As a young boy growing up in Montecarlo, Georgia, Darrin sings in the church choir alongside his mother (Faith Evans). He and his mom leave town after the choir discovers that she has been singing rhythm and blues in a local club. Twenty years later, Darrin (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) is a broke, junior-level advertising executive in New York City who has just been fired. Summoned back to Montecarlo when his only living relative dies, Darrin discovers that he stands to inherit her estate if he can revive the choir at his old church and win the annual Gospel Explosion. Against the odds, Darrin assembles a first-rate choir of talented quirky characters. He also recruits Lilly (Beyoncé Knowles), a jazz singer and single mother who just may steal his heart and help him find himself. Rich with impressive musical talent culled from the worlds of gospel, hip-hop, and R&B, the choir includes members of The O'Jays, as well as T-Bone, Melba Moore, Angie Stone, the Reverend Shirley Caesar, Zane, and Montell Jordan. Directed by Jonathan Lynn, the film also stars LaTanya Richardson, Steve Harvey, Wendell Pierce, Mike Epps, and Rue McClanahan.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Surround - English
Dolby Surround - French
Additional Release Material:
Extended Scenes
Extended Music Numbers
Trailers: Theatrical Trailer
Interactive Features:
Scene Access
Interactive Menus
Stars
Cuba Gooding: Oscar-winning American Actor, JERRY MAGUIRE
Beyonce Knowles: Actress, AUSTIN POWERS 3 (2002)
Mike Epps: American actor, RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE
Latanya Richardson: Actor, FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS (2003)
Steve Harvey: comedian, ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY
T-Bone:
Wendell Pierce: ACTOR
Rue McClanahan: American TV/Film Actress, THE GOLDEN GIRLS
Director
Jonathan Lynn: British Writer/Director
Producer
David Gale: Producer, VARSITY BLUES (1999)
Loretha C. Jones: Producer
Jeff Pollack: Director/Producer/Music
Screenwriter
Elizabeth Hunter: Screenwriter, THE FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS (2003)
Saladin K. Patterson: Screenwriter, THE FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS (2003)
Composer
Jimmy Jam: R&B Producer
Terry Lewis: Songwriter/Producer
James "Big Jim" Wright: R&B Producer
Editor
Paul Hirsch: Editor, RAY (2004)
Additional Music/Songs
Angie Stone: R&B Artist, FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS (2003)
Additional Music/Songs
Faith Evans: Singer/Diva hawks Pepsi with that scary little girl
Additional Music/Songs
Melba Moore: Singer/Actress
Additional Music/Songs
Montell Jordan: Singer
Additional Music/Songs
Shirley Caesar: Gospel Music Performer
Additional Music/Songs
T-Bone:
Additional Music/Songs
The O'Jays: R&B Group, FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS (2003)
Additional Music/Songs
Yolanda Adams: Gospel Performer
Additional Music/Songs
Zane: Hip Hop Artist, FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS (2003)
Director of Photography
Affonso Beato:
Executive Producer
Benny Medina: Executive Film Producer, LOVE SONG (2000)
Executive Producer
Van Toffler: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Production Designer
Victoria Paul:
Additional Music/Songs
Donnie McClurkin: Gospel Singer
Review 1:
"...[Knowles] comes across as warm and sympathetic..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.34 09/19/2003
Review 2:
"...Full-throated and good-hearted, yet tart and sharp in all the right places..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.74 09/26/2003
Review 3:
"...[With] rousing gospel numbers....Rich commingling of singers and character actors and a nice star turn by multi-Grammy winner Beyonce Knowles keep things rolling..."
Source: Variety
p.23 09/15/2003
Review 4:
"...A rousing, warmhearted comedy, as infectious as the gospel music it celebrates. Cuba Gooding Jr. and pop superstar Beyonce Knowles lead a large, entertaining cast in a film abundant with feel-good pleasures..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.C4 09/19/2003