| Dreamgirls | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Bill Condon |
| Screenplay by | Bill Condon |
| Based on | Dreamgirls byHenry Krieger andTom Eyen |
| Produced by | Laurence Mark |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Tobias A. Schliessler |
| Edited by | Virginia Katz |
| Music by | Henry Krieger |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures[a] |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 130 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $75–80 million[1][3] |
| Box office | $155.4 million[4] |
Dreamgirls is a 2006 Americanmusicaldrama film written and directed byBill Condon and jointly produced and released byDreamWorks Pictures andParamount Pictures. Adapted fromthe 1981 Broadway musical,Dreamgirls is afilm à clef, a work of fiction taking strong inspiration from the history of theMotown record label and its superstar actthe Supremes.[5] The story follows the history and evolution of AmericanR&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of aDetroitgirl group known as the Dreams and their manipulative record executive.
The film adaptation features anensemble cast, starringJamie Foxx,Beyoncé Knowles, andEddie Murphy withDanny Glover,Anika Noni Rose,Keith Robinson, andJennifer Hudson in supporting roles. In addition to the original compositions by composerHenry Krieger and lyricistTom Eyen, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various lyricists, were added for the film.[6] The film marks the acting debut of Hudson, a formerAmerican Idol contestant.[5]
Dreamgirls debuted in four specialroad show engagements starting on December 4, 2006, before its nationwide release on December 15, 2006.[7] With a production budget of $80 million,Dreamgirls is one of the most expensive films to feature a predominantAfrican-American starring cast in American film history.[3] The film received positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised Condon's direction, the soundtrack, costume and production design, and performances of the cast, in particular Hudson and Murphy, and grossed $155.4 million worldwide.[4] At the79th Academy Awards, the film received a leading eight nominations, winningBest Supporting Actress (for Hudson), andBest Sound Mixing. At the64th Golden Globe Awards, it won three awards, including for theBest Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.[8]
In 1962Detroit, car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. meets a Blackgirl group called "The Dreamettes", consisting of lead singer Effie White and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, at an R&B amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre. Presenting himself as their new manager, he hires them as backup singers forChitlin' Circuit R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early. He soon starts his own record label, Rainbow Records, out of hisCadillac dealership, appointing Effie's brother C.C. as head songwriter. When their first single "Cadillac Car" fails after white pop group "Dave and the Sweethearts" releases acover version, Curtis, C.C., and their producer Wayne turn topayola to make "Jimmy Early & The Dreamettes" mainstream pop stars, beginning with their follow-up single "Steppin' to the Bad Side". Offstage, Effie falls in love with Curtis while the married Jimmy has an affair with Lorrell.
Jimmy's manager, Marty Madison, grows weary of Curtis' plans to make his client more pop-friendly and walks out. When Jimmy fails to connect with an all-whiteMiami Beachsupper club audience, Curtis sends him out on the road alone, keeping The Dreamettes (whom he renames "The Dreams") behind to headline in his place. Feeling that Effie'splus size figure and distinctive, soulful voice will not attract white audiences, he appoints the slimmer, more conventionally attractive Deena as the new lead singer, as Deena's voice, although more basic and generic, is more marketable.
Aided by new songs and a new image, Curtis and C.C. transform The Dreams into a top-selling mainstream pop group. By 1965, however, Effie begins acting out, particularly when Curtis' affections also turn towards Deena. After Effie storms off during aCBS performance, Curtis decides to replace her with his secretary Michelle Morris, beginning with their 1966New Year's Eve debut inLas Vegas as "Deena Jones & the Dreams". Effie learns she is pregnant with his child, but is fired before she can tell him. Though Effie defiantly and desperately appeals to Curtis, he, C.C., and The Dreams abandon her, forging ahead to stardom.
By 1973, Effie has become an impoverished single mother living onwelfare in Detroit with her daughter Magic. To restart her music career, she appoints Marty as her manager and begins performing at a local nightclub. Meanwhile, Deena Jones & the Dreams have become superstars and Rainbow, now headquartered inLos Angeles, has become the biggest pop label in the nation. Curtis, now Deena's husband, pitches a film aboutCleopatra to feature her in the title role. However, Deena clandestinely hopesthe film will never be greenlit, wanting to pursue other acting gigs.
