Top Five

Last updated

Top Five
Top Five poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Chris Rock
Written byChris Rock
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Manuel Alberto Claro
Edited by Anne McCabe
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates
  • September 6, 2014 (2014-09-06)(TIFF)
  • December 12, 2014 (2014-12-12)(United States)
Running time
102 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12 million [2]
Box office$26.1 million [3]

Top Five is a 2014 American romantic comedy-drama film [4] written and directed by Chris Rock. Produced by Scott Rudin and Eli Bush, the film stars Rock, Rosario Dawson, and Gabrielle Union, and follows New York City comedian and film star Andre Allen (Rock), who has to confront his past and comedic career while doing an interview with journalist Chelsea Brown (Dawson).

Contents

The ensemble cast features comedians J. B. Smoove, Kevin Hart, Sherri Shephard, Michael Che, Tracy Morgan, Jay Pharoah, Leslie Jones, and Cedric the Entertainer. Comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, and Whoopi Goldberg appear as themselves.

It was screened in the Special Presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United States on December 12, 2014 by Paramount Pictures. [5] It received critical acclaim, with praise directed at the performances of the cast, and Rock's screenplay and direction, as well as comparisons to Woody Allen's Stardust Memories (1980).

Plot

New York Times reporter Chelsea Brown is spending a day interviewing comedian and recovering alcoholic Andre Allen, star of the hit film franchise Hammy The Bear, about a cop in a bear suit. Chelsea has forgotten her audio recorder, so they first go to her apartment. While there they discuss a magazine article about the Cinderella complex. Chelsea explains that Cinderella left something behind to let the prince know that she wanted to see him again.

Andre is attempting a foray into serious films with Uprize, in which he portrays Haitian Revolution figure Dutty Boukman, and is sensitive to criticism, particularly by Times critic James Nielson, whose previous reviews of his work have been negative and insulting.

As the interview begins in his limousine, Andre recalls his lowest point, when he was in Houston in 2003 and met Jazzy Dee, who supplied him with drugs, alcohol and women. When Jazzy refused to pay them, they contended they were raped, leading to Andre's arrest and subsequent sobriety.

The limo gets hit by a cab, so Andre and Chelsea wander the city. He stops to pick up the rings for his wedding to reality-TV star Erica Long. Following a subtle, tense interaction with Andre assisting an acquaintance who is actually his father, they visit the apartment of his old friends and ex-girlfriend.

Chelsea interviews each, learning that Andre wasn't particularly funny when he started doing stand-up. They nominate their five favorite rappers, including a sixth as well. Andre goes to radio shows such as Opie and Anthony to promote Uprize and attends a press conference with fellow stars Taraji P. Henson and Gabourey Sidibe. To his chagrin, Andre is asked about the next Hammy movie.

At a hotel, Andre and Chelsea unexpectedly encounter her boyfriend, Brad, along with his friend Ryan, who is wearing Brad's shirt. she deduces Brad is cheating on her with Ryan. She and Andre, both recovering alcoholics, stop in a liquor store but resist making a purchase. Chelsea explains in graphic detail how the signs were there that Brad was gay. Andre laughs, calling Chelsea naive. She becomes angry and insults his movie, but they end up kissing.

Andre asks to borrow Chelsea's phone, as his own died. While using it, he sees an email from her editor, revealing she is James Nielson. The truth devastates Andre, who angrily tells Chelsea he felt he was never funny unless he was drunk or high, and now is fearful for his career. Despondent and acting out at a supermarket, he is arrested.

In jail, Andre calls Erica, who fumes over the arrest, mainly because of how it will look for her image. She tells him this piece of fame is all she has since she thinks she has no other talent. Erica's manager Benny takes the phone and tells Andre to go to his bachelor party for good press and fly out for the wedding.

Andre's bodyguard Silk bails out Andre, and they go to a strip club for a bachelor party with a Hammy The Bear theme. There, Andre hangs out with Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, and Whoopi Goldberg, who give him different views on marriage and sex. Chelsea finds him there, wanting to make it up to him.

