B*A*P*S

Last updated
B.A.P.S
BAPsFilmPoster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Robert Townsend
Produced by Mark Burg, Jay Stern
Written by Troy Beyer
Starring
Music by Stanley Clarke
CinematographyBill Dill
Edited byPatrick Kennedy
Distributed by New Line Cinema
Release date
March 28, 1997
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10,000,000[ citation needed ]
Box office$7,338,279 [1] [2]

B.A.P.S is a 1997 comedy film directed by Robert Townsend and starring Halle Berry, Natalie Desselle and Martin Landau. The film was written by Troy Beyer and was her first screenplay. The story is about two aspiring entrepreneurs from Georgia, Nisi (Halle Berry) and Mickey (Natalie Desselle) who go to Los Angeles to earn the money they need to open their own restaurant. The film received largely negative reviews from critics. In total it earned $7.3 million at the box office worldwide.

A comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement and most often work by exaggerating characteristics for humorous effect. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending. One of the oldest genres in film – and derived from the classical comedy in theatre –, some of the very first silent movies were comedies, as slapstick comedy often relies on visual depictions, without requiring sound. When sound films became more prevalent during the 1920s, comedy films took another swing, as laughter could result from burlesque situations but also dialogue.

Robert Townsend is an American actor, comedian, film director, and writer. Townsend is best known for directing the films Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Eddie Murphy Raw (1987), The Meteor Man (1993), and various other films and stand-up specials, especially his eponymous self-titled character as the starring role as Robert Peterson on The WB sitcom The Parent 'Hood (1995–1999), in which he created the series, as well as directing episodes and Donald "Duck" Matthews in 1991's The Five Heartbeats. Townsend is also known for his production company Townsend Entertainment which has produced films Playin' for Love, In the Hive and more. Townsend's career included stand-up comedy routines which appeared on cable television. During the 1980s and early–1990s, Townsend gained national exposure through his many appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Townsend has worked with Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Chris Tucker, Beyoncé, and Denzel Washington.

Halle Berry American actress

Halle Maria Berry is an American actress. Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the romantic drama film Monster's Ball (2001), becoming to date the only woman of African American descent to have won the award.

Contents

Plot

Nisi (Halle Berry) and Mickey (Natalie Desselle) are waitresses in a soul food diner in Decatur, Georgia. Their dream is to open the world's first combination hair salon and soul food restaurant.

Natalie Desselle-Reid is an American actress who has performed in several films including B*A*P*S, Def Jam's How to Be a Player, and Cinderella, and the television series Built to Last and For Your Love. For three seasons, she played Janie Egins on the UPN series, Eve.

Soul food type of American cuisine

Soul food is a variety of cuisine originating in the Southeastern United States, and from African American culture. It has both European and Native American influences. It is common in areas with a historical presence of African Americans and has been a cultural staple among the African American and American Deep-South communities for centuries. The expression "soul food" originated in the mid-1960s, when "soul" was a common word used to describe African American culture.

Decatur, Georgia City in Georgia, United States

Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, which is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 20,148 in the 2013 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear Decatur as the address. The city is served by three MARTA rail stations. The city is located approximately 5 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta and shares its western border with both the city of Atlanta and unincorporated DeKalb County. The Druid Hills neighborhood is to the northwest of Decatur.

To accumulate start-up money, they audition for a music video in Los Angeles. Through an unusual turn of events, they end up assisting a Beverly Hills butler and caring for an aging millionaire, Mr. Blakemore, who welcomes them into his mansion. They become Black American Princesses (BAPs) "livin' large and takin' charge!" amongst the rich and famous.

A music video is a short film that integrates a song with imagery, and is produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. There are also cases where songs are used in tie-in marketing campaigns that allow them to become more than just a song. Tie-ins and merchandising can be used for toys or for food or other products. Although the origins of the music video date back to musical short films that first appeared in the 1920s, they again came into prominence in the 1980s when the channel MTV based their format around the medium. Prior to the 1980s, these kinds of videos were described by various terms including "illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip", "promotional video", "song video", "song clip" or "film clip".

