Talk to Me (2007 film)

Talk to Me is a 2007 biographical film directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Taraji P. Henson, Cedric the Entertainer, and Mike Epps. It is about Washington, D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist, and Dewey Hughes, his friend and manager. The film spans the time period May 1966 to January 1984, ending with Greene's memorial service.

Talk to Me
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKasi Lemmons
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyStéphane Fontaine
Edited byTerilyn A. Shropshire
Music byTerence Blanchard
Production
companies
Distributed byFocus Features[1]
Release dates
  • June 22, 2007 (2007-06-22) (LA Film Festival)
  • July 13, 2007 (2007-07-13) (United States)
Running time
118 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15 million[2]
Box office$4.7 million[3]

The film premiered as the opening night film of the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival, on June 22, 2007. It opened in North America in a limited release on July 13, 2007, and nationwide on August 3, 2007.

Plot


Petey Greene is in prison when he meets Dewey Hughes, who is there visiting his brother. Dewey treats him with disdain, calling him a “miscreant." In their conversation, Petey discovers that Dewey is a radio executive. Petey subsequently assists the warden by talking down a fellow prisoner and shortly afterward obtains his release.

Petey shows up at Dewey’s radio station in Washington, D.C., WOL, and claims that Dewey promised him a job upon his release from prison. As a result of causing a ruckus at the station, he is rebuffed. Petey then begins picketing the station drawing larger and larger crowds. To stop the protests, Dewey finally asks Petey to meet him at a pool hall. Dewey easily beats him in a game of Nine-ball, but decides to give Dewey a chance on the air.

Dewey takes over a shift on the station, but it is disastrous as he vomits from nervousness and insults Berry Gordy. Station owner E.G. Sonderling demands that he be removed at once and not given a job. Later, Dewey, dejected, goes to have a drink in a bar where he hears the patrons talking enthusiastically about Petey. He decides to give Petey another chance. In order to do so, he locks the staff in their offices and takes over the studio. Petey starts his show, and once Mr. Sonderling is released from his office, he demands that the police be called to eject Petey. As they are arguing, all the telephone lines light up with listeners wanting to talk to Petey. As a result, he is given the job.  “Telling it like it is”, Petey becomes highly popular on the air. His girlfriend, Vernell, catches him with another woman, and he is kicked out of his home and moves in with Dewey temporarily.

Petey is on the air when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated, and becomes a voice of reason as rioters run amok in the streets of Washington in the aftermath. He is the MC for a free James Brown concert at Georgetown University meant to calm tempers, but shows up drunk. Nonetheless, his remarks are well-accepted by the crowd, and James Brown tells him that he can introduce him anytime.

Petey’s popularity gains him his own television show, and his star continues to rise. Dewey gets him invited onto The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, but Petey is reluctant to go on. Vernell tells Dewey that Petey doesn’t want to go on, but Dewey insists it will be fine. Petey goes on, alienates the audience, and his appearance is a disaster. Dewey and Petey fight backstage, and both are arrested and spend the night in jail.

Some time passes, and Dewey now owns the station. Vernell visits him and prevails on Dewey to reconcile with Petey. They play pool together, and finally express their love and admiration for one another. Petey soon dies, and Dewey gives a fond eulogy in front of a large crowd of Petey’s fans.

Cast

Reception

Release

Talk to Me had its world premiere as the opening night film of the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 22, 2007.[2] It opened in theaters on July 13, 2007 and made $400,000 in its opening weekend.[2]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, review aggregator, the film has an approval rating of 82% based on 126 reviews and an average score of 6.95/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A riveting look at the life of legendary DJ 'Petey' Greene, Talk to Me goes beyond the typical biopic with explosive performances from Don Cheadle and Chiwetal Ejiofor."[4] On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 69 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[5]

Michael Rechtshaffen of the Associated Press wrote in his review: "Again demonstrating why he's one of the most versatile actors around, Don Cheadle gives another prize-worthy performance as Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr., the irrepressible radio DJ whose keepin'-it-real style made him a trusted voice on the airwaves during the turbulent late '60s and early '70s. [...] Also keeping it real are those rich period touches contributed by production designer Warren Alan Young and costume designer Gersha Phillips, whose fabulous creations for Henson appear to have come directly from the blaxploitation attic."[6]

Greene's surviving family members did not cooperate with the making of the film and criticized it for taking liberties with his portrayal and those around him.[7]

Awards and nominations

Home media

Talk to Me was released on DVD on October 30, 2007,[15] and September 7, 2010, as a wide screen edition.[16] The film was released on Blu-ray on March 22, 2010.[17]

References
  1. "Talk to Me (2007)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  2. "AFI Movie Club: Talk to Me". American Film Institute. November 19, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  3. "Talk to Me". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  4. "Talk to Me". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
  5. "Talk to Me (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. CBS. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
  6. Rechtshaffen, Michael (June 21, 2007). "Talk to Me". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles: Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group (Valence Media). Associated Press. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  7. Tucker, Neely (August 20, 2007). "Left Out of the Picture". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
  8. "African-American Film Critics Association Awards 2007". blackfilm.com. December 17, 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  9. "The 39th NAACP Image Award Nominations". Variety. January 8, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  10. Percy, Lily (July 28, 2012). "The Movie Kasi Lemmons Has 'Seen A Million Times'". NPR. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  11. "Image Awards for Great Debaters". The New York Times. February 19, 2008. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  12. Bruno, Mike (February 25, 2008). "Juno cleans up at Indie Spirit Awards". EW.com. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  13. Hayes, Dade (November 28, 2007). "'Into the Wild' tops Gotham Awards". Variety. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  14. "2007 | Categories | International Press Academy". Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  15. Talk to Me. Universal Studios Home Entertainment (DVD). Universal City, California: Universal Pictures. October 30, 2007. ASIN B000VNMMW0. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  16. Talk to Me. Universal Studios Home Entertainment (DVD) (Wide Screen ed.). Universal City, California: Universal Pictures. September 7, 2010. ASIN B000VNMMW0. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  17. Talk to Me. Verve Pictures (Blu-ray). London: Verve Pictures, LLC. March 22, 2010. ASIN B002ZQX0A4. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
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