Andre, Chelsea, and Silk go to the Comedy Cellar, where Andre gets up onstage and performs standup for the first time in years. He's still funny, and the crowd loves him. Afterwards, he tells Chelsea he got inspired after being in jail and talking to DMX, who told Andre he does not want to keep rapping and wants to sing instead. DMX then sang "Smile", terribly.

They drop Chelsea off at home, where she and Andre share one last kiss. He asks for her top five rappers, which she lists. While driving away, Silk tells Andre he should have gone after Chelsea. Andre goes through the gift bag from the party and finds items including a scented candle and a bottle of vodka. Then he pulls out a slipper, and Silk smiles.

After the credits begin rolling, the movie returns to the party, where Jerry Seinfeld shares his "top five" as Sugarhill Gang, Eminem, Wale, Ice Cube, and Sir Mix-a-Lot.

Cast

Production

Principal photography began on June 24, 2013, in New York City. [11] In July 2014, the film's title was changed from Finally Famous to Top Five. [12]

Release

The film premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2014. [13] Shortly after, a bidding war for distribution rights ensued between multiple studios including Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Fox Searchlight, Open Road Films, A24, Relativity Media and Lionsgate, with bids reaching as high as over $10 million and Paramount emerging as the frontrunner the next day. [14] On September 10, 2014, Paramount Pictures confirmed their acquisition of the film's worldwide distribution rights for $12.5 million [15] and agreed to pay at least $20 million in promotion and marketing. [16] In November 2014, Paramount announced Top Five would receive a wide release on December 12, 2014. [17]

Home media

Top Five was released on Blu-ray and DVD on March 17, 2015. [18]

Reception

Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 85%, based on 186 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "As smart, funny, and trenchant as writer-director-star Chris Rock's best standup work, Top Five is a career highlight for its creator—and one of the comedy standouts of 2014." [19] Metacritic gives the film a score of 81 out of 100, based on 37 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [20]

Some critics found similarities between the Andre Allen character and Woody Allen's Sandy Bates in Stardust Memories (1980). [21] [22] [23]

Accolades

AwardCategoryPerson
20th Critics' Choice Awards [24] Best Comedy Nominated
Best Actor in a Comedy Chris Rock Nominated
Best Actress in a Comedy Rosario Dawson Nominated

Future

In an interview with Complex , Rock said he meets with producer Scott Rudin "every week now going over this next movie", and that Rudin wants him "to work at a faster pace". He also suggested that "a lot of the same cast" would be involved, mentioning that "you might want to see see a little more of Leslie Jones or Tracy [Morgan], once he gets better. I think Jerry Seinfeld showed us things we haven't seen." [25]

The 2016 Tyler Perry comedy film, Boo! A Madea Halloween , is based on a fictional film featured in Top Five. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Lewis</span> American comedian, actor and filmmaker (1926–2017)

Jerry Lewis was an American comedian, filmmaker, actor, humanitarian and singer, who was famously nicknamed "The King of Comedy" and has appeared in more than 59 motion pictures, including the first sixteen films with his partner, singer Dean Martin, during their 10-year act as Martin and Lewis. He then acted in Cinderfella (1960), The Bellboy (1960), The Errand Boy (1961), The Ladies Man (1961), It's Only Money (1962), The Nutty Professor (1963), Who's Minding the Store? (1963), The Patsy (1964), The Disorderly Orderly (1964) and The Family Jewels (1965), and portrayed Jerry Langford in Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy (1982) earning a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination and was an early and prominent user of video assist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whoopi Goldberg</span> American actor, comedian, and television personality (born 1955)

Caryn Elaine Johnson, known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg, is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is one of few people to receive an Emmy Award, Grammy Award, Academy Award, and Tony Award, collectively known as the EGOT. In 2001, she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Seinfeld</span> American comedian and actor (born 1954)

Jerome Allen Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards. In 2004, Comedy Central named him the 12th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time. In 2017, Rolling Stone named him the 7th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Richards</span> American actor and comedian (born 1949)

