Directed by Lee Daniels, the film stars Andra Day in the titular role, along with Trevante Rhodes, Natasha Lyonne and Garrett Hedlund. Amid the spectacle of Holiday’s opioid abuse, extramarital liaisons — including an intimate relationship with actress Tallulah Bankhead — and repeated stints in jail on drug charges, the movie reaches a climax: a lynching scene, in which Holiday stumbles on a terrible crime. “[The lynching scene] was the hardest thing I’ve ever shot before in my life.”, “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever shot before in my life,” said Daniels, who also directed the Hollywood blockbusters “Precious” and “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.”. “Strange Fruit” was originally a poem written by Jewish high school teacher and civil rights activist Abel Meeropol in 1937. Your Ad Choices “They’re so powerful because she called out social injustice when no one else would.”. The United States vs. Billie Holiday (R16, 131 mins) Directed by Lee Daniels **½. I don't know of anyone who has been as badly treated by feature film-makers, or … “Lady Sings the Blues” already existed after all. Lee Daniels’ new movie stars Andra Day as the titular Lady Day and tells the story of Billie Holiday’s life in the wake of “Strange Fruit”. “She would not think of herself as a civil rights leader even though she was one. Lady Sings The Blues was the much-awarded 1972 film about jazz-blues singer Billie Holiday with Diana Ross in the leading role. Asian American activists are demanding equal civil rights, better education in schools after Asian hate attacks. “I had to tell her story because it lived in me on so many different levels,” Daniels told The Post. “I asked her, ‘Is it okay that I’m doing your movie?’, She said, ‘Are you going to do me right?,’ and I said, ‘I think so.’ Then she smiled.”. Looking for more? The Bronx native penned the verse after seeing a haunting picture of a double lynching, and set the words to music for Holiday to begin performing at racially integrated New York City nightclubs in 1939. Terms of Use Holiday’s call for change, “Strange Fruit,” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978, declared the “Song of the Century,” by Time in 1999 and added into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2002. Director Lee Daniels, Andra Day (Billie Holiday), and Trevante Rhodes (Jimmy Fletcher) on the set of The United States vs. Billie Holiday Takashi Seida/Hulu Andra Day’s Golden Globe-winning performance in this film is nothing short of magnificent. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Your California Privacy Rights When a first-time actor is nominated for an Oscar in … Cast and director discuss the making of 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday' Best Actress Oscar nominee Andra Day and director Lee Daniels talk about honoring the legacy of … Since 2018, Lee Daniels has been working on a film about Billie Holiday and next year we will finally get to see the finished product next year. Daniels and Pulitzer Prize-winning screenwriter Suzan-Lori Parks wrapped the film before the nationwide demand for social justice, spurred by the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, in 2020. But in his tribute to the legendary songstress, Daniels chose to focus less on Holiday’s troubled past, and more on her ill-fated relationship with federal agent Jimmy Fletcher. Andra Day celebrates Billie Holiday in Lee Daniels portrait Stephen Schaefer 2/23/2021. See the fabulous presenters and gracious winners at this year's Oscars. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? She refused to stop singing the song despite the federal government's attempts at silencing her. The United States vs. Billie Holiday 58,081, © 2021 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved Title: Daniels said he hopes the movie inspires the Senate to pass the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, legislation that would officially designate lynching a hate crime. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality. This FAQ is empty. Holiday's "Strange Fruit" exposed white America for mass-murdering black people by hanging them from trees in the segregated South. Follows Holiday during her career as she is targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics with an undercover sting operation led by black Federal Agent Jimmy Fletcher, with whom she had a tumultuous affair. A fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the Civil Rights Movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s. “It’s not a biopic,” Daniels said. Lee Daniels’ latest film, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” has gotten a ringing endorsement from someone whose opinion matters most: … “Lady Sings the Blues” already existed after all. Privacy Notice We've received your submission. During the interview, he … Plus, she and director Lee Daniels are succeeding where many have tried but failed: a biopic on Holiday. But it wasn’t her full story. This story has been shared 103,665 times. “She didn’t want to be a hero,” Daniels said. Billie Holiday, starring Andra Day and directed by Lee Daniels. Feb. 22, 2021 7 AM PT Lee Daniels was 13 years old when he first saw the Billie Holiday biopic “Lady Sings the Blues.” The film featured Diana Ross as Holiday and Billy Dee Williams … The movie stars Andra Day as Billie Holiday, who has already been nominated for two Golden Globes for the performance. Directed by Lee Daniels. With Andra Day, Trevante Rhodes, Garrett Hedlund, Natasha Lyonne. 