By 1974, Jimmy has become a drug addict due to Curtis's preoccupation with Deena and his rejection of Jimmy's politically charged charity single "Patience" with C.C. and Lorrell. During Rainbow's tenth anniversary special, Jimmy abandons his somber act to do an impromptu rap, exciting the audience, until he goes too far and drops his pants. Embarrassed, Curtis promptly drops him from the label and Lorrell ends their affair. C.C., who feels Curtis is undermining his songs'artistic merit by making them intodisco music, quits the label. Jimmy dies from a heroin overdose, devastating Lorrell, who is barred from his funeral.
Disillusioned by Curtis' cold reaction to Jimmy's death, C.C. reconciles with Effie in Detroit, producing her debut single, "One Night Only". Just as it begins gaining local radio play, Curtis uses payola to promote The Dreams' disco version instead. By 1975, Deena, frustrated by Curtis's control of her career, discovers his schemes and contacts Effie, who arrives in Los Angeles with C.C., Marty, and a lawyer. Deena and Effie reconcile, with Effie telling her that Curtis is Magic's father. He begrudgingly agrees to nationally distribute Effie's version of "One Night Only" to avoid being reported to theFBI. Inspired by Effie's victory and finally seeing Curtis for who he is, Deena leaves him, vowing to start over. The Dreams give a farewell performance at the Detroit Theater, inviting Effie onstage to sing lead for the final song. Towards the end, Curtis approaches the front row, encounters Magic, and realizes she is his daughter.
Act I[edit]
| Act II[edit]
|
In the 1980s and 1990s, several attempts were made to produce a film adaptation ofDreamgirls, a Broadway musical loosely based upon the story ofThe Supremes andMotown Records, which won sixTony Awards in 1982.David Geffen, the stage musical's co-financier, retained the film rights toDreamgirls and turned down many offers to adapt the story for the screen. He cited a need to preserve the integrity ofDreamgirls stage directorMichael Bennett's work after his death in 1987.[15] That same year, Geffen, who ran hisWarner Bros.-associatedGeffen Pictures film production company at the time, began talks with Broadway lyricist and producerHoward Ashman to adapt it as a star vehicle forWhitney Houston, who was to portray Deena. The production ran into problems when Houston wanted to sing both Deena and Effie's songs (particularly "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"), along with Ashman's death in 1991, and the film was eventually abandoned.[16]
When Geffen co-founded DreamWorks in 1994 and dissolved Geffen Pictures, the rights toDreamgirls remained with Warner Bros. Warner Bros. planned to go ahead with the film with directorJoel Schumacher and screenwriterTina Andrews[6] in the late 1990s, following the success ofTouchstone Pictures'sTina Turner biopicWhat's Love Got to Do with It. Schumacher planned to haveLauryn Hill[17] portray Deena andKelly Price play Effie. After Warner Bros.'Frankie Lymon biopicWhy Do Fools Fall in Love failed at the box office, the studio shut down development onDreamgirls.[16]
DreamWorks'Dreamgirls adaptation came about after the film version of the Broadway musicalChicago was a success at both the box office and theAcademy Awards. Screenwriter and directorBill Condon, who wroteChicago's screenplay, met producerLaurence Mark at a Hollywood holiday party in late 2002, where the two discussed a long-held "dream project" of Condon's – adaptingDreamgirls for the screen.[18] The two had dinner with Geffen and successfully convinced him to allow Condon to write a screenplay forDreamgirls.[19] Condon did not start work on theDreamgirls script until after making theAlfred Kinsey biographical filmKinsey (2004).[18] After sending Geffen the first draft of his screenplay in January 2005, Condon's adaptation ofDreamgirls was greenlit.[12]
While much of the stage musical's story remains intact, a number of significant changes were made. The Dreams' hometown—the setting for much of the action—was moved fromChicago to Detroit, the real-life hometown of The Supremes and Motown Records.[15] The roles of many of the characters were related more closely to their real-life inspirations, following a suggestion by Geffen.[15] The film's second act differs greatly from the stage version. In addition, the stage version made no mention of Curtis running a record label. In the film, Rainbow Records was created to closely reflect Motown Records.
