Lackawanna Blues (2005) (TV)

Director:

George C. Wolfe

Writers (WGA):

Ruben Santiago-Hudson (play)
Ruben Santiago-Hudson (teleplay)

Release Date:

12 February 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

Play it. Sing it. Shout it. Feel it.

Plot:

In a story fueled by rhythm and blues, a young boy's life is shaped by love and the stories of a cast of characters in the boarding house where he lives in 1960s Lackawanna, New York.

Plot Keywords:

New York | Boarding House | 1960s | Cleaner | Handyman

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 25 wins & 25 nominations

Cast

S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Rachel "Nanny" Crosby
Marcus Carl Franklin	...	Ruben Santiago Jr. (as Marcus Franklin)
Mos Def	...	The Bandleader
Carmen Ejogo	...	Alean
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Ol'lem Taylor
Macy Gray	...	Pauline
Terrence Howard	...	Bill Crosby (as Terrance Dashon Howard)
Ernie Hudson	...	Dick Barrymore
Delroy Lindo	...	Mr. Lucious
Rosie Perez	...	Bertha
Ruben Santiago-Hudson	...	Freddie Cobbs
Liev Schreiber	...	Ulysses Ford
Jimmy Smits	...	Ruben Santiago Sr.
Patricia Wettig	...	Laura's Mother
Charlayne Woodard	...	Bill's Woman

Also Known As:

Lackawanna Blues (France) [fr]
Notes storgis (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | UK:12 (DVD rating) | UK:15 (TV rating) | Australia:M | Singapore:M18 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

HBO Films

Trivia:

Ruben Santiago-Hudson insisted his daughter Lily be cast in a cameo as Laura's daughter. But his son Trey, a twin with Lily, wanted to appear in the movie as well, which Ruben accepted. In real life, the character of the abused Laura only had a daughter, not a twin daughter and son. The scene where Laura comes to Nanny's house in the middle of the night with her son and daughter after leaving her abusive husband is accurately re-created word-for-word as Ruben remembered from that night.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the club scenes during the 1950s, there are a number of 45 rpm singles hanging on the walls. One is a Columbia Records single with the 1970s design and logo.

Quotes:

Rachel "Nanny" Crosby: [about Bill's chauvinistic remark] I see his lips movin' and I don't feel nuthin' but a breeze.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

If I Ever Lost You

Lakwanna Blues - a celebration of the Black Community

One word....Excellent! Everyone should see this movie. It is the very heart and soul of what family and community are all about. It defines the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." Lackawanna Blues features an all-star cast with the likes of Louis Gossett, Jr., Delroy Lindo, Lou Myer and Ernie Hudson. The movie is set in the 60's and seen through the eyes of a young boy growing up in a rooming house run by the lady that everyone calls Nanny. S. Epatha Merkerson did an outstanding job playing the lead role. I always look forward to Black HIstory Month so that I can see movies and documentaries that celebrate Black Heritage.