The Fighting Temptations

Synopsis: A New York advertising executive who is about to land a big account, has his life shaken up when it becomes known that he has lied about having a college degree. After being fired, his life is further shaken by his debtors who had counted on paying after landing the account. Having to go on the run, he is called back to his southern town roots, when his great aunt dies. At the reading of the will, he learns he has been asked to assume the mantle of choir director of his great aunt's church and if he can get the choir in the Gospel Explosion in Atlanta, he will inherit stock worth $150,000. Unfortunately the choir leaves a lot to be desired and he has to start recruiting. Among others, he gets three prisoners to join. More importantly, he gets a "sinner" from one of the local night clubs to join. While initially scorned and resisted, nonetheless her voice wins everyone but the hardcore church busybody.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Director(s): Jonathan Lynn
Production: Paramount Pictures
  4 wins & 11 nominations.
 
IMDB:
5.5
Metacritic:
53
Rotten Tomatoes:
43%
PG-13
Year:
2003
123 min
$30,213,026
Website
1,032 Views


- Thanks, Darrin.

- You're welcome.

- You wanna be my girlfriend?

- Sorry, I wanna marry Michael Jackson.

Darrin, Lilly, get in there and sit down.

- Bless you.

- There she goes again.

Wouldn't be a normal Sunday

if Faye didn't get slain in the Spirit.

- Mary Ann.

- Pastor.

He's growin' like a weed.

You must feed him fertiliser.

- He's the smartest in his class.

- There she is. Hold her, Reverend.

Standin' in the house of God,

all the while singin' the Devil's music.

- What's this all about?

- I found this at the store.

It's Mary Ann,

singin' that R & B sex music.

Mary Ann. Mary Ann!

What you gotta say about all this?

I got my chance to become a singer.

I didn't think it was wrong.

The church by-laws clearly state that

no member shall partake of fornication...

- Amen.

...gamblin' and drinkin',

all goin' on at that juke joint

where she sings.

Just take a look at this.

Do It To Me Again.

- We all know what "it" means.

- I'm surprised you remember what "it" is.

Why were you at the record store

lookin' through the Devil's music?

- I got the Lord on my side.

- Paulina, you need to hush.

- Tell her, honey.

- This girl ain't hurtin' nobody.

- Amen, sister Sally.

- Need I remind you of the church motto?

"Beware of brief delight

and lasting shame."

- Them kids are on that organ again.

- Stop stallin', Paul.

- You're supposed to handle this.

- I'm the pastor here.

- Do your job, boy, or I'll get Mama.

- You call me Reverend round here.

Now, Mary Ann, it's like this.

It's like she says.

You stop singin' that secular music

or you're gonna have to leave the choir.

- Right.

- I'm sorry. It's your pick.

Make up your mind, child.

Think about what you're doin', sister.

Wave goodbye to Aunt Sally.

Darrin, here's that market research.

There's something you should know...

Yes! I'm gonna blow 'em away.

I'm a player. I'm in the zone.

Corner office, huge window.

Take care of these credit card bills.

Use this one to pay off this one.

And do a balance transfer

from here to here for that one.

And cover this one with that one.

What were you tryin' to say earlier?

A private investigator is looking for you.

Why? Who's tryin' to find me?

- I'm double-checking.

- Does he know what I look like?

No. Chill. I told him you're not in,

so he's leaving a message.

- Tell him I'm out of town.

- I did.

Time to climb the corporate ladder.

This plan will increase the market shares

of Lincoln & Gerald liquors

by a whopping

eight per cent in two years.

- We hoped to see faster growth.

- We can give them double-digit growth.

As I said, it is the company position that

eight per cent growth should be the goal.

If there's a different opinion that'll lead

to better growth, we wanna hear it.

Let me ask you this. Which demographic

consumes the most malt liquor?

- Go ahead, you can say it.

- Black people?

There you go! Very good!

However, I noticed

you don't have a malt liquor division.

- I noticed that, too.

- I propose a new ad campaign

that maximises exposure

in the African-American market.

Place positive images of your product

where black people live.

You'll pass single-digit growth

faster than a pro athlete

can get his criminal charges dropped!

That is not thinking outside the box,

that's realising there is no box.

That's why we hired this company.

Where've you been hiding him?

- He's a junior executive.

- Get him on the team.

I mean, he was a junior executive.

Congratulations.

- You've been promoted.

- Where'd you learn that thinking?

- Yale.

- I'm a Princeton man.

But I see we let one get away!

We'd better let him get started

on this interesting idea.

Thank you. Thank you.

- I'll be giving you a corner office.

- Thank you, sir.

Cigar?

This is France's finest.

I first encountered it

growing up in Monte Carlo.

- You're a New York boy.

- I lived there until I was 17.

I've never met a brother

who grew up in Europe before.

- Actually, I was born in South America.

- Where?

- Homevideo.

- That's in Peru, right?

- Venezuela. My father was in oil.

- You sound American.

I went to prep school here. At Andover.

Money was no object.

Mr Hill, I'm afraid your credit card

has been declined.

Right. That was not activated yet.

Try this one.

Mr Fairchild wants to see you

first thing in the morning.

Great. Great, great, great.

There is nothing in my refrigerator

but water. Water and wine.

This is the dining room. We don't spend

a lot of time in here, so it looks very nice.

It's not just a normal chandelier,

it's funky and fun.

- You wanted to see me, sir?

- Darrin.

What I have to say is very difficult.

We have a... situation.

A situation that involves deception

and an unbridled passion

to get what one wants at any cost.

- Company policy.

- No, no. Well, yes, of course it is.

But in this case, it's more personal.

Darrin, you're fired.

Fired? But why?

A representative of Lincoln & Gerald

has an annoying habit

of checking up on things.

It seems you were thrown out of Yale

when it was discovered you faked

your high school diploma from Andover.

Your deception has caught up with you.

But I've been doing such good work.

We cannot be represented

by people who tell lies.

We're in advertising.

You've caused the firm embarrassment

in front of important clients.

I have to let you go. You're smart,

but you broke the 11th commandment:

"Thou shalt not get caught."

- Now...

- Sir, you're making a big mistake.

I'm here for you.

I'm smart, I'm ambitious...

Have your things out of here

in half an hour.

I'm disappointed in you. I expected more

from a congressman's son.

- Darrin Hill?

- Yes.

You've been a tough one to track down.

This is for you.

What is it? A subpoena? A summons?

A ploy to distract me

while you repo my stuff?

Sure, those are fun, but no.

My aunt Sally died.

"We request your presence at the funeral

and reading of the will."

- The funeral's tomorrow.

- Ask your boss for time off.

You know you just cut a brother, right?

Hurts when you do that, man.

Sorry.

Come on, baby.

Make me happy. Cash advance.

Be a winner.

I thank you, Bank of Piscataway!

Kids ain't got no business

playin' a man's game.

Funny, that's the same thing someone

told me... two hours ago.

- Hi.

- Hi.

Can I get something to eat around here?

- Reed!

- Comin' right up.

Better make that to go.

- I need a taxi.

- Reed's only got two hands.

- Wait till he fixes your dinner.

- Right.

No signal.

Wait a minute.

You must be Darrin!

What's up?

- I'm Lucius, your welcome committee.

- How'd you know I was here?

Aunt Sally always bragged

she had a successful nephew.

Let me get your stuff, man. Come on.

Montecarlo used to be a one-horse town.

- Did the horse die?

- You'll see, you'll see.

We got everythin'

to offer that a big city does.

I'm happy to have

another player in town, man.

Reach over and pull this handle

from the inside.

- OK.

- Appreciate that.

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Elizabeth Hunter

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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