Warner Bros. had retained the film rights toDreamgirls and agreed to co-produce with DreamWorks. However, after casting was completed, the film was budgeted at $73 million and Warner Bros. backed out of the production. Geffen, taking the role of co-producer, brought Paramount Pictures into co-finance and releaseDreamgirls. During the course of production, Paramount's parent company,Viacom, would purchase DreamWorks, aligning the two studios under one umbrella (and giving the senior studio American distribution rights on behalf of DreamWorks).[15] The completed film had a production budget of $75 million, makingDreamgirls the most expensive film with an all-black starring cast in cinema history.[3]
Mark and Condon began pre-production with the intentions of castingJamie Foxx andEddie Murphy, both actors with record industry experience, as Curtis Taylor Jr. and James "Thunder" Early, respectively.[18] When offered the part of Curtis, Foxx initially declined because DreamWorks could not meet his salary demands.[18]Denzel Washington,Will Smith, andTerrence Howard were among the other actors also approached to play Curtis.[20] Murphy, on the other hand, accepted the role of Jimmy Early after being convinced to do so by DreamWorks co-founderJeffrey Katzenberg.[15]
While Condon had intended to cast relatively unknown actresses as all three Dreams,[12] R&B singerBeyoncé Knowles lobbied for the part of Deena Jones,[21] and was cast after a successfulscreen test.[15] Upon learning that Knowles and Murphy had signed on, Foxx rethought his original decision and accepted the Curtis role at DreamWorks' lower salary.[22]
R&B starUsher was to have been cast as C.C. White,[23] but contract negotiations failed; Usher was unable to dedicate half a year to the project.André 3000 ofOutkast was also offered the role, but declined.[24] After briefly considering R&B singerOmarion,[25] singer/actorKeith Robinson was eventually cast in the role.[26]
Anika Noni Rose, a Broadway veteran and aTony Award winner, won the part of Lorrell Robinson after an extensive auditioning process.[21] Rose, significantly shorter than most of her co-stars at five feet and two inches (157 cm), was required to wear (and dance in) four and five-inch (127 mm) heels for much of the picture, which she later stated caused her discomfort.[22]
The most crucial casting decision involved the role of Effie White, the emotional center of the story.[21] The filmmakers insisted on casting a relative unknown in the role, paralleling the casting of then-21-year-oldJennifer Holliday in that role for the original Broadway production.[21] A total of 783 singing actresses auditioned for the role of Effie White, among themAmerican Idol alumnaeFantasia Barrino andJennifer Hudson, former Disney starRaven-Symoné, and Broadway stars Capathia Jenkins andPatina Miller.Community actressYvette Nicole Brown was also in the running for the role but was eventually cast as the legal secretary to Foxx's character.[27] Though Barrino emerged as an early frontrunner for the part,[28] Hudson was eventually selected to play Effie, leading Barrino to telephone Hudson and jokingly complain that Hudson "stole [Barrino's] part."[29][30][31]
Hudson was required to gain twenty pounds for the role,[32] which marked herdebut film performance. In casting Hudson, Condon recalled that he initially was not confident he'd made the right decision, but instinctively cast Hudson after she'd auditioned several times because he "just didn't believe any of the others."[33]
After Hudson was cast in November 2005, theDreamgirls cast began extensive rehearsals with Condon and choreographersFatima Robinson and Aakomon "AJ" Jones, veterans of themusic video industry.[34] Meanwhile, the music production crew began work with the actors and studio musicians recording the songs for the film. Although rehearsals ended just before Christmas 2005, Condon called Hudson back for a week of one-on-one rehearsals, to help her more fully become the "diva" character of Effie. Hudson was required to be rude and come in late both on set and off, and she and Condon went over Effie's lines and scenes throughout the week.[22]
Loretta Devine, who played Lorrell in the original Broadway production, has a cameo as a jazz singer who performs the song "I Miss You Old Friend."[21] AnotherDreamgirls veteran present in the film isHinton Battle, who was a summer replacement for James "Thunder" Early onstage and here portrays Curtis'aide-de-camp Wayne.[21]
Principal photography began January 6, 2006 with the filming of dance footage for the first half of "Steppin' to the Bad Side," footage later deleted from the film.[35] The film was primarily shot onsoundstages at theLos Angeles Center Studios and on location in the Los Angeles area, with somesecond unit footage shot in Detroit,Miami, and New York City.[35] The award-winning Broadway lighting team ofJules Fisher andPeggy Eisenhauer were brought in to create theatrical lighting techniques for the film's musical numbers.[36]
Beyoncé Knowles elected to lose weight to give the mature Deena Jones of the 1970s a different look than the younger version of the character. By sticking to a highly publicized diet ofwater,lemons,maple syrup, andcayenne pepper (also known as theMaster Cleanse), Knowles rapidly lost twenty pounds, which she gained back once production ended.[37]
