Dreamgirls Page #7

Synopsis: Detroit, the early 1960s. Curtis Taylor, Jr., a car salesman, breaks into the music business with big dreams. He signs a trio of young women, the Dreamettes, gets them a job backing an R&B performer, James "Thunder" Early, establishes his own record label and starts wheeling and dealing. When Early flames out, Curtis makes the Dreamettes into headliners as the Dreams, but not before demoting their hefty big-voiced lead singer, Effie White, and putting the softer-voiced looker, Deena Jones, in front. Soon after, he fires Effie, sends her into a life of proud poverty, and takes Deena and the Dreams to the top. How long can Curtis stay there, and will Effie ever get her due?
Genre: Drama, Music, Musical
Director(s): Bill Condon
Production: Dreamworks
  Won 2 Oscars. Another 66 wins & 91 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.5
Metacritic:
76
Rotten Tomatoes:
78%
PG-13
Year:
2006
130 min
$103,300,000
Website
10,925 Views


gonna be the same.

The only thing I know how to do is sing.

And since there ain't nobody

letting me do that no more,

no, I did not look for a job.

Have you considered asking

the girl's father for help?

Magic don't have a father.

Listen.

I know you have questions

Same ones as me

How long has it been?

How long will it be?

When will come the morning

to drive the night away?

Tell me, when will come the morning

of a brighter day?

Yeah

Patience, little sister

Patience, little brother

Patience, patience, yeah

Take each other by the hand

Yeah, yeah

Patience, little sisters

Patience...

- It's from your brother.

- Send it back.

- There's cash in here.

- You spend it.

Effie White, you are a mule.

Come on, baby, it's time to go to bed.

Just as stubborn as your mother.

Go home, old man.

Magic, come on, baby.

And a mountain to climb

Patience, patience

It's gonna take some time

Yeah, yeah

We must walk in peace

We got to walk in peace

It's the only

Only way, yes

If we want to see that morning, yeah

Of a brighter day

Patience

Come on!

Little sister

Patience

Little brother

Patience, patience, yeah

I'm gonna find a way

Nice to see you, Effie.

Patience

Little sister

Patience

Little brother

- Teddy, get yourself back to the party.

- I'm waiting for Deena.

It's good. It's real good.

We wanted to surprise you, Curtis.

That's why we went ahead

and recorded it first.

This is exactly what I need

right now, Curtis.

It's what you've been always

talking about to me, a new sound!

Still, it's a message song.

It tells the truth.

People are angry out there.

I'm angry.

My brother's over in Vietnam

fighting in a pointless war,

and I'm angry about it.

That's right, Curtis.

Isn't music supposed to express

what people are feeling?

Music is supposed to sell.

Look, don't worry about it, Jimmy.

We'll find you some new material.

Deena, I want you to meet this guy

out here.

And about the shirt, you should lose it.

It's messing up your image.

I'm so sorry, Jimmy.

Deena.

Honey, you don't need to be

doing that stuff right now.

Come on, brother. It's Christmas.

Jimmy? Baby?

I'm not staying around for this.

Brother...

Yeah, but what about Holiday?

I had Billie here every winter

from '42 to '58.

Great voice. Bad tipper.

Well, I tell you, Effie White is the best

singer this town has seen since then.

Yeah, but the last time she performed,

the girl fell apart.

That was years ago.

She just lost her confidence for a while.

She's different now.

Max, please. For the old days?

They're gone, Marty.

Sorry, Marty, but the babysitter was late.

Effie White, this is Max Washington.

Hi, Max.

Marty said you needed a singer.

I was just telling Max

that you're serious about working.

He knows all about you.

You do, huh?

Daddy, you don't know the half.

One night after you hire me,

we'll sit down and I'll tell you

all about how I blew through

half a million dollars in two years!

- Hey, come on.

- Drinking.

You don't want to take up too much

of the man's time.

- Now, Carl knows all the songs.

- Carl? Where's Bernard?

He has a job in Evanston.

But I can't sing

with someone I don't know.

Effie. You got to.