Michael Anthony Richards is an American actor and former stand-up comedian. He achieved global recognition for starring as Cosmo Kramer on the NBC television sitcom Seinfeld from 1989 to 1998. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, first entering the national spotlight when he was featured on Billy Crystal's first cable TV special, and went on to become a series regular on ABC's Fridays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Rock</span> American comedian, actor, and filmmaker (born 1965)

Christopher Julius Rock is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He first gained prominence for his stand-up routines in the 1980s in which he tackled subjects including race relations, human sexuality, and observational comedy. His success branched off into productions in film, television, and on-stage, having received multiple accolades including three Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award nomination. Rock was ranked No. 5 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. He also ranked No. 5 on Rolling Stone's list of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comedian</span> Person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh

A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly, or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audience directly is called a stand-up comedian.

Brian Joseph Regan is an American stand-up comedian who uses observational, sarcastic, and self-deprecating humor. He is known for incorporating body language and facial expressions into his act. His performances are often described as clean as he refrains from profanity as well as taboo subject matter. Regan's material typically covers everyday events, such as shipping a package with UPS, mortgages, and visits to the optometrist. While he does not define himself as youth-oriented, Regan makes frequent references to childhood, including little league baseball, grade school spelling bees, and science projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Stiller</span> American comedian and actor (1927–2020)

Gerald Isaac Stiller was an American comedian and actor. He spent many years as part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife, Anne Meara, to whom he was married for over 60 years until her death in 2015. Stiller saw a late-career resurgence starting in 1993, playing Frank Costanza on the sitcom Seinfeld, a part which earned him an Emmy nomination. In 1998, Stiller began his role as Arthur Spooner on the CBS comedy series The King of Queens, another role that garnered widespread acclaim.

"The Seinfeld Chronicles" is the pilot episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld, which first aired on NBC on July 5, 1989.

Observational comedy is a form of humor based on the commonplace aspects of everyday life. It is one of the main types of humor in stand-up comedy. In an observational comedy act, the comedian makes an observation about something which is common enough to be familiar to their audience, but not commonly discussed. Such observations are typically presented with the phrase "Have you ever noticed...?" or "Did you ever notice...?" which has become a comedy cliché.

"The Lip Reader" is the 70th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the sixth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on October 28, 1993. In this episode, George gets Jerry's deaf girlfriend to use her lip reading talent to eavesdrop on his own ex-girlfriend and find out the reason why she dumped him. The title character was played by Marlee Matlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Rudin</span> American film, television, and theater producer

Scott Rudin is an American film, television and theatre producer. His films include the Academy Award-winning Best Picture No Country for Old Men, as well as Uncut Gems, Lady Bird, Fences, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, School of Rock, Zoolander, The Truman Show, Clueless, The Addams Family, and eight Wes Anderson films. On Broadway, he has won 17 Tony Awards for shows such as The Book of Mormon, Hello, Dolly!, The Humans, A View from the Bridge, Fences and Passion.

Mario Joyner is an American stand-up comedian and actor best known as the host of MTV's Half Hour Comedy Hour from 1988 to 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Schumer</span> American comedian and actress (born 1981)

Amy Beth Schumer is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. Schumer ventured into comedy in the early 2000s before appearing as a contestant on the fifth season of the NBC reality competition series Last Comic Standing in 2007. From 2013 to 2016, she was the creator, co-producer, co-writer, and star of the Comedy Central sketch comedy series Inside Amy Schumer, for which she received a Peabody Award and was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards, winning Outstanding Variety Sketch Series in 2015.