Shooting was completed in the early-morning hours of April 8, 2006, after four days were spent shooting Jennifer Hudson's musical number "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", which had purposefully been saved until the end of the shoot.[35] Originally scheduled to be shot in one day, Condon was forced to ask for extra time and money to finish shooting the "And I Am Telling You" scene, as Hudson's voice would give out after four hours of shooting the musical number, and she was unable to plausibly lip-sync while hoarse.[18][33] The scene was felt by everyone involved to be pivotal to the film, as "And I Am Telling You" was Jennifer Holliday's show-stopping number in the original Broadway musical.[18][21]
Dreamgirls musical supervisors Randy Spendlove and Matt Sullivan hired R&B production teamThe Underdogs —Harvey Mason Jr. and Damon Thomas — to restructure and rearrange theHenry Krieger/Tom EyenDreamgirls score so that it better reflected its proper time period, yet also reflected then-modern R&B/pop sensibilities.[38] During post-production, composerStephen Trask was contracted to provide additional score material for the film.[39] Several musical numbers from the Broadway score were not included in the film version, in particular Lorrell's solo "Ain't No Party".[40]
Four new songs were added for the film: "Love You I Do", "Patience", "Perfect World," and "Listen."[38] All of the new songs feature music composed by originalDreamgirls stage composer Henry Krieger. With Tom Eyen having died in 1991,[6] various lyricists were brought in by Krieger to co-author the new songs. "Love You I Do," with lyrics bySiedah Garrett, is performed in the film by Effie during a rehearsal at the Rainbow Records studio.[6]Willie Reale wrote the lyrics for "Patience," a song performed in the film by Jimmy, Lorrell, C.C., and a gospel choir, as the characters attempt to record a message song for Jimmy.[6] "Perfect World," also featuring lyrics by Garrett, is performed during the Rainbow 10th anniversary special sequence byJackson 5doppelgängers The Campbell Connection.[6] "Listen", with additional music byScott Cutler and Beyoncé, and lyrics byAnne Preven, is presented as a defining moment for Deena's character late in the film.[6]
After preview screenings during the summer of 2006, several minutes worth of musical footage were deleted from the film due to negative audience reactions to the amount of music.[41] Among this footage was one whole musical number, C.C. and Effie's sung reunion "Effie, Sing My Song", which was replaced with an alternative spoken version.[14][41]
TheDreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picturesoundtrack album was released on December 5 by Music World Entertainment/Columbia Records, in both a single-disc version containing highlights and a double-disc "Deluxe Version" containing all of the film's songs. The single-disc version of the soundtrack peaked at number-one on theBillboard 200 during a slow sales week in early January 2007.[42] "Listen" was the first official single from the soundtrack, supported by a music video featuring Beyoncé. "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was theDreamgirls soundtrack's second single. Though a music video with all-original footage was once planned,[43] the video eventually released for "And I Am Telling You" comprised the entire corresponding scene in the actual film.
Dreamgirls premiered on December 4, 2006, at theZiegfeld Theatre inNew York City, where it received astanding ovation.[44] The film'sLos Angeles premiere was held on December 11 at theWilshire Theater inBeverly Hills.[45]
Similar to the releases of older Hollywood musicals such asThe Sound of Music,My Fair Lady, andWest Side Story,Dreamgirls debuted with three special ten-dayroadshow engagements beginning on December 15, 2006, at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, theCinerama Dome in Los Angeles, and the AMC Metreon 15 inSan Francisco.[7] Tickets for the reserved seats were $25 each; the premium price included a forty-eight page full-color program and a limited-printlithograph.[7] This release madeDreamgirls the first American feature film to have a roadshow release sinceMan of La Mancha in 1972.[7]Dreamgirls earned a total of $851,664 from the roadshow engagements, playing to sold-out houses on the weekends.[4][46][47] The film's national release, at regular prices, began on December 25. Outside of the U.S.,Dreamgirls opened in Australia on January 18, and in the United Kingdom on February 2. Releases in other countries began on various dates between January and early March.Dreamgirls eventually grossed $103 million in North America, and over $155 million worldwide.[4]
DreamWorks Home Entertainment releasedDreamgirls to home video on May 1, 2007[48] inDVD,HD DVD, andBlu-ray formats. The DVD version was issued in two editions: a one-disc standard version and a two-disc "Showstopper Edition". The two-disc version also included a feature-length production documentary, production featurettes,screen tests,animatics, and otherprevisualization materials and artwork.[48] Both DVD versions featured alternative and extended versions of the musical numbers from the film as extras, including the "Effie, Sing My Song" scene deleted during previews. Both the Blu-ray and HD DVD versions were issued in two-disc formats.Dreamgirls was the first DreamWorks film to be issued in ahigh definition home entertainment format.[49] As of 2017[update], total domestic video sales to date are at $95.1 million.[50]
