The most unforgettable movie moment of 2006 happens in filmmaker Bill Condon?s entertaining adaptation of the reputable though not entirely wowing Broadway musical “Dreamgirls.”
“American Idol” discovery Jennifer Hudson as Effie White, the chubby and willful but most gifted member of a Supremes-like girl group, gets dumped by her lover/manager and kicked out of the act at the same time. In response, she belts out the showstopper “And I Am Telling You I?m Not Going” with the kind of spine-tingling emotion and vocal muscle that made the original Effie, inimitable Tony winner Jennifer Holliday, into a star 25 years ago.
Anyone who ever loved deeply but was callously discarded will identify with her scorched passion. Hudson not only fills the shoes of the first Jennifer, she instantly establishes her career and makes her co-stars ? some of the biggest African-American celebrities in Hollywood ? into her subordinates from then on.
The musical?s book trods well-worn territory ? the vagaries of modern show business ? with an inconsistent soundtrack that parodies (but never equals) classic R&B oldies in its effort to fictionalize the early heyday of Motown.
The names have changed but little else. It?s early 1960s Detroit and a Berry Gordy-likehuckster called Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx) discovers a teenage threesome, including eye candy Deena Jones aka Diana Ross (Beyonce Knowles), the overweight diva powerhouse Effie White and Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose). With Effie?s gift, Deena?s looks and Curtis? clever ambition, the girls make a fast ascent. But when Curtis starts to prefer Deena?s presence over Effie?s both on stage and off, the Dreamgirls skyrocket, leaving poor Effie in the dust. But not for long.
Condon (who wrote the Oscar-winning movie version of “Chicago”) is faithful to the original score with both recognizable (“One Night Only,” the title song “Dreamgirls”) and a number of less familiar songs. He also adds a new number, a power ballad called “Listen” from Knowles? current album, “B?Day.” It seems like a contrived attempt to give Beyonce a scene-stealing moment.
But like her character Deena, Knowles is less a notable singer or affecting actress than she is a charismatic video performer. True, nobody shakes the booty or wears clothes as well as Beyonce. But when it comes to really moving an audience, Hudson?s talent blows her off the screen.
?Dreamgirls?
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson
Director: Bill Condon
Rated: PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug content
