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Jungle Fever (1991)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Spike Lee (writer)
Release Date:
7 June 1991 (USA)
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Plot:
Friends and family of a married black architect react in different ways to his affair with an Italian secretary. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
5 wins
&
3 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(11 articles)
Antoine Fuqua, Spike Lee Together on 'Miss'
(From CinemaSpy. 18 November 2009, 11:10 PM, PST)
Happy Belated 15th Anniversary 'Pulp Fiction'
(From Rope Of Silicon. 16 October 2009, 1:54 AM, PDT)
(From CinemaSpy. 18 November 2009, 11:10 PM, PST)
Happy Belated 15th Anniversary 'Pulp Fiction'
(From Rope Of Silicon. 16 October 2009, 1:54 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Let's talk about Jungle Fever
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Wesley Snipes | ... | Flipper Purify | |
| Annabella Sciorra | ... | Angie Tucci | |
| Spike Lee | ... | Cyrus | |
| Ossie Davis | ... | The Good Reverend Doctor Purify | |
| Ruby Dee | ... | Lucinda Purify | |
| Samuel L. Jackson | ... | Gator Purify | |
| Lonette McKee | ... | Drew | |
| John Turturro | ... | Paulie Carbone | |
| Frank Vincent | ... | Mike Tucci | |
| Anthony Quinn | ... | Lou Carbone | |
| Halle Berry | ... | Vivian | |
| Tyra Ferrell | ... | Orin Goode | |
| Veronica Webb | ... | Vera | |
| Veronica Timbers | ... | Ming | |
| David Dundara | ... | Charlie Tucci |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for sensuality, strong language, drug content, and for violence.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
132 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Singapore:M18 |
Iceland:14 |
Iceland:16 (video rating) |
Australia:M |
South Korea:18 |
Canada:13+ (Quebec) |
Finland:K-14 |
Germany:16 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Spain:18 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:18 |
USA:R
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Halle Berry refused to bathe for two weeks in preparation for a role as a crack addict.
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Quotes:
James Tucci:
If you ever get her pregnant, Paulie...
Charlie Tucci: Hey!
James Tucci: I don't know why I'm thinking this because I know it's not going to happen, but if you did, I would give *you* the abortion, Paulie.
[Charlie laughs]
James Tucci: Then you are going to marry her!
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Charlie Tucci: Hey!
James Tucci: I don't know why I'm thinking this because I know it's not going to happen, but if you did, I would give *you* the abortion, Paulie.
[Charlie laughs]
James Tucci: Then you are going to marry her!
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Chez Whoopi (1991) (TV)
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Soundtrack:
Gotta Have You
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (43 total)
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I am a huge fan of Mr. Spike Lee. I find his talent is overlooked by his radicalism. But if you ever study "Do the Right Thing", you can see that any man who can act, write and direct such a powerful, provoking, and funny film is genius. I have since then made it a goal to see as many "Spike Lee Joints" as possible.
Jungle Fever is the story of Flipper, a black middle-aged man from Harlem with a large constellation of friends and family. He is frustrated with his job, since he cannot seem to get a raise. At his job he meets Angie, a young Italian intern with a boyfriend and a family of 4 older men she has to take care of. When they meet, "it's Jungle Fever". It seems scores of famous actors portray members of either side's family and friends.
Jungle Fever is clearly a similar subject to Do the Right Thing, or any of Lee's films. All his films tackle race and one other thing. With He Got Game it's race and sports, with Malcolm X it's race and history, and so on. Jungle Fever is set up to tackle race and sexuality. Obviously this is what Spike enjoys and what he does best.
While I was watching this movie, I had hopes that it would become one of my favorites. For a while, it seemed it could. However, the film takes a sudden change when Flipper's brother, Gator (played by a very young Samuel L. Jackson), comes into the picture. Gator is a crack-head who mooches off of his parents (Ossie and Ruby) and is obsessive over getting some dope.
From that point on, the film becomes very little about the premise. It seems that from then on the movie is about the dangers of crack. This includes a long scene where Flipper is looking for his brother among a warehouse full of crack-heads, and many more scenes with this, all leading up to a horrible ending.
I think what happened was Spike Lee tried to cover sex, drugs, and race into one movie, and though attempts were good, it was not a success. I respect the movie, the music is great, the beginning is excellent, but eventually it drops off. I guess the moral is it should have been two movies.