A "Director's Extended Edition" ofDreamgirls was released onBlu-ray andDigital HD on October 10, 2017, byParamount Home Media Distribution.[41][51] This version, based on edits done for preview screenings before the film's release, runs ten minutes longer than the theatrical version and features longer musical numbers (including songs and verses cut during previews) and additional scenes.[52]
On the review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes,Dreamgirls holds an approval rating of 79% based on 205 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critics consensus states: "Dreamgirls' simple characters and plot hardly detract from the movie's real feats: the electrifying performances and the dazzling musical numbers."[53]Metacritic gives a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 rating, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[54] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[55]
Rolling Stone'sPeter Travers gave the film three and a half stars (out of four) and the number-two position on his "best of 2006" list, stating that "despite transitional bumps, Condon doesDreamgirls proud".[56][57] David Rooney ofVariety reported that the film featured "tremendously exciting musical sequences" and that "afterThe Phantom of the Opera,Rent andThe Producers botched the transfer from stage to screen,Dreamgirls gets it right."[58]
On the December 10, 2006 episode of the television showEbert & Roeper,Richard Roeper and guest criticAisha Tyler (filling in forRoger Ebert, who was recovering from cancer-related surgery) gave the film "two thumbs up", with Roeper's reservations that it was "a little short on heart and soul" and "deeply conventional".[59] Roeper still enjoyed the film, noting that Jennifer Hudson's rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" as the "show-stopping moment of any film of 2006" and very much enjoyed Murphy's performance as well, remarking that "people are going to love this film."[59] Kirk Honeycutt ofThe Hollywood Reporter was less enthusiastic, stating that while the film was "a damn good commercial movie, it is not the film that will revive the musical or win over the world".[60] Ed Gonzales ofSlant magazine found the entire picture too glossy, and declared that "the film doesn't care to articulate the emotions that haunt its characters".[61]University of Sydney academic Timothy Laurie was critical of the film's social message, noting that "the worthy receive just desserts by working evenharder for the industries that marginalise them".[62]
Many reviews, regardless of their overall opinion of the film, cited Hudson's and Murphy's performances as standouts, with Travers proclaiming Murphy's performance of "Jimmy's Rap" as "his finest screen moment."[56] Television hostOprah Winfrey saw the film during a November 15 press screening, and telephoned Hudson on theOprah episode airing the next day, praising her performance as "a religious experience" and "a transcendent performance."[63] A review forThe Celebrity Cafe echoes that Hudson's voice "is like nothing we’ve heard in a long time, and her acting is a great match for that power-house sound."[64]
Jennifer Holliday, who originated the role of Effie onstage, expressed her disappointment at not being involved in the film project in several TV, radio, and print interviews.[65] Holliday in particular objected to the fact that her 1982 recording of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was used in an earlyDreamgirls film teaser trailer created before production began. Many of the other originalDreamgirls Broadway cast members, among themObba Babatundé,Vondie Curtis-Hall, andCleavant Derricks, were interviewed for aJet magazine article in which they discussed their varying opinions of both theDreamgirls film's script and production.[66]
DreamWorks and Paramount began a significant awards campaign forDreamgirls while the film was still in production. In February 2006, the press was invited on set to a special live event showcasing the making of the film, including a live performance of "Steppin' to the Bad Side" by the cast.[67] Three months later, twenty minutes of the film — specifically, the musical sequences "Fake Your Way to the Top", "Family", "When I First Saw You", and "Dreamgirls" – were screened at the2006 Cannes Film Festival, with most of the cast and crew in attendance.[68][69] The resulting positive buzz earnedDreamgirls the status of "front-runner" for the 2006Academy Award for Best Picture and several of the other Oscars as well.[70]
Following the success of the Cannes screening, DreamWorks and Paramount began a widespread "For Your Consideration" advertisement campaign, raising several eyebrows by demoting Jennifer Hudson to consideration for Best Supporting Actress and presenting Beyoncé Knowles as the sole Best Actress candidate, as opposed to having both compete for Best Actress awards. By contrast, the actresses who originated Hudson's and Knowles' roles on Broadway, Jennifer Holliday andSheryl Lee Ralph, respectively, were both nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress, with Holliday winning the award.[30] The presentation of Knowles over Hudson as the sole Best Actress candidate had interesting parallels with the film itself.[30]
