Talk to Me (2007)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Kasi Lemmons

Writers (WGA):

Michael Genet (screenplay) and
Rick Famuyiwa (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 August 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

Inspired by a true story

Plot:

The story of Washington D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in the 1960s.

Plot Keywords:

Radio | 1960s | Washington D.C. | Prison | Disc Jockey

Awards:

4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Don Cheadle	...	Petey Greene
Chiwetel Ejiofor	...	Dewey Hughes
Bruce McFee	...	Prison Sign-In Guard
Mike Epps	...	Milo Hughes
Peter MacNeill	...	Warden Cecil Smithers
Adam Gaudreau	...	Escorting Guard
Taraji P. Henson	...	Vernell Watson
Cedric the Entertainer	...	'Nighthawk' Bob Terry
Martin Sheen	...	E.G. Sonderling
J. Miles Dale	...	Program Director
Sean MacMahon	...	Ronnie Simmons
Richard Chevolleau	...	Poochie Braxton
Martin Randez	...	Hadley
Todd Schroeder	...	Guard Captain (as Todd William Schroeder)
Vondie Curtis-Hall	...	Sunny Jim Kelsey (as Vondie Curtis Hall)

Also Known As:

Petey Greene's Washington (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Ireland:15A | Netherlands:6 | Germany:12 | South Korea:15 | UK:15 | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

Trivia:

An earlier version of this film was in development in June 2000. It was to be titled "Petey Greene's Washington" and star Martin Lawrence. Greene's biographer Lurma Rackley was to write the script but contract negotiations broke down.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the scene where Petey and Dewey lock themselves in the DJ booth, Greene puts on an LP featuring Les McCann and Eddie Harris' song "Compared to What". The album the song appears on, 'Swiss Movement', wasn't released until 1969, though the scene predates Martin Luther King's assassination in April 1968. Another circa-1968 montage, set to Sly & the Family Stone's "I Want to Take You Higher", is set to a song released in 1969.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Petey Greene: Wake up, goddammit!

Movie Connections:

References "Petey Greene's Washington" (1976)

Soundtrack:

Cool Jerk

Great mixture of best humor and a great, real story

I just had the opportunity to watch this movie at a very first preview in Los Angeles and therefore some things I've seen might be replaced. They told us, that this was the very first screening (the director and some actors were present, too) and they are still working on the final things.

However, I, as most of the audience did, enjoyed the movie very much. It has a great mixture of humor (especially the unbeatable Don Cheadle as Petey and his wife Vernell) combined with a very strong and breathtaking story of the time around the death of Martin Luther King Junior. Even if the story is really deep and not always funny, the director made it possible to view the life of Petey as a very special one, without losing the focus on his fascinating, humor-filled character.

Whenever this movie comes out: Go to the theaters and enjoy - I will definitely go again to laugh and think about this great, special guy! PS: Die spouse of the director, Vondie Curtis-Hall, has a (supporting) role as well, even if he is not listed in here (yet?) on IMDb.