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Bessie (film)

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Bessie
Promotional poster
GenreBiographical
Screenplay by
Story by
Directed byDee Rees
Starring
Theme music composerRachel Portman
Country of originUnited States
Production
Executive producers
ProducerRon Schmidt
CinematographyJeff Jur
EditorBrian A. Kates
Running time115 minutes
Production companiesHBO Films
Flavor Unit Entertainment
The Zanuck Company
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseMay 16, 2015 (2015-05-16)

Bessie is a 2015 HBO TV film about the American blues singer Bessie Smith, and focuses on her transformation as a struggling young singer into "The Empress of the Blues". The film is directed by Dee Rees,[1] with a screenplay by Rees, Christopher Cleveland and Bettina Gilois. Queen Latifah stars as Smith, and supporting roles are played by Michael Kenneth Williams as Smith's first husband Jack Gee, and Mo'Nique as Ma Rainey. The film premiered on May 16, 2015.[2] By the following year Bessie was the most watched HBO original film in the network's history. The film was well received critically and garnered four Primetime Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Television Movie.

Synopsis

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Bessie Smith (Queen Latifah) is a young singer from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She and her siblings are orphaned when their parents, William and Laura, die, leaving their oldest sister, Viola (Khandi Alexander), to raise them. Viola is abusive and vicious and Bessie's childhood is unhappy. She along with her brother Clarence (Tory Kittles) scrape by working for local vaudeville shows. Her stage ambitions are frustrated by producers unwilling to feature dark-skinned Black women in their shows. Bessie sneaks onto traveling performer Ma Rainey's (Mo'Nique) train compartment and asks to join her show. Ma Rainey takes Bessie under her wing and helps her develop her abilities until Bessie's popularity causes a schism between the two women. Bessie leaves with Clarence to start her own show.

In addition to her lover Lucille (Tika Sumpter), Bessie begins a tumultuous relationship with Jack Gee (Michael K. Williams), a security guard who later becomes her husband and manager. After a humiliating rejection from the newly formed Black Swan Records, Jack manages to get Bessie a record deal with Columbia Records. Immense success follows, though Bessie encounters difficulties, including a stabbing attack after a show in her hometown, racism from white guests during an affluent party, and an attack during her show by the Ku Klux Klan, whom she courageously chases off. Eventually, Bessie reconciles with Viola, and moves her and all of her siblings into a mansion to live with her. The move causes additional tension with Jack, and Bessie pushes him further by adopting a young boy, whom she names Jack Jr., as their son. Eventually, Lucille leaves Bessie to have her own life. Despite her own affair with bootlegger Richard Morgan (Mike Epps), Bessie is infuriated upon discovering that Jack is bankrolling his mistress, up and coming performer Gertrude Saunders. After a violent quarrel, Jack leaves her. Bessie spirals into depression and alcohol. Jack returns, kidnapping Jack Jr. with the assistance of Viola, and takes him to live with him, contending that Bessie is an unfit mother.

During the Great Depression, Bessie's fortune evaporates, forcing her and Clarence to move into a small apartment. Bessie reconciles with Ma Rainey and takes some time to recuperate from her personal losses. Eventually, she accepts Richard's love for her and the two begin a relationship. After hearing Lucille Bogan's licentious hit song "Til the Cows Come Home", Bessie performs once again and meets a young John Hammond in 1932 who wishes to produce her comeback tour. Bessie's comeback is a success and she later reflects on her life while discussing the future with Richard.

Cast

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Production

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A first draft screenplay was written by playwright Horton Foote at a time when Columbia Pictures was slated to produce the film, but the project died when the studio became involved in a financial irregularity that threatened its existence. Mr. Foote purchased his screenplay back from Columbia and acquired the film rights from biographer Chris Albertson.[citation needed] In the early 1990s, when the possibility of producers Richard D. Zanuck and Lili Fini Zanuck taking over the project arose, Albertson suggested Queen Latifah for the lead, but the project lay dormant when financing could not be found. Upon Horton Foote's death in 2009, the script and film rights became the property of his daughter, actress Hallie Foote, who took it to the Zanucks and HBO.[4] Thus, press releases claim that Bessie has been "22 years in the making." The successful production of the film was also largely due to the executive producer team that was hailed for its elite lineup. The team included multiple industry legends, including Producer and talent manager Shakim Compere, who received his first Emmy in what his colleagues have noted as an "extremely well deserved" accolade. Compere is known for being a close and vital part of Latifah's success and her management team. The executive producer team also included Randi Michel who was praised by much of the production staff and talent as being "the key playmaker" in bringing the film onto its feet. As part of the HBO deal, Queen Latifah is credited as one of the executive producers alongside her managers Shakim Compere, and Randi Michel. The project was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia.[5]

