| Blackbird | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Patrik-Ian Polk |
| Screenplay by | Rikki Beadle-Blair Patrik-Ian Polk |
| Based on | Blackbird 1986 novel by Larry Duplechan |
| Produced by | Keith Louis Brown Patrik-Ian Polk Carol Ann Shine Isaiah Washington Matthew Young |
| Starring | Mo'Nique Isaiah Washington Julian Walker Kevin Allesee Gary LeRoi Gray Nikki Jane Torrey Laamar Terrell Tilford D. Woods |
| Cinematography | Eun-ah Lee |
| Edited by | Bryan Colvin |
| Music by | Adam Samuel Goldman |
Production companies | KBiz Entertainment Tall Skinny Black Boy Productions |
| Distributed by | RLJ Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Blackbird is a 2014 drama film directed by Patrik-Ian Polk and starring Mo'Nique and Isaiah Washington.[1] The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Larry Duplechan and was released theatrically on April 24, 2015.[2]
YouTube Encyclopedic
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Blackbird 2014 English subtitles
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Blackbird Official Trailer 1 (2015) - Mo'Nique, Isaiah Washington Movie HD
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Blackbird Official Trailer (2014) - Connor Jessup, Alexia Fast Movie HD
Transcription
Premise
Set in a small baptist community in the south of Mississippi, a 17-year-old high school senior and talented singer juggles with his sexuality and religion while also dealing with the disappearance of his younger sister as it tore his family apart.
Cast
- Julian Walker as Randy Rousseau
- Mo'Nique as Claire Rousseau
- Isaiah Washington as Lance Rousseau
- Kevin Allesee as Marshall MacNeil
- Terrell Tilford as Pastor Crandall
- D. Woods as Leslie Crandall
- Gary LeRoi Gray as Efrem
- Torrey Laamar as Todd Waterson
- Nikki Jane as Crystal
Background
Polk initially tried to get the film made several years earlier, with Jussie Smollett cast as the young lead, however financing fell through.[3] When the funding came through years later, he was forced to re-cast because of Smollett's busy schedule on Empire, and struggled to find a black male actor who would portray a gay love story on screen.[3] However, he later met Julian Walker, who is openly gay, and chose to cast him despite his lack of acting experience.[3]
Polk discussed, in an interview with BuzzFeed, the need for more stories featuring gay men who aren't white:[3]
Through my years of filmmaking, we have seen the gay coming-of-age story from every possible white male point of view ... We’ve seen it over, and over, and over.
Release
The film had a successful run on the film festival circuit, winning awards at several LGBT-oriented festivals including Outflix Memphis, Atlanta’s Out On Film Festival, and the Crossroads Film Festival in Polk’s native Mississippi.[2] The film was the closing night gala screening for Los Angeles’ Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), where it won the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature Film.[2]
Reception
Blackbird received mixed to negative reviews from critics. As of August 2020[update], 40% of the ten reviews compiled on Rotten Tomatoes are positive, with an average rating of 4.6/10.[4] The Hollywood Reporter called it "too all over the map to take seriously".[5] The New York Times said that the film has an "impressive, palpable conviction", although it ultimately "suffers from soapy excesses and narrative disjunctures".[6] Slant Magazine wrote: "Blackbird is, like its main character, too naïve to understand or, at least, to deploy the reparative powers of camp".[7]
See also
References
- ^ Murphy, Mekado (2014-07-23). "Playing at Newfest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
- ^ a b c Tiggett, Jai (2015-02-10). "Exclusive: UMC Sets Theatrical Date for Patrik-Ian Polk's 'Blackbird' + New Release Poster + Trailer". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 2015-02-15. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
- ^ a b c d "Filmmaker Patrik-Ian Polk Is Still Telling Definitive Black Gay Stories". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
- ^ "Blackbird (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "'Blackbird': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
- ^ Webster, Andy (2015-04-26). "Review: A Young Man's Voyage, Awash in Taboo Desires, in 'Blackbird'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
- ^ "Blackbird | Film Review | Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
External links
- Blackbird at IMDb
- Blackbird at AllMovie
- Blackbird at the TCM Movie Database
- Blackbird at the American Film Institute Catalog
This page was last edited on 5 December 2023, at 14:44