Wonderful Movie

Undescribable Perfection

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Awareness of this made-for-cable mockumentary seems to be almost a little well-kept secret with only a select group of people knowing about it and enjoying its rewards. Lewis is front and center here as Jackie Washington, a fictional songstress who hit it big as a youth and then struggled to carve out a lasting career afterwards. Her big return to the concert stage prompts a British documentary host (Curry) to film an essay on her life and career, past and present, sprinkled with vignettes of her preparation for the comeback event as well as celebrity testimonials and interviews with her various friends and relatives (most notably Goldberg as her embittered sister.) Lewis has this character down pat and revels in displaying all the phoniness, contempt, desperation, haughtiness and glitz-laden flair that it calls for. Just the way she pronounces and intones her daughter's name Antandra is hilarious, but she's excellent throughout. The character includes various bits from all the big divas including Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Shirley Bassey and Patti LaBelle. Curry pretty much exists as a foil for her and doesn't get a great deal of his own amusing material. He rather overdoes his veddy British stuffiness at times and doesn't keep it consistent in any case. A more non-descript interviewer would likely have worked better. Other prominent performers are Pierce (in a parody of the Joan Crawford film "Torch Song") as a deaf piano accompanist, Devine as a child-burdened hometown pal of Lewis's and the aforementioned Goldberg as Lewis's sour, jealous and resentful sister. Additionally, the film is peppered with many cameo bits from a potpourri of major names in music and entertainment, some of them quite notable such as Parton, Minnelli and Midler. Others are quite surprising such as Saint, Pescow and Williams. In the tradition of the best films of the genre, there are plenty of faux record covers, recreated stage and film moments and a wide variety of settings, instances and populace to make the film move along and hold interest. There is an occasional dry spot along the way, but mostly it stays pretty amusing. The songs in the film are very lively, catchy and fun and the costumes and hairstyles are interesting. The feel-good ending may not ring 100% true, but at least ends the movie on an up-note.

I first saw this movie on "Lifetime" I then recorded it when it finally repeated. This is probably my favorite movie of all time. I just love the jokes especially Whoopi playing Ethel...I quote it all the time. "Here she is trying to make a comeback she gone! That's why you're making a documentary to try and help her *beep* come back" hahaha classic. I force everyone I know to watch this movie. The amount of guest stars is incredible and the songs I find myself singing as if the really existed. I love how they take stereotypes and make them funny also. Like Ivan and Snookie Tate. It is a classic and I have it on Tape and DVD...worth a watch or 40!

Yeah so I LOVE this movie!...I have seen it so many times and most of my friends have seen it at least once or heard me quote something from it!...It unfortunate that it didn't get the notoriety that it should have. I'm thinking I'm going to take this movie to school and suggest that they show it one of those movie night gatherings they put together from time to time. It also seems like the movie is hard to find when one does want to buy or rent it. I got it as a gift, from friends who are now also hooked on this movie but even they had a hard time finding it. At any rate, if you haven't seen this movie then you must go rent or buy it soon!......P.S. the last 20 minutes is good!

I watched this for the ever-wonderful Tim Curry but was won over by the total package: this is a sly, deadly funny mockumentary that skewers diva ego, blaxploitation films, and the music industry, along with just about everything else that can be squeezed into the space of two hours. Jenifer Lewis is hilarious as the fiercely vain diva, and Tim Curry's dry pomposity is the perfect foil. The film's one flaw is the unlikely, unfunny ending in which all the deliciously evil humor succumbs to a saccharine feel-good production number and Curry, impossibly, grows to love the harpy he's been interviewing. In spite of the letdown of the ending, this is still a sharp, energetic send-up with lots of great surprises, including the priceless cameo by David Hyde Pierce (of Frasier fame). If this is ever aired again, set your VCR: it's a keeper.