72,279, This story has been shared 58,081 times. Daniels, 61, pulls back the curtain on the troubled 1940s jazz singer’s simultaneous battles with substance abuse and the federal government in his new film, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” out Friday on Hulu. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Thanks for contacting us. Was this review helpful to you? Grammy nominee Andra Day picked up a Golden Globe Best Actress nomination for The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Down the road from Woodstock, a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement. Drawing from author Johann Hari's … A Korean family starts a farm in 1980s Arkansas. 103,665, This story has been shared 72,279 times. Their father helplessly tries rescuing their mother as her limp body hangs from a branch. Director Alexander Nanau follows a crack team of investigators at the Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as they try to uncover a vast health-care fraud that enriched moguls and politicians and led to the deaths of innocent citizens. The United States vs. Billie Holiday is a 2021 American biographical film about singer Billie Holiday, based on the book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari. Miss Day did an excellent job. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. In the scene, Holiday wanders off of her tour bus and sees children crying in front of a burning cross, a signature of the Ku Klux Klan. Relive the most surprising wins, inspirational speeches, hilarious dance breaks, and more highlights from the 2021 Academy Awards. These events form the basis of director Lee Daniels' new film The United States vs Billie Holiday, starring Andra Day in her Oscar-nominated role as the troubled pop legend. “I didn’t know what Strange Fruit meant when I was […] The only thing missing was the story of the most important song of Holiday’s career, Strange Fruit, a vicious indictment of the lynching of black people in the USA. Aired: 03/28/21 Rating: NR This story has been shared 103,665 times. With The United States vs. Billie Holiday now streaming on Hulu, I recently got to speak with Lee Daniels about directing the Golden Globe-winning film. The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. As Party Chairman Fred Hampton ascends, falling for a fellow revolutionary en route, a battle wages for O'Neal's soul. Andra Day and Lee Daniels discuss "The United States vs. Billie Holiday," the Civil Rights Movement, and systemic racism in America. But Anslinger’s true motive for targeting Holiday was to stop her from singing her anti-lynching anthem “Strange Fruit.”, ‘She called out social injustice when no one else would.’, “I get chills thinking about those lyrics,” Daniels said. When a young mother's home birth ends in unfathomable tragedy, she begins a year-long odyssey of mourning that fractures relationships with loved ones in this deeply personal story of a woman learning to live alongside her loss. Daniels believes Holiday would approve of his film. Andra Day and Lee Daniels discuss “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” the Civil Rights Movement, and systemic racism in America. Your California Privacy Rights 47 of 70 people found this review helpful. The 1972 film with Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams showed him Black romance and a Harlem like he’d never seen on screen before. Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. It was the film that made him want to be a director. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. The United States vs. Billie Holiday is Lee Daniels' fifth film as a director, his 10th as a producer — and his first without a long-standing crutch. Lee Daniels didn’t want to touch the story of Billie Holiday. (2021). The 1972 film with Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams showed him Black romance and a Harlem like he’d never seen on screen before. The United States vs Billie Holiday review: Andra Day outclasses Lee Daniels’ middling movie. Here's what you should know about … I would have given it 10 stars but it seemed very disjointed in the beginning. ‘I want this film to open up conversations that promote change.’, “I want this film to open up conversations that promote change,” Daniels said. February 26, 2021 | 12:02pm | Updated February 28, 2021 | 4:31pm. More recently a television movie concentrated on a performance Holiday gave four months before her death in 1959, but Lee Daniels’ new movie … Oscar-nominated director Lee Daniels tells the activist story of fellow artist and substance addict Billie Holiday in HULU feature film, "The United States vs. Billie Holiday.". Check