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Passing Strange The Movie

Play trailer Poster for Passing Strange The Movie 2009 2h 16m Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 26 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Spike Lee's adaptation of the Broadway show "Passing Strange" presents the portrait of a musician as a young man. In 1970s Los Angeles, a talented but rebellious middle-class African-American discovers punk rock. Through the intervention of a sincere choir director, the young man travels to Europe, where his talents blossom, but at the expense of those who care for him. The film is based on the life of musician Stew, who appears as narrator and commentator on his younger, rasher self.
Passing Strange The Movie

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Critics Consensus

Spike Lee's document of the Tony Award-winning musical Passing Strange is every bit as compelling onscreen as it was on stage.

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Critics Reviews

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Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association Nov 8, 2016
Hugely entertaining, poignant, funny and thoughtful. Go to Full Review Noel Murray AV Club Oct 2, 2009
A-
Lee doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to filming live theater, but he moves the camera artfully and edits with an energy that matches the music. And he makes good use of close-ups, capturing the sweaty faces of a troupe of remarkable performers. Go to Full Review Elizabeth Weitzman New York Daily News Aug 21, 2009
3/5
You'll probably have to resist the urge to stand up and cheer with the onscreen audience during the emotional curtain call. Go to Full Review Charlotte Harrison Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies May 24, 2024
4/5
A joyously sprawling concert, with heart and jokes and soul, this show is a very welcome wonder. Go to Full Review Sean Axmaker Seanax.com Jan 13, 2010
It's a joyous production; the music is alive and dynamic, the skits are clever and funny and self-effacing and the show crackles with energy... Go to Full Review Louis Proyect rec.arts.movies.reviews Dec 7, 2009
Interesting that one of the best movies of the year is a filming of a play. That's a sad commentary on Hollywood but sufficient reason to see this uplifting and very witty movie. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Aug 29, 2018 Un musical de Mark Stewart "Stew" grabado por Spike Lee, profundo, emocional y con humor. Una gran película sobre la poco narrada emigración afroestadounidense hacia Europa, que en este caso es todo un viaje iniciático. See more Aug 24, 2017 Absolutely Brilliant. I adore this play/movie See more Feb 15, 2017 My rule for personal movie ratings is that a five-star rating is reserved for movies I will watch over and over. If someone suggests it, I'm in. If I'm flipping channels, I'll stop. (eg. The Graduate, The Odd Couple, Goodfellas, Silence of the Lambs, etc...) This movie somehow earned that rating the first time I watched it. Within 20 minutes I thought this would make my "favorites" list and that feeling did not change throughout. I started it over as soon as it finished. Edit: It's been a few weeks and I just watched this (for the third time) and it was better than I remembered. See more Dec 27, 2015 Thank goodness Spike Lee preserved the original run of this show for posterity. One of the great modern musicals, a touchstone for the 2000s in the same way Rent was for the 1990s. See more Sep 14, 2014 I may be bias, but this is probably one of the best Musicals ever to be on Broadway and I'm so happy it's been preserved on film. This movie ain't no passing phase. See more Nov 27, 2013 Stew has a great story to tell and he tells it damn well. See more Read all reviews
Passing Strange The Movie

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Cast & Crew

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Spike Lee

Director

Stew

Narrator

De'Adre Aziza

Edwina

Daniel Breaker

Youth

Eisa Davis

Mother

Colman Domingo

Mr.Franklin

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Passing Strange The Movie

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Movie Info

Synopsis Spike Lee's adaptation of the Broadway show "Passing Strange" presents the portrait of a musician as a young man. In 1970s Los Angeles, a talented but rebellious middle-class African-American discovers punk rock. Through the intervention of a sincere choir director, the young man travels to Europe, where his talents blossom, but at the expense of those who care for him. The film is based on the life of musician Stew, who appears as narrator and commentator on his younger, rasher self.
Director
Spike Lee
Producer
Spike Lee, Steve Klein
Production Co
40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
Genre
Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 9, 2016
Runtime
2h 16m
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