An early article announcing the HBO film indicated it would be based on Bessie, a 1972 biography by Chris Albertson,[6] but a year later the book was not included in the film's credits or promotion, nor did the end result bear but a peripheral resemblance to Albertson's book. An HBO interview with director and screenwriter Dee Rees inquired which books were most influential to her research. Rees replied, "Blues Legacies and Black Feminism by Angela Davis; Blues Empress in Black Chattanooga: Bessie Smith and the Emerging Urban South by Michelle Scott; and Jamaica Kincaid's book, Autobiography of My Mother, really informed me visually and thematically. "[7]

Reception

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The film received positive reviews from critics, with many critics praising the performances of Queen Latifah, Mo'Nique, and Michael K. Williams, while criticizing the use of the "Hollywood biopic" formula. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 91% based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Strong performances, led by Queen Latifah, overpower a middling script in the entertaining and informative Bessie."[8] Metacritic gave the film a score of 75 out of 100 based on 20 critic reviews.[9]

As of 2016, Bessie remained the most watched HBO original movie of all time with 1.34 million viewers and an 18–49 demo rating of 0.4.[10]

Accolades

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Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2015
 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Movie Won [11]
Best Actress in a Movie or Limited Series Queen Latifah Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Limited Series Khandi Alexander Nominated
Mo'Nique Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Awards Best Motion Picture Won [12]
Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Queen Latifah Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Khandi Alexander Nominated
Mo'Nique Nominated
Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries Dee Rees Nominated
Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, and Bettina Gilois Nominated
Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Best Cinematography in a Non-Series Nominated
Best Costume Design in a Non-Series Nominated
Best Editing in a Non-Series Nominated
Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Non-Series Nominated
Best Music in a Non-Series Won
Best New Titles Sequence Nominated
Best Production Design in a Non-Series Won
Best Sound in a Non-Series Won
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Television Movie Richard D. Zanuck, Lili Fini Zanuck, Queen Latifah,
Shakim Compere, Shelby Stone, Randi Michel, and
Ron Schmidt 		Won [13]
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie Queen Latifah Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie Michael Kenneth Williams Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie Mo'Nique Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special Dee Rees Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois, and
Horton Foote 		Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie or a Special Billy Hopkins and Jackie Burch Nominated
Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie Jeffrey Jur Won
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Limited Series or a Movie Lawrence Davis, Monty Schuth, Iasia Merriweather,
and Victor Jones 		Nominated
Outstanding Makeup for a Limited Series or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic) Debi Young, Mi Young, Ngozi Olandu,
Noel Hernandez, and Sian Richards 		Nominated
Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score) Rachel Portman Won
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or a Movie James Emswiller, Robert Fernandez, Damian Volpe,
Ed Cherney, and Evyen Klean 		Won
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials Nominated [14]
Women Film Critics Circle Awards Best Theatrically Unreleased Movie by or About Women Won [15]
2016
 American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television Brian A. Kates Won [16]
American Society of Cinematographers Awards Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Television Movie, Miniseries or Pilot Jeffrey Jur Nominated [17]
Art Directors Guild Awards Excellence in Production Design Award – Television Movie or Mini-Series Clark Hunter, Drew Monahan, Carrie Gale, and
Traci Kirshbaum 		Nominated [18]
Black Reel Awards for Television Outstanding Television Movie or Limited Series Ron Schmidt Won [19]
Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Limited Series Dee Rees Won
Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series Queen Latifah Won
Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series Charles S. Dutton Nominated
Michael Kenneth Williams Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series Mo'Nique Nominated
Outstanding Writing, TV Movie/Limited Series Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois, and Dee Rees Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries Dee Rees Won [20]
Georgia Film Critics Association Awards Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, and Bettina Gilois Nominated [21]
GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series Won [22]
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television Queen Latifah Nominated [23]
Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing – Long Form Dialogue and ADR in Television Damian Volpe, Tony Martinez, Brian Bowles, and
Mary Ellen Porto 		Won [24]
Best Sound Editing - Long Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television Damian Volpe, Kris Fenske, Bill Sweeney,
Heather Gross, Dave Paterson, and Jay Peck 		Nominated
Guild of Music Supervisors Awards Best Music Supervision – Television Limited Series or Movie Evyen Klean and Jennifer Reeve Won [25]
Best Song/Recording Created for Television "Long Old Road"
Written by Bessie Smith;
Performed by Queen Latifah;
Music Supervisors: Evyen Klean and Jennifer Reeve 		Nominated
Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling –
Television Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television 		Lawrence Davis and Monty Schuth Nominated [26]
Best Period and/or Character Makeup –
Television Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television 		Debi Young, Sian Richards, and Mi Young Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Nominated [27]
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Michael Kenneth Williams Nominated
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Queen Latifah Won
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television) Dee Rees Won
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television) Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, and Bettina Gilois Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Motion Picture Made for Television Nominated [28]
Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television Queen Latifah Nominated
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television Michael Kenneth Williams Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television Mo'Nique Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Queen Latifah Won [29]

