Lady Sings the Blues
Nominated For 5 Academy Awards®!
The essence of Billie Holiday, one of America's most loved and memorable blues singers, is captured brilliantly in a tour-de-force debut performance by singer Diana Ross. Filled with the greatest songs of the incomparable "Lady Day," this stunning film biography received five Academy Award® nominations, including Diana Ross for "Best Actress." Also stars Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor.
Member Reviews
lady sings the blahs - chrissieb
i rented this film after watching many of the Jazz documentaries (many of which touch on the life and music of billy holiday) because i wanted to know more about her dramatic life and how it affected her music. Instead, what i got was a one dimensional, weepy, transparent showcase for diana ross. now i like her and the supremes as much as the next gal, but this performance was insulting to the memory of Holiday. it made her out to be this completely dependent victim and not the strong, great singer she was. yes she was a victim of her vices and men throughout her life but she was well known as being one tough cookie as far as i know. It is not all Ross's fault, it has to come down to the director, producers and writers, mostly. This film is full of falsifications and very little music considering it is a musical bio-pic. Once again, a strong willed, talented and albeit tragic women is reduced to a weakling who can only be redeemed by the man in her life. Actually, the men in her life were very much responsible for her problems. Liza Minnelli deserved to beat her for the Oscar that year (for Cabaret).
Member Reviews
Read All...
lady sings the blahs - chrissieb
i rented this film after watching many of the Jazz documentaries (many of which touch on the life and music of billy holiday) because i wanted to know more about her dramatic life and how it affected her music. Instead, what i got was a one dimensional, weepy, ...