Dreamgirls received eight 2007Academy Award nominations covering six categories, the most of any film for the year, although it was not nominated for Best Picture,Best Director, or either of the lead acting categories. The film's nominations includedBest Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy),Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson),Best Achievement in Costume Design,Best Achievement in Art Direction,Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, and three nominations forBest Song ("Listen", "Love You I Do", and "Patience").Dreamgirls is the first live-action film to receive three nominations for Best Song; previously theDisney animated featuresBeauty and the Beast (1991) andThe Lion King (1994) had each received three Academy Award nominations for Best Song;Enchanted (2007) has since repeated the feat.[71]
In addition,Dreamgirls was the first film in Academy Award history to receive the highest number of nominations for the year, yet not be nominated for Best Picture.[72] The film's failure to gain a Best Picture or Best Director nod was widely viewed by the entertainment press as a "snub" by the academy.[73] Some journalists registered shock,[74] while others cited a "backlash".[75] On the other hand, director Bill Condon stated that "I think academy members just liked the other movies better"[76] and that he believed that "we were never going to win even if we were nominated."[76] Reports emerged of significant behind-the-scenes in-fighting between the DreamWorks and Paramount camps, in particular between DreamWorks' David Geffen and Paramount CEOBrad Grey, over decision making and credit-claiming during theDreamgirls awards campaign.[77]
At the Academy Awards ceremony on February 25, 2007,Dreamgirls won Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Sound Mixing. As such, Hudson became one of the few actresses ever to win an Oscar for a filmdebut performance and is, to date, the only alumnus ever fromAmerican Idol to be both nominated and win an Academy Award. In what was considered an upset, Murphy lost the Best Supporting Actor award toAlan Arkin forLittle Miss Sunshine. Knowles, Hudson, Rose, and Robinson performed a medley of the threeDreamgirls songs nominated for Best Original Song, although all three songs lost the award to "I Need to Wake Up" fromAn Inconvenient Truth.[78]
For the 2007Golden Globe Awards,Dreamgirls was nominated in five categories:Best Picture – Comedy or Musical,Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical (Beyoncé Knowles),Best Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy),Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson), andBest Original Song ("Listen"). The film won the awards for Best Picture — Comedy or Musical, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.[8]Dreamgirls received eightNAACP Image Award nominations, winning for Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) and Outstanding Album (the soundtrack LP).[79] It was also named as one of theAmerican Film Institute's top ten films of 2006.
Dreamgirls also garneredScreen Actors Guild Awards for Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) and Supporting Actor (Eddie Murphy), as well as a nomination for its ensemble cast.[80] The film was also nominated by theProducers Guild of America for Best Picture and theDirectors Guild of America for Bill Condon's directing. TheBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts gave the film awards for Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson) and Music (Henry Krieger).
Furthermore,Dreamgirls was nominated for eleven 2007International Press AcademySatellite Awards, and won four of the awards: Best Picture — Comedy or Musical, Best Director (Bill Condon), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jennifer Hudson), and Best Sound (Mixing & Editing).[81]Dreamgirls also received a record elevenBlack Reel Award nominations, and won six of the awards, among them Best Film.[82] At the50th Grammy Awards ceremony, "Love You I Do" won the award forBest Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.[83] TheDreamgirls soundtrack was also nominated for theGrammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album.[83]
For the opening performance at the 2007BET Awards on June 26 of that year, Hudson performed a duet of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" with her predecessor, Jennifer Holliday. Later that night, Hudson won the BET Award for Best Actress.[84]
In February 2022, Hudson's rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was named one of the five finalists for Oscars Cheer Moment as part of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' "Oscars Fan Favorite" contest, finishing in fourth place.[85]
| Award | Year | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[86] | 2007 | Best Supporting Actor | Eddie Murphy | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actress | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| Best Art Direction | John Myhre Nancy Haigh | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Sharen Davis | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Song | "Listen"(Henry Krieger,Scott Cutler,Anne Preven) | Nominated | ||
| "Love You I Do"(Henry Krieger,Siedah Garrett) | Nominated | |||
| "Patience"(Henry Krieger,Willie Reale) | Nominated | |||
| Best Sound Mixing | Michael Minkler Bob Beemer Willie D. Burton | Won | ||
| African-American Film Critics Association Awards[87] | 2006 | Best Picture | Won | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Eddie Murphy | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| Best Director | Bill Condon | Won | ||
| American Cinema Editors Awards[88] | 2007 | Best Edited Comedy or Musical Feature | Virginia Katz | Won |
| Art Directors Guild Awards[88] | 2006 | Best Art Direction — Period Film | John Myhre | Nominated |
| American Film Institute Awards[89] | 2006 | Top Ten Movies of the Year | Won | |
