Lackawanna Blues (film)

Lackawanna Blues is a 2005 American biographical drama television film directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. It aired on HBO on February 12, 2005. It is based on the play of the same name by Santiago-Hudson. Wolfe had commissioned the stage version.[1]

Lackawanna Blues
Television release poster
GenreBiographical drama
Based onLackawanna Blues
by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Screenplay byRuben Santiago-Hudson
Directed byGeorge C. Wolfe
Starring
Music byMeshell Ndegeocello
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
  • Halle Berry
  • Vincent Cirrincione
  • Ruben Santiago-Hudson
  • Shelby Stone
ProducerNellie Rachel Nugiel
CinematographyIvan Strasburg
EditorBrian A. Kates
Running time95 minutes
Production companies
  • HBO Films
  • Bellah Films
  • Good Shepherd Entertainment
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseFebruary 12, 2005 (2005-02-12)

For her work in the movie, S. Epatha Merkerson won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2006.

Premise

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Lackawanna Blues is the true story of Ruben Santiago Jr. growing up in Lackawanna, New York. He was raised by his father and mother and the neighborhood boarding house lady known as Rachel "Nanny" Crosby. Ruben was born in 1956 to his Puerto Rican father Ruben Santiago and his African-American mother Alean Hudson. His mother was too mentally unstable to take good care of him; residing in mental hospitals, Alean disappears and reappears throughout Ruben's life. His father stayed at Nanny's boarding house, but he was frequently not around due to working long hours or out looking for work. Nanny more or less took care of Ruben Jr. as a mother figure. The television movie depicts his life growing up there and the diverse characters that he meets during his and their stays at the boarding house.

Cast

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The blind Detroit street singer Robert Bradley from the band Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise appears in the film. He performs on-screen and has three songs featured on the soundtrack (including a duet with Macy Gray).

Production

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Began shooting March 1, 2004 and completed shooting April 1, 2004.[2]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2005
Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movie of the Week Casting John Papsidera and Wendy O'Brien Won [3]
Humanitas Prize 90 Minute or Longer Network or Syndicated Television Ruben Santiago-Hudson Won [4]
Online Film & Television Association Awards Best Motion Picture Made for Television Nominated [5]
Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Marcus Carl Franklin Nominated
Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries S. Epatha Merkerson Won
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Terrence Howard Nominated
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Macy Gray Nominated
Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries George C. Wolfe Nominated
Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries Ruben Santiago-Hudson Nominated
Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Won
Best Costume Design in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Best Editing in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Best Lighting in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Best Music in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Meshell Ndegeocello Nominated
Best Production Design in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Best Sound in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Made for Television Movie Halle Berry, Vincent Cirrincione, Shelby Stone,
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and Nellie Nugiel
Nominated [6]
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie S. Epatha Merkerson Won
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special George C. Wolfe Nominated
Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or Special John Papsidera Won
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Charles Gregory Ross and Fay Kelly Nominated
Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Non-Prosthetic) Edna Sheen, Denise Pugh-Ruiz, and
Karen Westerfield
Nominated
Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie Susumu Tokunow, Rick Ash, and Adam Jenkins Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Motion Picture Made for Television Nominated [7]
Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television S. Epatha Merkerson Nominated
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials Nominated [8]
Women's Image Network Awards Actress in Made-for-TV Movie/Miniseries S. Epatha Merkerson Nominated
2006
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards Best TV Movie Nominated [9]
American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Non-Commercial Television Brian A. Kates Won [10]
BET Awards Best Actor Terrence Howard Won [11]
Black Reel Awards Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series Halle Berry and Vincent Cirrincione Won [12]
Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Mini-Series George C. Wolfe Won
Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series S. Epatha Merkerson Won
Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series Terrence Howard Nominated
Jeffrey Wright Won
Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series Carmen Ejogo Won
Rosie Perez Nominated
Adina Porter Nominated
Outstanding Screenplay, TV Movie or Mini-Series Ruben Santiago-Hudson Won
Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-Series Susumu Tokunow, Rick Ash, and Adam Jenkins Won [13]
Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series Hope Hanafin Nominated [14]
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television or Miniseries George C. Wolfe Won[a] [15]
Golden Globe Awards Best Miniseries or Television Film Nominated [16]
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film S. Epatha Merkerson Won
Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing in Television Long Form – Dialogue and Automated
Dialogue Replacement
Jon Mete, Michael Hertlein, and Paul Longstaffe Won [17]
Gracie Awards Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries S. Epatha Merkerson Won [18]
Independent Spirit Awards Best First Feature Nominated [19]
[20]
Best Female Lead S. Epatha Merkerson Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Won [21]
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Terrence Howard Won
Jeffrey Wright Nominated
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Carmen Ejogo Won
Macy Gray Nominated
S. Epatha Merkerson Won
Rosie Perez Nominated
Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film/Television Movie George C. Wolfe Nominated
NAMIC Vision Awards Best Drama Won
Best Dramatic Performance S. Epatha Merkerson Nominated
National Board of Review Awards Best Film or Mini-Series Made for Cable TV Won [22]
Producers Guild of America Awards David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Halle Berry,
Vincent Cirrincione, Shelby Stone, and
Nellie Nugiel
Nominated [23]
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie S. Epatha Merkerson Won [24]
Writers Guild of America Awards Long Form – Adapted Ruben Santiago-Hudson – Based on his play Nominated [25]

