shaking her head and sighing. Jennifer was nearly 25 years ahead of her time when she starred in the Broadway version of "Dreamgirls" as Effie. Today, she's seen the show come to film and make another Jennifer, Jennifer Hudson, a star. Timing is everything. Hudson was poised like no other entertainer, to pick up the strings and threads left by the amazing Aretha Franklin as a queen of the soul sound.
Amazing that she is propelled into the role by a movie, and not by a record. "Dreamgirls" is loosely based on actual Motown events, on promoter/producer Berry Gordy (Curtis Taylor, played by Jamie Foxx),an amalgam of a black male singer that is a combination of James Brown-Marvin Gay (James "Thunder" Early, played by Eddie Murphy) and a trio of female singers sketched after the Supremes. Like the Supremes, the trio starts with three girls who have been singing together forever (Effie, played by Hudson, Deena, played by Beyonce, and Lorrell, played by Anika Noni Rose) and who finally break into the Motown scene as backup singers. Involved in the success of the group is Effie's brother, who writes their songs (C.C. White, played by Keith Robinson).
The movie takes the players through love and hardship, from gaining respect to being a multi-platinum success, with the downside issues that come with fame. Characters betray each other, love each other, find redemption.
The music is spectacular, so much that I purchased the soundtrack. The world talks about Hudson's incredible solo of "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)." I equally enjoyed her solo takes on "I Am Changing" and "One Night Only". She's incomparable. The group performance (with Eddie Murphy as lead) of the anti-war anthem, "Patience", was a highlight for me. And there is a sweet, sweet moment at the memorial service for Thunder, when Loretta Devine (from the Broadway production and the TV show Boston Public) sings "I Miss You, Old Friend".
The costumes are equally well done, and the screenplay works hard to make the production flow (although it doesn't succeed nearly as well as "Chicago" did). It takes Dreamgirls from the tough times of the black music circuit in the 60's, to actual footage of the race riots and Martin Luther King, to the glitz of Miami and the disco scene, and the ennui that was Hollywood in those days. There are some "down" spots, an example of which is Thunder's drug problem...the script has focused on his womanizing, and the addiction issue comes out of nowhere.
Completely entertaining, musically outstanding, "Dreamgirls" is a great addition to your collection of DVD musicals.
Terrific Entertainment! I am not normally a fan of musicals, and this was DEFINITELY a musical, but I was mesmerized from the first solo by Jennifer Hudson, and after that I was hooked. I have never been so impressed by the power of a musical to reach into one's emotions and actually add to the power of a drama. I usually just wait out the singing parts of award winning movies with musical numbers (or fast forward on DVD), but not this time. Jennifer brought tears to my eyes twice during this movie and in general the singing really enhanced the overall experience. Hurray for Dreamgirls. I'm so glad they decided to make the play into a movie, so that more people can experience it.
Excellent DVD I love DreamGirls it has a great picture and its definitely a movie you want to add to your collection.
Too Much Singing ! Knowing it was a musical I was prepared for a fair portion of singing but had not expected a movie hardly with any spoken lines! There must have been about 1 full hour of song and to make matters worse most of the material ranged from forgettable to outright unmelodious or awkward. The cast certainly proved they could sing but with hardly a spoken line and without a decent storyline it made for very long and dull viewing.
I couldn't "dream" of a better movie!!! This movie is so good. It depicts the story of an African American singing group through their journey of fame and fortune in the '60s and '70s. I love this movie. The acting and singing is great. This is by far my favorite musical. The songs are so well written and beautifully song.
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