| Asian Excellence Awards[90] | 2006 | Best Supporting Film Actress | Sharon Leal | Nominated |
| Austin Film Critics Awards[88] | 2006 | Breakthrough Artist | Jennifer Hudson | Won |
| British Academy Film Awards[91] | 2007 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Won | |
| Best Film Music | Henry Krieger | Nominated | ||
| BET Awards[92] | 2007 | BET Award for Best Actor | Eddie Murphy | Nominated |
| Jamie Foxx | Nominated | |||
| BET Award for Best Actress | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| Black Reel Awards[82] | 2006 | Best Film | Won | |
| Best Actor | Jamie Foxx | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Beyoncé Knowles | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Eddie Murphy | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| Best Breakthrough Performance | Won | |||
| Best Original Score | Harvey Mason Jr. Damon Thomas | Won | ||
| Best Original Soundtrack | Henry Krieger | Won | ||
| Best Original Song | "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"(performed by Jennifer Hudson) | Won | ||
| "Listen"(performed by Beyoncé Knowles) | Nominated | |||
| "One Night Only"(performed by Jennifer Hudson) | Nominated | |||
| Broadcast Film Critics Association[93] | 2007 | Best Picture | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Eddie Murphy | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| Best Acting Ensemble | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Bill Condon | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Song | "Listen"(Henry Krieger,Anne Preven,Scott Cutler, Beyoncé) | Won | ||
| Best Original Soundtrack | Won | |||
| Chicago Film Critics Circle[88] | 2006 | Best Supporting Actor | Eddie Murphy | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actress | Jennifer Hudson | Nominated | ||
| Costume Designers Guild Awards[88] | 2006 | Excellence in Period Film | Sharen Davis | Nominated |
| Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards[88] | 2006 | Best Picture | Nominated | |
| Directors Guild of America[88] | 2006 | Best Director | Bill Condon | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards[8] | 2007 | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Won | |
| Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Beyoncé Knowles | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Eddie Murphy | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| Best Original Song | "Listen"(Henry Krieger, Anne Preven, Scott Cutler, Beyoncé) | Nominated | ||
| Grammy Awards[83] | 2008 | Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture or Television | Nominated | |
| Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television | "Love You I Do"(Henry Krieger, Siedah Garrett) | Won | ||
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards[88] | 2006 | Best Supporting Actress (Runner-up) | Jennifer Hudson | Won |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Circle[88] | 2006 | Best Picture | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| MTV Movie Awards[94] | 2007 | Best Performance | Nominated | |
| Beyoncé Knowles | Nominated | |||
| NAACP Image Awards[79] | 2007 | Outstanding Motion Picture | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Jamie Foxx | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | Beyoncé Knowles | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Danny Glover | Nominated | ||
| Eddie Murphy | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| Anika Noni Rose | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Album | Won | |||
| National Board of Review of Motion Pictures[88] | 2006 | Breakthrough Performance by an Actress | Jennifer Hudson | Won |
| National Society of Film Critics Awards[88] | 2006 | Best Supporting Actress | Won | |
| New York Film Critics Online Awards[88] | 2006 | Best Breakthrough Performance | Won | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Won | |||
| New York Film Critics Circle[88] | 2006 | Best Supporting Actor | Eddie Murphy | Runner-up |
| Best Supporting Actress | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards[88] | 2006 | Breakout Performance | Won | |
| Online Film Critics Society Awards[88] | 2007 | Best Supporting Actor | Eddie Murphy | Nominated |
| Breakthrough Performance | Jennifer Hudson | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |||
| Phoenix Film Critics Circle[88] | 2006 | Best Use of Music | Won | |
| Breakout Performance of the Year — On Screen | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| Producers Guild of America Awards[88] | 2006 | Best Theatrical Motion Picture | Laurence Mark | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards[81] | 2006 | Best Film – Musical or Comedy | Won | |
| Best Director | Bill Condon | Won | ||
| Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Beyoncé Knowles | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Bill Condon | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Song | "Love You I Do"(Henry Krieger, Siedah Garrett) | Nominated | ||
| "Listen"(Henry Krieger, Anne Preven, Scott Cutler, Beyoncé Knowles) | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Virginia Katz | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound (Editing and Mixing) | Willie Burton Michael Minkler Bob Beemer Richard E. Yawn | Won | ||