The Razzie Award for Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards for the worst film adapted from some forms of original or previous material. This category covers films that are sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots, spin-offs, film adaptations of other media franchises, mockbusters and "rip-offs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotham Comedy Club</span> Venue for stand-up comedy in New York City

Gotham Comedy Club is a venue for stand-up comedy in New York City. The comedy club is located on 208 West 23rd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues in Chelsea, Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ophira Eisenberg</span> Canadian American comedian, writer, and actress

Ophira Eisenberg is a Canadian American comedian, writer, and actress. She is from Calgary, Alberta. She has been living in New York City since 2001 and obtained American citizenship in April 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jen Kirkman</span> American comic, actor, writer (b. 1974)

Jennifer Ann Kirkman is an American stand-up comedian and screenwriter, podcaster, and actress. She is known for her regular appearances as a round-table panelist on Chelsea Lately for 70 episodes from 2008 to 2014.

"The Cartoon" is the 169th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 13th episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on January 29, 1998. In this episode, aspiring actress Sally Weaver becomes a success with a show where she vilifies Jerry, Elaine struggles to see the humor in a cartoon that appears in The New Yorker, and George is disconcerted when Elaine and Kramer point out that the woman he is dating looks a lot like Jerry.

Talking Funny is a one-hour comedy television special featuring four comedians: Louis C.K., Ricky Gervais, Chris Rock, and Jerry Seinfeld. In the informal conversation, which aired in 2011 on HBO, the four comedians discussed subjects like race, crude language, the motivations driving their comedy, their inspirations, and the comedy industry in general.

References

  1. ↑ "TOP FIVE (15)". British Board of Film Classification . December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Top Five - The Numbers" . Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Top Five (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Top Five (2014) - Chris Rock | Synopsis, Movie Info, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Toronto Film Festival Lineup". Variety. July 22, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Mundhra, Smriti (June 26, 2013). "Kevin Hart to Play Chris Rock's Agent in Finally Famous". BET.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  7. ↑ Star, Lucas (May 17, 2013). "Gabrielle Union to Play Chris Rock's Fiancée in His 'Finally Famous' (Exclusive)". TheWrap . Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Theory of Everything Images Featuring Eddie Redmayne". Collider . July 23, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  9. ↑ Miller, Gregory E. (December 6, 2014). "Chris Rock: 'Nobody wants to be known for one thing'". New York Post .
  10. ↑ "National comedian Stanhope sneaks into Tucson". August 15, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  11. ↑ Bond, Christine (June 23, 2013). "The Untitled Chris Rock Project begins filming in NYC on Monday, June 24, 2013". onlocationvacations.com. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  12. ↑ Obenson, Tambay A. (July 22, 2014). "TIFF 14 Preview: First-Look Images From Chris Rock's 'Top - Shadow and Act". Shadow and Act. Indiewire.com. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  13. ↑ "TIFF 2014: Chris Rock rates big laughs in 'Top Five'". Los Angeles Times . September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  14. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr (September 7, 2014). "Toronto: Paramount In Pole Position For Chris Rock's 'Top Five' As Bidding Hits $12.5 Million For WW Rights". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Paramount Confirms Deal For Chris Rock's 'Top Five' - Deadline". Deadline. September 10, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  16. ↑ Brent Lang (December 10, 2014). "Box Office: 'Exodus' to Hold Off 'Top Five,' 'Hunger Games'". Variety. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Top Five (2014) - Box Office Mojo" . Retrieved November 6, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Top Five (2014)". Dvdsreleasedates.com.
  19. ↑ "Top Five". Rotten Tomatoes. December 5, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Top Five Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic . Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  21. ↑ Haglund, David (December 12, 2014). "Chris Rock's Top Five Is Jammed With Great Comedians and Is Still Funnier Than I Expected". Slate . Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  22. ↑ Foundas, Scott (September 7, 2014). "Toronto Film Review: 'Top Five'". Variety . Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  23. ↑ Brody, Richard (December 4, 2014). "Top Five". The New Yorker . Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  24. ↑ "2015 Critics Choice Awards Nominations". Rotten Tomatoes .
  25. ↑ "Chris Rock is writing sequel to Top Five". theguardian.com. March 20, 2014. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  26. ↑ "'Boo! A Madea Halloween': From 'Top Five' Idea To 2016 Release". Deadline. January 19, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.