out the full list of winners. Four friends, all high school teachers, test a theory that they will improve their lives by maintaining a constant level of alcohol in their blood. Director Lee Daniels is back after a seven-year feature film hiatus with a new biopic, The United States vs. Billie Holiday.. A woman in her sixties who, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad. Lee Daniels on His Billie Holiday Biopic, Oprah Winfrey and the 'Wonder Years' Reboot (Exclusive) By Stacy Lambe 1:42 PM PST, February 25, 2021 This video is … Here’s a look at some team trends that have been... "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" details Holiday's concurrent battle with addiction and Federal Bureau of Narcotics agent Harry Anslinger. Bill O'Neal infiltrates the Black Panther Party per FBI Agent Mitchell and J. Edgar Hoover. “It’s really an espionage love story.”. His own body turned into a living work of art and promptly exhibited in a museum, Sam, a Syrian refugee, will soon realize to have sold away more than just his skin. The protest song infamously exposed the violence committed by white people who murdered black Americans by hanging them from trees in the segregated South. Lee Daniels on Collaborating with Prada to Bring Billie Holiday's 'Timeless' Style to the Screen this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. This version is so much more like the way I pictured Lady Day. Golden Globe-nominee Andra Day as Billie Holiday falls in love with federal agent Jimmy Fletcher, played by Trevante Rhodes. Harry and Meghan’s $25M Spotify deal a 'kick in the teeth' to musicians, Kim Kardashian and Van Jones dating rumors continue to spread, Pregnant Meghan Markle, Archie seen for first time since Harry’s US return, Elon Musk says 'bunch of people will probably die' during Mars mission, VP: I was last person in the room before Biden decided on Afghan withdrawal. At that moment, Holiday vows to continue performing “Strange Fruit,” despite the FBI’s attempts to silence her. https://nypost.com/2021/02/26/lee-daniels-on-the-united-states-vs-billie-holiday “Lady Sings the Blues” already existed after all. 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We take a look at her career on and off the stage. View production, box office, & company info, Rated R for strong drug content, sexual content, nudity, language throughout, some lynching images and violence, What’s next for the 2021 Oscar winners and nominees, Top 5 Oscars upsets: Frances McDormand, Anthony Hopkins, H.E.R. The harrowing tale of Holiday’s traumatic childhood and tumultuous life in the spotlight has been famously recounted in the 1972 classic “Lady Sings the Blues,” starring Diana Ross, and on Broadway in the musical “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” led by Audra McDonald in 2014. There's a very exciting biopic in the works. The affair started when Fletcher was tapped by openly racist Federal Bureau of Narcotics Chief Harry Anslinger to take Holiday down for her heroin use. As for Daniels’ homage to the late Lady Day, who died of cirrhosis handcuffed to a hospital bed a few months before he was born in 1959, the filmmaker says she approved of the film. Lee Daniels didn’t want to touch the story of Billie Holiday. During a recording session, tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable "Mother of the Blues". Add the first question. She just knew she had to sing this song.”. At the intersection of artistry and addiction, director Lee Daniels found his connection with late blues icon Billie Holiday. …, ‘Nomadland’ is first film to take home the Best Picture and Best Actress Oscar combo in 16 years, The Most Anticipated Movies Coming in 2021, Where to Watch: 2021 Oscar Nominated Films, IMDb Picks: Movies and TV Shows About Influential Women in History, February Picks: The Movies and TV You Can't Miss, Oscar Face-Off: Billie Holiday vs. Billie Holiday, Oscars 2021 — Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies and TV Shows Coming to Streaming in February 2021. Lee Daniels didn’t want to touch the story of Billie Holiday. A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. “On the last day of shooting, I dreamt I saw Ms. Holiday sitting in a 1950s car,” Daniels said. “If we are doing the work to address systemic racism, I think we will have a better America.”. An urgent phone call pulls a Yale Law student back to his Ohio hometown, where he reflects on three generations of family history and his own future. Follows Holiday during her career as she is targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics with an undercover sting operation led by black Federal Agent Jimmy Fletcher, with whom she had a tumultuous affair. Sitemap “Not just as an artist, but as an artist who also struggled with addiction.”. This was raw and much better then the sugar coated Motown version. Picture a young boy watching Diana Ross light up the screen as Billie Holiday in 1972’s Lady Sings the Blues and in that moment, the boy becomes inspired to … Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
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