| Best Art Direction and Production Design | John Myhre Tomas Voth Nancy Haigh | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Sharen Davis | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards[80] | 2006 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Hinton Battle, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover, Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé Knowles, Sharon Leal, Eddie Murphy,Keith Robinson, Anika Noni Rose | Nominated |
| Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Jennifer Hudson | Won | ||
| Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Eddie Murphy | Won | ||
| Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards[88] | 2006 | Best Supporting Actress | Jennifer Hudson | Won |
| Toronto Film Critics Circle[88] | 2006 | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards[88] | 2006 | Best Supporting Actress | Won | |
| Women Film Critics Circle[88] | 2006 | Best Music | Won |
To give the story more exposure for the upcoming film release, DreamWorks and the licenser of the original play, The Tams-Witmark Music Library, announced that they would pay the licensing fees for all non-professional stage performances ofDreamgirls for the calendar year of 2006. DreamWorks hoped to encourage amateur productions ofDreamgirls, and familiarize a wider audience with the play. As a result, more than fifty high schools, colleges, community theaters, and other non-commercial theater entities staged productions ofDreamgirls in 2006, and DreamWorks spent up to $250,000 subsidizing the licensing.[95]
TheDreamgirlsnovelization was written by African-American novelistDenene Millner, and adapts the film's official script in chapter form, along with fourteen pages of photographs from the film. The book was released on October 31, 2006.[96] Ascrapbook, entitledDreamgirls: The Movie Musical, was released on March 27, 2007.[97] The limited edition program guide accompanying theDreamgirls road show release was made available for retail purchase in February.[citation needed] In addition, theTonner Doll Company released "The Dreamettes" collection, featuring dolls of the characters Deena, Lorrell, and Effie, to coincide with the release of the film.[98]
Aside from the overall plot of the film and elements already present in the stage musical, many direct references toThe Supremes,Motown, orR&B/soul history in general are included in the film. In one scene, Effie saunters into Curtis' office and discusses Rainbow Records' latest LP,The Great March to Freedom, aspoken word album featuring speeches byMartin Luther King Jr. This LP is an authentic Motown release, issued as Gordy 906 in June 1963.[99][100] A later scene features Curtis and the Dreams recording in the studio, while ariot rages outside. By comparison, Motown'sHitsville U.S.A. studio remained open and active during Detroit's12th Street Riot in July 1967.[101][102]
The photo shoot montage which accompanies "When I First Saw You", as well as the subplot of Deena being forced to star in Curtis'Cleopatra film against her will, reflect both scenes from and the behind the scenes drama during the production ofMahogany, a 1975 Motown film starringDiana Ross and directed by Motown CEOBerry Gordy.[103]
In a snapshot, Ed Sullivan appears presenting the real Supremes on his show.
Among the more direct references are the uses of adapted Supremes album cover designs for albums recorded in the film by the Dreams. Three Supremes albums –Let the Sunshine In,Cream of the Crop, andTouch – were reworked into Deena Jones & The Dreams album designs, with the only differences in the designs being the substitution of the names and images of the Supremes with those of Deena Jones & the Dreams. Another Dreams LP seen in the film,Meet the Dreams, is represented by an album cover derived from the designs for the Supremes LPsMeet The Supremes,More Hits by The Supremes andThe Supremes A' Go-Go.[104] There is also a solo album,Just In Time, recorded by Deena Jones shown in the film, the album cover for which is based onDionne Warwick's 1970 album,Very Dionne.
Diana Ross, long a critic of the Broadway version ofDreamgirls for what she saw as an appropriation of her life story,[105] denied having seen the film version.[106] On the other hand, Mary Wilson attended the film's Los Angeles premiere, later stating thatDreamgirls moved her to tears and that it was "closer to the truth than they even know".[107]
However,Smokey Robinson was less than pleased about the film's allusions to Motown history. In a January 25, 2007 interview withNPR, Robinson expressed offense at the film's portrayal of its Berry Gordy analogue, Curtis Taylor Jr., as a "villainous character" who deals inpayola and other illegal activities.[108] He repeated these concerns in a later interview withAccess Hollywood, adding that he felt DreamWorks and Paramount owed Gordy an apology.[109] On February 23, a week before the Oscars ceremony, DreamWorks and Paramount issued an apology to Gordy and the other Motown alumni.[110] Gordy issued a statement shortly afterwards expressing his acceptance of the apology.[110]
The payola scheme used in the film's script, to which Robinson took offense, is identical to the payola scheme allegedly used by Gordy and the other Motown executives, according to sworn court depositions from Motown executive Michael Lushka, offered during the litigation between the label and its chief creative team,Holland–Dozier–Holland.[111][112] Several references are also made toMafia-backed loans Curtis uses to fund Rainbow Records.[113] Gordy was highly suspected, though never proven, to have used Mafia-backed loans to finance Motown during its later years.[114]
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