References

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  1. ^ Theodore-Vachon, ReBecca (May 18, 2015). "Dee Rees On Colorism and Creating Queer Spaces For Black Women In "Bessie"". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "Queen Latifah's Bessie Smith Film to Premiere May 16 on HBO". Billboard. February 24, 2015. Archived from the original on April 20, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  3. ^ "How accurate is Bessie?". Slate. May 16, 2015. Archived from the original on May 31, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  4. ^ Stempel, Tom (July 15, 2015). "Understanding Screenwriting #130". Creative Screenwriting. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  5. ^ Bibel, Sara (January 8, 2015). "'Bessie' Starring Queen Latifah to Premiere this Spring on HBO". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  6. ^ "Queen Latifah to Star as Bessie Smith in HBO Biopic". The Hollywood Reporter. May 1, 2014. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  7. ^ "Bessie - Interview with Dee Rees". HBO. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  8. ^ "Bessie (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  9. ^ "Bessie – Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  10. ^ Patten, Dominic (May 24, 2016). "HBO's 'All The Way' Tops 'Confirmation' In Total Viewers But Not 'Bessie'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  11. ^ Li, Shirley (May 6, 2015). "The Critics' Choice TV Awards 2015: And the nominees are..." Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  12. ^ "19th Annual TV Awards (2014-15)". Online Film & Television Association. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  13. ^ "Bessie". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  14. ^ de Moraes, Lisa (August 8, 2015). "'Empire,' John Oliver, Amy Schumer, Jon Hamm, 'Better Call Saul' Honored By TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  15. ^ "Women Film Critics Salute 'Suffragette' and 'Mad Max', Slam 'Jurassic World' and 'Steve Jobs'". The Hollywood Reporter. December 17, 2015. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  16. ^ Adam Chitwood (January 4, 2016). "'Mad Max: Fury Road', 'Star Wars', 'The Big Short' Land ACE Eddie Editing Nominations". Collider. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  17. ^ Pedersen, Erik; Grobar, Matt (February 14, 2016). "ASC Awards: 'The Revenant' Wins Top Film Prize; Threepeat For Emmanuel Lubezki – Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  18. ^ "Nominees/Winners". Art Directors Guild. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  19. ^ "Black Reel Awards for TV – Past Nominees & Winners by Category". Black Reel Awards. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  20. ^ "68th DGA Awards". Directors Guild of America Awards. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  21. ^ "5th Annual GFCA Award Winners and Nominees". Georgia Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  22. ^ "2016 GLAAD Media Award Nominations". Vulture.com. January 27, 2016. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  23. ^ "Bessie – Golden Globes". HFPA. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  24. ^ "Golden Reel Awards: The Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 28, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  25. ^ "6th Annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards". Guild of Music Supervisors Awards. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  26. ^ Peter Caranicas (February 20, 2016). "'Mad Max: Fury Road' Emerges as Big Winner at Makeup and Hairstylist Awards". Variety. Michelle Sobrino-Stearns. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  27. ^ "Creed, Empire, Black-ish top NAACP Image Awards winners list". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  28. ^ "2015 Satellite Awards". Satellite Awards. International Press Academy. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  29. ^ "The 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
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