Why Do Fools Fall in Love (film)
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- For the 1956 song by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, see Why Do Fools Fall in Love (song)
| Why Do Fools Fall in Love | |
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| Directed by | Gregory Nava |
| Produced by | Joe Roth Roger Birnbaum |
| Written by | Tina Andrews |
| Starring | Halle Berry Vivica A. Fox Lela Rochon Larenz Tate |
| Music by | Stephen James Taylor |
| Cinematography | Edward Lachman |
| Editing by | Nancy Richardson |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 28, 1998 |
| Running time | 116 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $7,500,000 |
| IMDb profile | |
Why Do Fools Fall in Love is a 1998 romantic drama, written by Tina Andrews and directed by Gregory Nava. This film stars Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox, Lela Rochon and Larenz Tate. This is a biographical film of the brief but intense life of singer Frankie Lymon, who was part of the R&B group Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers for only one year.
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[edit] Plot summary
Lymon was 13 years old when the teenage group Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers erupted from radios and jukeboxes with their 1956 hit, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" and appeared in the movie Rock, Rock, Rock (1956). After Mr. Rock and Roll (1957), Lymon started a solo career, but then it all fell apart. Lymon's career was over by the time he was 18 years old, and he died of a heroin overdose eight years later. Jumping from the 1950s to the 1980s, this film traces the rise and fall of Lymon (Larenz Tate) in a series of flashbacks as courtroom claims on Lymon's royalties are outlined by three women: Zola Taylor (Halle Berry) of the Platters R&B group; Elizabeth Waters (Vivica A. Fox), who became a prostitute to cover the costs of Lymon's recovery from addiction; and schoolteacher Emira Eagle (Lela Rochon). Little Richard also makes a courtroom appearance, while Miguel A. Nunez Jr. portrays Little Richard in scenes set in the 1950s. The film ends with Elizabeth winning Frankie's estate, however later the ruling is overturned and Emira gets Frankie's estate.
[edit] Cast
- Halle Berry — Zola Taylor
- Vivica A. Fox — Elizabeth 'Mickey' Waters
- Lela Rochon — Emira Eagle
- Larenz Tate — Frankie Lymon
- Paul Mazursky — Morris Levy
- Pamela Reed — Judge Lambrey
- Alexis Cruz — Herman Santiago
- Jon Huertas - Joe Negroni
- David Barry Gray — Peter Markowitz
- Miguel A. Núñez Jr. — Young Little Richard
- Clifton Powell — Lawrence Roberts
- Lane Smith — Ezra Grahme
- Ben Vereen — Richard Barrett
- Paula Jai Parker — Paula King
- Marcello Thedford — Drug Dealer
- Norris Young — Jimmy
[edit] Music
Why Do Fools Fall in Love features many of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers's original recordings, and songs by other popular R&B and soul artists of the 1950s and 1960s. The film was accompanied by a soundtrack album featuring music by Lymon and the Teenagers, and modern artists such as En Vogue, Melanie Brown, Missy Elliott, Destiny Child, and Coko. En Vogue's "No Fool No More" was a hit, as was Destiny's Child's "Get On The Bus" and Melanie B's featuring Missy Elliott "I Want You Back" in the United Kingdom.
