Ambitious black filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles (a smooth and charismatic portrayal by Mario Van Peebles) faces all sorts of obstacles while struggling to make his revolutionary independent movie "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss' Song."
Director/co-writer Mario Van Peebles not only astutely captures the turmoil and social upheaval of the early 1970's, but also shows with blistering raw honesty and accuracy the tremendous pressure and difficulty of making a movie on a shoestring budget as well as presents a hugely entertaining and inspirational tribute to his gutsy maverick dad Melvin, who had to face everything from dodgy financial backers to last minute recasting to using his own teenage son Mario (the excellent Khleo Thomas) in a controversial sex scene while risking everything he had to make his dream of producing his own motion picture that told the bitter American black experience the way it really is come true.
The ace acting by the bang-up cast rates as another substantial asset, with especially stand-out contributions from Joy Bryant as loyal, but long-suffering secretary Priscilla, Saul Rubinek as smarmy agent Howard "Howie" Kaufman, David Alan Grier as harried producer Clyde Houston, Rainn Wilson as scruffy hippie contact guy Bill Harris, Paul Rodriguez as hearty cameraman Jose Garcia, and Terry Crews as hulking soundman Big T. T.K. Carter also impresses as Bill Cosby, who helps Melvin out of a major fiscal jam by lending him fifty grand. In addition, there are nice bits by Vincent Schiavelli as sleazy distributor Jerry, Adam West as flaky rich guy Bert, and Len Lesser as twin brother movie theater owners. Positively burning with tremendous passion, humor, and vitality, this is a wonderfully uplifting cinematic ode to a brave and determined man who did it his way all the way.
Director/co-writer Mario Van Peebles not only astutely captures the turmoil and social upheaval of the early 1970's, but also shows with blistering raw honesty and accuracy the tremendous pressure and difficulty of making a movie on a shoestring budget as well as presents a hugely entertaining and inspirational tribute to his gutsy maverick dad Melvin, who had to face everything from dodgy financial backers to last minute recasting to using his own teenage son Mario (the excellent Khleo Thomas) in a controversial sex scene while risking everything he had to make his dream of producing his own motion picture that told the bitter American black experience the way it really is come true.
The ace acting by the bang-up cast rates as another substantial asset, with especially stand-out contributions from Joy Bryant as loyal, but long-suffering secretary Priscilla, Saul Rubinek as smarmy agent Howard "Howie" Kaufman, David Alan Grier as harried producer Clyde Houston, Rainn Wilson as scruffy hippie contact guy Bill Harris, Paul Rodriguez as hearty cameraman Jose Garcia, and Terry Crews as hulking soundman Big T. T.K. Carter also impresses as Bill Cosby, who helps Melvin out of a major fiscal jam by lending him fifty grand. In addition, there are nice bits by Vincent Schiavelli as sleazy distributor Jerry, Adam West as flaky rich guy Bert, and Len Lesser as twin brother movie theater owners. Positively burning with tremendous passion, humor, and vitality, this is a wonderfully uplifting cinematic ode to a brave and determined man who did it his way all the way.