The Fighting Temptations

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The Fighting Temptations
DVD cover for The Fighting Temptations
Directed by	Jonathan Lynn
Produced by	MTV Films
Written by	Elizabeth Hunter Saladin K. Patterson
Starring	Cuba Gooding Jr. Beyoncé Knowles Mike Epps Latanya Richardson Ann Nesby Lourdes Benedicto Steve Harvey Dakin Matthews Faith Evans distributor = Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	September 19, 2003
Running time	123 min.
Language	English

The Fighting Temptations is a 2003 musical-romantic-dramedy produced by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. It stars Cuba Gooding Jr. and singer Beyoncé Knowles as they attempt to revive a town's choir traditions in a modern society. Throughout their dilemmas, they clash and soon realize that they love each other.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Reception 3 Cast 3.1 Musical Cameo Appearances 4 Awards and nominations

Synopsis

Darrin Hill (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is a successful advertising executive from New York with a bad habit of lying. His best friend and secretary Rosa Lopez (Lourdes Benedicto) does a good job at keeping his credit problems under control but his lies gets him in trouble with his paranoid boss (Dakin Matthews) and he loses his job. He also finds out that his beloved Aunt Sally (Ann Nesby) has died.

A day or two later he travels back to his hometown in Monte Carlo, Georgia and has some heartbreaking memories of his late mother (Faith Evans) and townsfolk of his hometown. When he arrives he finds a new friendship in Lucious (Mike Epps), a happy-go-lucky, wanna-be pimp who loves booty. Lucious also points out Lilly (Beyoncé Knowles), a beautiful jazz singer with a heavenly voice. Lilly was also a childhood crush of Darrin, who would always con him out of his candy every sunday. He would try to bribe her with the candy by asking her to be his girlfriend and she always said "No" but still took his candy. After Sally's funeral he encounters Paulina (Latanya Richardson), the town hypocritical bully who immediately shows that she does not like Lilly nor Darrin.

The good-hearted reverend (Wendell Pierce) who is also Paulina's brother, informs Darrin that Sally's final wish is that he must lead the Beulah Baptist Church choir to victory at a gospel competition and win the prize money of $150,000. Darrin takes on the job by lying he is a music producer in order to take the money and pay off his credit trouble. He quickly learns that the town is full of colorful characters but short on talented singers. He manages to persuade Lilly to join his choir despite Paulina's cruel ways. As time progresses he learns that Lilly has a adorable son that she had out of wedlock and the choir becomes a big success. He also develops a romantic relationship with Lilly and the two begin to realize that they are in love with each other. With Lucious and the reverend's help some of the choir members that they find include prison convicts, especially one with a high-pitched voice (Montell Jordan), a young rapper (Lil Zane) who also has a white girlfriend in the choir, and three talented barbers (singing group The O'Jays). Throughout the film, announcements of choir auditions and personal thoughts on daily topics were made on the radio by the town's silly alcoholic DJ, Miles "Smoke" (comedian Steve Harvey).

A few weeks pass, and Paulina discovers Darrin's secret which puts him into shame and dampers the relationship between him and Lilly. He immediately leaves town disappointing the choir and Lilly's son who looks up to him. When he returns to New York, he gets his job back and a promotion. In the meantime, he gets a condo with a lot of lavish furniture. He comes to realize that none of those things mean nothing without the people that matter to him the most: Lilly and the choir. During a meeting, he quits his job and returns back to Monte Carlo.

When he returns on the day of the competition he sees that Paulina has took over his choir and kicked his friends out of the choir such as: Lucious, Lilly and the Reverend. He apologizes to Lilly and together they recruit Lucious and the Reverend to go to the competition and stop Paulina.

When they get there, they manage to convince the choir members to vote out Paulina and Darrin takes control again. He also tells Lilly that she inspired him to name the choir THE FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS (something she mentions earlier in the film). They go out and perform "He Still Loves Me", a gospel song that they have created. The choir receives a standing ovation.

The show's hosts, Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams announce the winners, "The Fighting Temptations" and they win the prize money.

Before ending his acceptance speech, Darrin publicly proposes marriage to Lilly. She accepts and the couple embraces. Darrin has finally earned her love and respect.

Eighteen months later, the church is repaired and refurbished and Paulina drops her hypocritical ways and rejoins the choir. Darrin and Lilly are happily married with a baby of their own.

Reception

The movie was an instant moderate success, with a worldwide gross of US$32,445,215. Critics panned Cuba Gooding Jr.'s performance and thought Knowles' performance was underated. Despite the both positive and negative reviews the film opened at number three.

Cast

• Cuba Gooding Jr. as Darrin Hill
• Beyoncé Knowles as Lilly
• Melba Moore as Bessie Cooley
• Mike Epps as Lucious
• Latanya Richardson as Paulina Lewis-Pritchett
• Wendell Pierce as Reverend Paul Lewis
• Lourdes Benedicto as Rosa Lopez
• Ann Nesby as Aunt Sally Walker
• Faith Evans as MaryAnn Hill
• Dave Sheridan as Bill The Mechanic
• Lou Myers as Homer
• Dakin Matthews as Mr. Fairchild
• Steve Harvey as Miles "Smoke" The DJ

Musical Cameo Appearances

• Eddie Levert as Joseph
• Eric Nolan Grant as Samuel
• Walter Williams Sr. as Frank
• Montell Jordan as Mr. Johnson (Convict #2)
• Angie Stone as Alma
• Shirley Caesar as Herself

Awards and nominations

• BET Comedy Awards
  • Outstanding Actress in a Box-Office Movie: (Beyonce Knowles) Nominated
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Box-Office Movie: (Mike Epps) Nominated

• Black Reel Awards
  • Best Actor: (Cuba Gooding Jr.) Nominated
  • Best Actress: (Beyonce Knowles) Nominated
  • Best Screenplay Original or Adapted: (Elizabeth Hunter & Saladin K. Patterson) Nominated
  • Best Film: Nominated
  • Best Film Soundtrack: Winner
  • Best Film Song: "He Still Loves Me" (Beyonce Knowles & Walter Williams Sr.) Winner

• Image Awards
  • Outstanding Motion Picture: Winner
  • Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: (Beyonce Knowles) Nominated

• Golden Raspberry Awards
  • Worst Actor: (Cuba Gooding Jr.) Nominated

v • d • e MTV Films Joe's Apartment (1996) · Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) · Dead Man on Campus (1998) · Varsity Blues (1999) · 200 Cigarettes (1999) · Election (1999) · The Wood (1999) · The Original Kings of Comedy (2000) · Save the Last Dance (2001) · Pootie Tang (2001) · Orange County (2002) · Better Luck Tomorrow (2002) · Crossroads (2002) · Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat (2002) · Jackass: The Movie (2002) · The Fighting Temptations (2003) · Tupac: Resurrection (2003) · The Perfect Score (2004) · Napoleon Dynamite (2004) · Hustle & Flow (2005) · Coach Carter (2005) · Murderball (2005) · The Longest Yard (2005) · Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005) · Æon Flux (2005) · Jackass Number Two (2006) · All You've Got (2006) · Freedom Writers (2007) · Blades of Glory (2007) · Beneath (2007) · How She Move (2008) · Stop-Loss (2008) · I-Empire (2008) · Dance Flick (2009)

v • d • e Films directed by Jonathan Lynn Clue (1985) · Nuns on the Run (1990) · My Cousin Vinny (1992) · The Distinguished Gentleman (1992) · Greedy (1994) · Sgt. Bilko (1996) · The Whole Nine Yards (2000) · The Fighting Temptations (2003) · Wild Target (2009)

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