Notes

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  1. ^ Tied with Joseph Sargent for Warm Springs.

References

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  1. ^ Lee, Felicia R. (2005-02-06), "Lost and Found In Lackawanna", New York Times
  2. ^ "Lackawanna Blues".
  3. ^ "2005 Artios Awards". www.castingsociety.com. Retrieved November 1, 2005.
  4. ^ "Past Winners & Nominees". Humanitas Prize. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  5. ^ "9th Annual TV Awards (2005)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  6. ^ "Lackawanna Blues". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  7. ^ "Nominees & Winners – Satellite™ Awards 2005 (10th Annual Satellite™ Awards)". International Press Academy. Satellite Awards. Archived from the original on February 2, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  8. ^ "Alphabet tops TCA nominations". Variety. June 2, 2005. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  9. ^ Newcott, William R. (March 2006). ""Fifth Annual Movies for Grownups"". AARP the Magazine. Washington, DC. pp. 50–51.
  10. ^ "Nominees/Winners". IMDb. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  11. ^ "Jamie Foxx leads BET nominees". Today. May 17, 2006.
  12. ^ "Black Reel Awards – Past Winners". Black Reel Awards. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  13. ^ "Nominees/Winners". IMDb. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  14. ^ "7th Costume Designers Guild Awards". Costume Designers Guild. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  15. ^ "58th DGA Awards". Directors Guild of America Awards. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  16. ^ "Lackawanna Blues – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  17. ^ "Sound editors sing praise". Variety. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  18. ^ "2006 Gracies Gala Winners". Gracie Awards. 24 October 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  19. ^ "36 Years of Nominees and Winners" (PDF). Independent Spirit Awards. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  20. ^ ""Brokeback," "Capote," "Crash," "Transamerica" Honored With Spirit Awards". indieWire. 2006-03-05. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  21. ^ "Randy Jackson, Aisha Tyler, Kimberly Elise, James Pickens JR., and Kevin Frazier Join New Naacp President and Ceo Bruce S. Gordon to Announce the "37th Naacp Image Awards" Nominations". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 10, 2006.
  22. ^ "2005 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  23. ^ McNary, Dave (January 22, 2006). "PGA on cowboy trail". Variety. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  24. ^ "The 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  25. ^ "Previous Nominees & Winners: 2008 Awards Winners". Writers Guild Awards. Archived from the original on 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
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