The Watermelon Woman (1996)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Cheryl Dunye

Writer:

Cheryl Dunye (writer)

Release Date:

5 March 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Cheryl is young, Black, and lesbian, working in Philadelphia with her best friend Tamara and consumed...

Plot Keywords:

Lesbian | Video Store | Interracial | Nudity | Film Making

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Cheryl Dunye	...	Cheryl
Guinevere Turner	...	Diana
Valarie Walker	...	Tamara
Lisa Marie Bronson	...	Fae 'The Watermelon Woman' Richards
Cheryl Clarke	...	June Walker
Irene Dunye	...	Herself
Brian Freeman	...	Lee Edwards
Camille Paglia	...	Herself
Sarah Schulman	...	CLIT Archivist
V.S. Brodie	...	Karaoke Singer
Shelley Olivier	...	Annie Heath
Toshi Reagon	...	Street Magician
Emmy Collins	...	Video Browser
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mickey Goldhaber	...	Featured
K. Brent Hill	...	J.J. Liberty
Gail Lloyd	...	Diana's Black Date
Kat Robertson	...	Yvette

Directed by
Cheryl Dunye

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Cheryl Dunye		writer

Produced by
Alexandra Juhasz	....	producer
Barry Swimar	....	producer
Cate Wilson	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Paul Shapiro

Cinematography by
Michelle Crenshaw

Film Editing by
Cheryl Dunye

Casting by
Mike Lemon
Gail Lloyd

Makeup Department
Kat Robertson	....	key makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael LaCorte	....	second second assistant director
Elenie Mansalis	....	second assistant director
Rick Walls	....	additional assistant director

Art Department
Sharon Potts	....	props

Sound Department
Tom Jucarone	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dave Rainey	....	boom operator

Music Department
Bill Coleman	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Tim Downs	....	location manager
Benjamin Goldberg	....	production coordinator
Missy Moyer	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Dancing Girl

Distributors

• First Run Features (1997) (USA)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Dancing Girl

Trivia:

The scene from the faux-archival 1930s film, "Plantation Memories", was directed by Douglas McKeown and co-written by McKeown and Cheryl Dunye

Quotes:

Cheryl: Hey! Hey, you're Martin Pumphrey!
Street Magician: No ma'am, I'm a magician.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)

Not On Any Syrup Bottle

There are hundreds upon thousands of lesbian movies, and the majority are labelled "Adult". Name one lesbian movie about black women that isn't pornographic? Watching this one was something I could relate to. Finally, a movie touching on black history, interracial attraction, stereotypes, and the fictional day-in-the-life of an aspiring film-maker. More original than most, speaking as a black woman. Excuse the bad technology, and you've got a story about a woman researching her black history and getting laid in the process! Maybe she couldn't get the rights to do "The Aunt Jemima Story". You know, that black maid who's face stared back at you from the pancake box, having gone through a few make-overs through the years? There's even a scene where Cheryl holds up movie stills of black actresses playing the usual slave/maid who become unknowns in the process. Well, this is one important movie for me, and I hope more people appreciate this as they listen to Cheryl's closing monologue. Now this movie deserves a remake!

6/10