Lackawanna Blues (film)
| Lackawanna Blues | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Based on | Lackawanna Blues by Ruben Santiago-Hudson |
| Screenplay by | Ruben Santiago-Hudson |
| Directed by | George C. Wolfe |
| Starring | Marcus Carl Franklin S. Epatha Merkerson Hill Harper Jimmy Smits Terrence Howard |
| Composer | Meshell Ndegeocello |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Halle Berry Vincent Cirrincione Ruben Santiago-Hudson Shelby Stone |
| Producer | Nellie Nugiel |
| Cinematography | Ivan Strasburg |
| Editor | Brian A. Kates |
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release |
|
Lackawanna Blues is a drama television film directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. It aired on HBO on February 12, 2005. It is based on the play of the same name by Santiago-Hudson. Wolfe had commissioned the stage version.[1]
For her work in the movie, S. Epatha Merkerson won a Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Emmy Award in 2006.
Premise
Lackawanna Blues is the true story of Ruben Santiago Jr. growing up in Lackawanna, New York. He was raised by his father and mother and the neighborhood boarding house lady known as Rachel "Nanny" Crosby. Ruben was born in 1956 to his Puerto Rican father Ruben Santiago and his African-American mother Alean Hudson. His mother was too mentally unstable to take good care of him; residing in mental hospitals, Alean disappears and reappears throughout Ruben's life. His father stayed at Nanny's boarding house, but he was frequently not around due to working long hours or out looking for work. Nanny more or less took care of Ruben Jr. as a mother figure. The television movie depicts his life growing up there and the diverse characters that he meets during his and their stays at the boarding house.
Cast
- S. Epatha Merkerson as Rachel "Nanny" Crosby
- Hill Harper as Ruben Santiago Jr. as an adult
- Marcus Carl Franklin as Ruben Santiago Jr. as a boy, ages 7–10
- Jimmy Smits as Ruben Santiago Sr., Ruben's father
- Terrence Howard as Bill Crosby, Nanny's much younger husband
- Mos Def as The Bandleader
- Carmen Ejogo as Alean Hudson, Ruben's mother
- Lou Myers as Ol'lem Taylor, a retired Negro league baseball player
- Macy Gray as Pauline, a resident and Jimmy's girlfriend
- Michael K. Williams as Jimmy, a resident and Pauline's boyfriend
- Ernie Hudson as Dick Barrymore, a cabaret owner
- Delroy Lindo as Mr. Lucious, a resident
- Rosie Perez as Bertha, a hairdresser and resident
- Adina Porter as Ricky, a resident
- Jeffrey Wright as Small Paul
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Freddie Cobbs, a World War II veteran
- Saul Williams as Lonnie, a resident and war veteran
- Liev Schreiber as Ulysses Ford, a social worker
- Julie Benz as Laura, an abused wife
- Patricia Wettig as Laura's Mother
- Ron Kellum as Fish Fry guest
- Robert Bradley as Otis McClanahan (credited as "Robert A. Bradley" in some sources)
The blind Detroit street singer Robert Bradley from the band Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise appears in the film. He performs on-screen and has three songs featured on the soundtrack (including a duet with Macy Gray).
Awards and nominations
References
- ^ Lee, Felicia R. (2005-02-06), "Lost and Found In Lackawanna", New York Times
- ^ "Lackawanna Blues". Television Academy. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ^ Vries, Lloyd (13 December 2005). "'Brokeback Mountain' Leads Globes". CBS News. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- ^ "12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Award Recipients". Archived from the original on 2007-08-19. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
- ^ McNary, Dave (January 9, 2006). "DGA sets telepic nominees". Variety. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
- ^ "2005 TCA Awards nominees". Television Critics Association. June 2, 2005. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "'Crash,' Foxx, win NAACP Image awards". TODAY.com. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Sound editors sing praise". Variety. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- ^ "Terrence Howard gets three Black Reel nods". USA Today. Associated Press. January 4, 2006. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ^ ""Brokeback," "Capote," "Crash," "Transamerica" Honored With Spirit Awards". indieWire. 2006-03-05. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
External links
- 2005 television films
- American drama films
- Drama films based on actual events
- HBO Films films
- American films
- Films directed by George C. Wolfe
- American biographical films
- American films based on plays
- Films set in New York (state)
- Films set in the 1950s
- Films set in the 1960s
- Films about music and musicians
- Television shows based on plays
- 2005 films