Los Angeles City in California

Los Angeles, officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in California, the second most populous city in the United States, after New York City, and the third most populous city in North America. With an estimated population of nearly four million, Los Angeles is the cultural, financial, and commercial center of Southern California. The city is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic diversity, Hollywood, the entertainment industry, and its sprawling metropolis. Los Angeles is the largest city on the West Coast of North America.

Millionaire individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency

A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account. Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire, which makes that amount of wealth a goal for some and almost unattainable for others. In countries that use the short scale number naming system, a billionaire is someone who has at least a thousand times a million dollars, euros or the currency of the given country.

They soon find themselves in the middle of a plot to milk the millionaire of his fortune. Realizing that they have acted no better than the plotters, they choose instead to become Mr. Blakemore's primary caregivers.

Blakemore eventually passes and his will grants half of his fortune to them.

Will and testament legal declaration by which a person names one or more persons to manage his or her estate and provides for the distribution of his property at death

A will or testament is a legal document by which a person, the testator, expresses their wishes as to how their property is to be distributed at death, and names one or more persons, the executor, to manage the estate until its final distribution. For the devolution of property not disposed of by will, see inheritance and intestacy.

Cast

Martin Landau American actor and acting coach

Martin James Landau was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959). He played regular roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space: 1999.

Ian Richardson British actor

Ian William Richardson, was a Scottish actor of film, stage and television.

Troy Byer is a psychologist, author, director, screenwriter and actress.

Production

The film was the first screenplay written by former actress Troy Beyer. [3] [4]

Writer Beyer was disappointed by the final cut of the film, and believed that her "words had not honestly made it onto the screen". She noted that this was the first time Robert Townsend had directed a film that he had not written himself. She used her earnings from this film to direct her own first film. [4]

Reception

Critical response

The reception was overwhelmingly negative. On Rotten Tomatoes has a score of 16% based on 32 reviews. [5] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B. [6]

Roger Ebert gave the film a rare no-stars rating, calling it "jaw-droppingly bad". [7] Ebert included the film on his "most hated" list. [8] Janet Maslin praised Halle Berry for her comedic performance and described the film as a "watered-down Pretty Woman ". Maslin concluded "It's good for a half-hour of humor before the fun starts to dissolve." [9]

Esther Iverem of The Washington Post wrote "Despite its idiotic promotional trailers, 'BAPS' is a very funny movie." [10] Lisa Alspector of the Chicago Reader called it "absurdly broad comedy infused with classic emotions and set in sumptuously detailed environments". [3]

In 2018 Anne Cohen of the website Refinery29 called the film a "Black cult classic" and said the film deserved better than its 13% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Cohen said "The fact that the film has had such a lasting impact,... proves that the film spoke to its audience." [11]

Accolades

1998 Acapulco Black Film Festival

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References

  1. ↑ "B.A.P.S. (1997)". Box Office Mojo .
  2. ↑ "B*A*P*S (1997)". The Numbers .
  3. 1 2 Alspector, Lisa. "B.A.P.S." Chicago Reader .
  4. 1 2 "Actor-Director Troy Beyer Talks About Sex". Indiewire . 14 September 1998.
  5. ↑ "B.A.P.S. (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes .
  6. ↑ "B.A.P.S. (1997)". CinemaScore .
  7. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "B.A.P.S." RogerEbert.com.
  8. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "Ebert's Most Hated – Roger Ebert's Journal". RogerEbert.com.
  9. ↑ Maslin, Janet (28 March 1997). "Trashy Chic Goes West And Finds Rodeo Drive". New York Times .
  10. ↑ "BAPS". The Washington Post .
  11. ↑ Cohen, Anne. "B*A*P*S Deserves More Respect Than A 13% Rotten Tomatoes Score". Refinery29 .
  12. ↑ "B*A*P*S (1997) – Awards". IMDB .
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