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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 2 april 2019

Robert Townsend doc on ‘The 5 Heartbeats’ earns NAACP nod

By JOHN CARUCCI should make our own mov-
Associated Press ies.’ I had saved $60,000 in
NEW YORK (AP) — Some of the bank and I had done a
us understand the heart- movie with Denzel (Wash-
break of finding out our ington) called ‘A Soldier’s
favorite band has broken Story’ with Norman Jewison
up, but few can actually directing.
turn that dismay into a cult We got nominated for four
classic. That’s what Robert Academy Awards and
Townsend did with “The I told my agent, I said, ‘I
Five Heartbeats.” want to do more movies
According to the 62-year like this. This is what I’m talk-
old filmmaker, it was hear- ing about — this.’
ing that David Ruffin was And my agent goes, ‘Rob-
leaving The Temptations ert, they only do one black
that inspired him to cre- movie a year. You just did
ate a film about a fictional it. Be happy.’”
group that mirrored their Besides “The Five Heart-
rise and fall. beats,” Townsend has had
“When you’re a kid and a long career in both film
you’re on welfare ... what and television. Among his
lifted us a lot of times was recent credits include di-
music,” said Townsend. recting an episode of the
That eventually led to what CW’s “Black Lightning.”
he thought was his mag- Townsend said he doesn’t
num opus — the 1991 mov- see his documentary on
ie “The Five Heartbeats.” This June 27, 2013 file photo shows Robert Townsend at the premiere of “Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain” “The Five Heartbeats” as
The film tanked in theaters, in Los Angeles. validation, but a capsule
but ended up becoming Associated Press on a film that has become
an enduring staple thanks But he did see a possibility at the box office. ly financed it on his credit a part of black film history.
to repeated airings on TV for a documentary about “I worked on every syllable, cards and audiences loved “What people don’t know
and elsewhere. The film has making it. That led him to every word, I talked to as it; the film was a critical and is that it is on every African-
over 300 million clips that produce “Making the Five many, you know, groups commercial success. Americans top 10 list and
have been shared on so- Heartbeats,” a documen- from the ‘60s and the team “The journey started with a it plays Thanksgiving and
cial media, said Townsend. tary outlining the journey. I put together I thought was young actor in Hollywood, Christmas and it’s like a tra-
“Everywhere I go, people Now he’s nominated for amazing so at the end of frustrated, auditioning for dition, a household tradi-
love ‘The Five Heartbeats.’ an NAACP Image Award the day I go, ‘I think this is a slaves and pimps and drug tion,” he said.
I can’t go to the gas station for outstanding film docu- really great movie.’ ... No- dealers and gang-bangers. “So, for me to revisit it, but
or airport (without it being mentary. The 50th Image body came to see it.” I got fed up and I, you with a fresh perspective on
mentioned),” he said. “And Awards are being present- It was his first film after “Hol- know, decided because how I made it, I’m an artist,
they’re like, ‘Can you do ed in Los Angeles on Satur- lywood Shuffle,” his biting I was getting so discour- so I was just like oh there’s
a sequel? Can you do a day. comedic commentary aged and I was dying,” he a canvas to paint on. ... I
sequel?’ And I was like, ‘I Townsend said he was about the difficulties of recalled. think these are some inter-
don’t think there’s a sequel heartbroken when “The making it in Hollywood as “I said to Keenan Ivory Way- esting stories about my jour-
here.’’’. Five Heartbeats” flopped a black actor. He famous- ans, I said, ‘Keenan, we ney as a filmmaker.”q

Novel revisits culture wars, AIDS crisis

By KENDAL WEAVER hated television talk show show draws huge ratings of blackmail, a shooter’s
Associated Press featuring increasingly bi- and voluble scorn — even potentially explosive let-
“The Spectators” (Random zarre guests. a claim that “Mattie M,” ter, a secret taping. But it
House), by Jennifer duBois Told in alternating sec- through its riveting media can turn tedious when the
A deadly school shooting tions about Semi and Cel mayhem, is responsible for prose is overly embellished
serves as a pivotal event in that move back and forth the two teenage students or a scene goes on too
“The Spectators,” a novel in time, the meandering who opened fire in a high long.
that revisits American cul- narrative revolves around school classroom. Through Semi, the novel
tural wars and crises in the a central figure, Matthew As one of the shooters ex- looks back at the gay sex-
last decades of the 20th Miller. He’s a calm but plains: “I didn’t know it was ual revolution and the an-
century. crusading lawyer and po- real.” guish of AIDS in the 1980s.
Mostly set in New York City, litico who makes a run for “The Spectators,” the third Semi says one of his plays
the novel looks at this peri- mayor of New York City novel by the well-regard- was a “modestly elegiac
od through the experienc- before switching careers ed author Jennifer duBois, retrospective of what had
es of two wholly different and hosting “The Mattie M often thrums with vibrancy happened.” In sections
characters: a gay man, Show.” and echoes divisive cur- of “The Spectators,” how-
Semi, who is a playwright His show’s freakish sub- rent events as it covers ever, his words are a sear-
grappling angrily and poi- This cover image released jects, such as devil wor- a timeline from the late ingly felt remembrance.
gnantly with the AIDS crisis; by Random House shows ship and incest, ignite on- 1960s to the early 1990s. For Cel, the distress in part
and an unhappy young “The Spectators,” a novel by set threats and violence It also gains momentum is over the ugly faux media
woman, Cel, a publicist Jennifer duBois. that may or may not be when the plot takes a sud- environment she wants to
for a wildly successful and Associated Press real. But fake or not, the den, sinister twist —a threat flee.q