Marty, I don't have the time.

Max, please. Just give me a minute.

Now, you listen, Effie White.

For four months, I've been your money.

I've taken you to every club

in this freezing town,

and I'm telling you that this is it.

It's time that you stop making excuses

so that you don't have to prove anything.

You're gonna have to start proving it,

just like the rest of us.

I don't know.

Maybe Curtis was right about you.

You want all of the privileges

but none of the responsibilities.

Hey, Max. Thanks anyway, man.

Sorry for wasting your time.

Do you know the song?

I told you I didn't want to see her.

Well, you are, mister. You are.

Look at me

Look at me

I am changing

Trying every way I can

I am changing

I'll be better than I am

I'm hoping

To work it out

And I know that I can

But I need you

I need a hand

All of my life, I've been a fool

who said I could do it all alone

How many good friends

have I already lost?

And how many dark nights

have I known?

Walking down that wrong road

There was nothing I could find

All those years of darkness

Could make a person blind

But now I can see I am changing

Trying every way I can

I am changing

And I'll be better than I am

But I need a friend

To help me start all over again

That would be just fine

I know it's gonna work out this time

'Cause this time I am

This time I am

I am changing

I'll get my life together now

I am changing

Yes!

I know how I'm gonna start again

I'm gonna leave my past behind

Right, baby! Sing it loud!

I'll change my life

I'll make a vow

Nothing's gonna stop me

now

Tonight, live from the Dorothy Chandler

Pavilion in Los Angeles, California,

it's The Sound of Tomorrow,

celebrating 10 years of hits

from Rainbow Records.

Every day at school, girl

I see your smiling face

The teacher tries to call on me

But I can't concentrate

Come on, Jimmy, drink this.

- Five minutes, Mr Early.

- Yeah, all right.

I thought you were going

to stay clean tonight, baby.

You know how important this is.

Yeah, I was doing fine, too, till Melba

came out and messed with me.

All that, "You never take me nowhere,"

and, "I'm tired of staying in the house

night after night," sh*t.

Next thing I know, she's coming

down the stairs in her party dress.

Wait a minute.

Are you telling me that your wife is

out there right now?

What was I supposed to do, baby?

That's why I needed to relax.

- Here, sugar, have a drink.

- Yeah, help me out here. I'm frazzled.

You know,

it's our anniversary, too, baby.

Don't you remember?

- Yeah, I remember that.

- Let me give you a kiss for each year.

That's sweet.

One, two, three,

four, five, six,

seven, eight.

Eight years of unmarried life.

Hey, come on, now. Don't tell me

we're going to start this sh*t again.

We'll deal with this

after the show, all right?

Don't you walk out on me, Jimmy Early!

Girl meets boy, boy meets girl

Fall in love, perfect world

But if boy and girl never meet

Then a perfect world can never be

Come on, girl, I love you!

- I'm going to tell her, baby, I promise!

- But when, Jimmy? When?

Please, I just need

a little more time, all right?

Time's run out, Jimmy. I get it now.

- What you talking about?

- You never really loved me.

Lorrell. Baby, you know I love you.

I do. But right now, I got a show to do.

... three, two...

And now, the mellow sounds

of Jimmy Early.

I meant you no harm

I never meant to make you cry

You were the only one

I've ever loved in my life

And though it's hard for me to show it

I've got to let you know it

'Cause, darling

I love you more each day

But the words got in my way

Oh, I meant you no harm

And I would die

If you ever said goodbye

I love you

I love you

Hey, hold it.

I can't do it no more.

I can't sing no more sad songs.

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Bill Condon

William Condon (born October 22, 1955) is an American screenwriter and director. He wrote and directed the films Gods and Monsters (1998), Kinsey (2004), and Dreamgirls (2006), wrote the screenplay for Chicago (2002), and directed the final two installments of the Twilight series (2011, 2012), and Beauty and the Beast (2017). Condon won an Academy Award as screenwriter for Gods and Monsters; he was also nominated for his screenplay for Chicago. His work in television includes directing pilot episodes for several series. more…

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