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Get On Up
A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
2014 · Directed by Tate Taylor · 139 min · Drama · Music · History · Screenplay in the scene database · 4 frames
Tagline
The Funk Don't Quit
Plot
In 1939, young James Brown lives in squalor with his mother Susie and abusive father Joe in the backwoods of Augusta, Georgia. Susie eventually abandons the family and becomes a prostitute, while Joe enlists in the Army; James' brothel-running aunt Honey becomes his legal guardian and introduces him to the shout music at a black church, fascinating him. Later, while fighting in a "battle royal" boxing match in front of a white audience, he emerges victorious after imagining the jazz band breaking into a funk style. He spots his mother on the street one night, but she denies knowing him.
James is imprisoned for stealing a suit at the age of 16 in 1949. When Bobby Byrd and his gospel group perform at the prison, an inspired James impresses Bobby with his singing, and Bobby's family proceeds to supervise his parole. James establishes himself as a lead singer and shifts the group's sound toward R&B. He leads them to crash a Little Richard show, introduces them as "the Famous Flames", and leads them in a rousing rendition of "Caldonia". Richard advises him to beware the "white devil". James marries Velma Warren, and they have a son, Teddy. In 1955, Ralph Bass signs the band to King Records and releases their first single, "Please, Please, Please". Ben Bart, the president of New York City's Universal Attractions Agency, becomes James' manager; he and label executive Syd Nathan relegate the rest of the band to salaried employee status, and they quit.
By 1962, James and Bobby have re-formed the band, and James finances the recording of the hugely successful Live at the Apollo. After the show, Susie approaches him and apologizes for abandoning him; he consents to financially support her. In 1964, James upstages the up-and-coming Rolling Stones on the T.A.M.I. Show with his high-energy performance and dance moves. By paying young radio DJs to promote his shows, he successfully avoids promoter fees. He divorces Velma and marries Deidre Jenkins, but becomes abusive toward her. Despite mistreating his new backing band members, fining them for various infractions, calling rehearsals on their days off, and berating them for questioning him, he develops a signature groove that becomes the foundation for funk.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: John-Henry Butterworth, Jez Butterworth, Steven Baigelman
- Cinematography: Stephen Goldblatt
- Edited by: Michael McCusker
- Music: Thomas Newman
- Production design: Mark Ricker
- Produced by: Victoria Pearman, Mick Jagger, Tate Taylor, Brian Grazer
Cast
- Chadwick Boseman as James Brown
- Nelsan Ellis as Bobby Byrd
- Dan Aykroyd as Ben Bart
- Viola Davis as Susie Brown
- Lennie James as Joe Brown
- Fred Melamed as Syd Nathan
- Jill Scott as DeeDee Brown
- Octavia Spencer as Aunt Honey
- Nick Eversman as Mick Jagger
- Tika Sumpter as Yvonne Fair
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Jagged Films, Imagine Entertainment, Universal Pictures
- Budget: $30,000,000
- Box office: $33,448,971
- Themes: vietnam war, 1970s, biography, south carolina, singer, breaking the fourth wall, domestic violence, songwriter, 1980s, 1950s
More by Tate Taylor
On this film
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