# Bessie (film)

Bessie is a 2015 HBO TV film about the American blues singer Bessie Smith, and focuses on her transformation as a struggling young singer into "The Empress of the Blues". The film is directed by Dee Rees, with a screenplay by Rees, Christopher Cleveland and Bettina Gilois. Queen Latifah stars as Bessie Smith, and supporting roles are played by Michael Kenneth Williams as Smith's first husband Jack Gee, and Mo'Nique as Ma Rainey. The film premiered on May 16, 2015. By the following year Bessie was the most watched HBO original film in the network's history. The film was well received critically and received four Primetime Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Television Movie.

## Synopsis

Bessie Smith (Queen Latifah) is a young singer from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She and her siblings are orphaned when their parents, William and Laura, die, leaving their oldest sister, Viola (Khandi Alexander), to raise them. Viola is abusive and vicious and Bessie's childhood is unhappy. She along with her brother Clarence (Tory Kittles) scrape by working for local vaudeville shows. Her stage ambitions are frustrated by producers unwilling to feature dark-skinned Black women in their shows. Bessie sneaks onto traveling performer Ma Rainey's (Mo'Nique) train compartment and asks to join her show. Ma Rainey takes Bessie under her wing and helps her develop her abilities until Bessie's popularity causes a schism between the two women. Bessie leaves with Clarence to start her own show.
In addition to her lover Lucille (Tika Sumpter), Bessie begins a tumultuous relationship with Jack Gee (Michael K. Williams), a security guard who later becomes her husband and manager. After a humiliating rejection from the newly formed Black Swan Records, Jack manages to get Bessie a record deal with Columbia Records. Immense success follows, though Bessie encounters difficulties, including a stabbing attack after a show in her hometown, racism from white guests during an affluent party, and an attack during her show by the Ku Klux Klan, whom she courageously chases off. Eventually, Bessie reconciles with Viola, and moves her and all of her siblings into a mansion to live with her. The move causes additional tension with Jack, and Bessie pushes him further by adopting a young boy, whom she names Jack Jr., as their son. Eventually, Lucille leaves Bessie to have her own life. Despite her own affair with bootlegger Richard Morgan (Mike Epps), Bessie is infuriated upon discovering that Jack is bankrolling his mistress, up and coming performer Gertrude Saunders. After a violent quarrel, Jack leaves her. Bessie spirals into depression and alcohol. Jack returns, kidnapping Jack Jr. with the assistance of Viola, and takes him to live with him, contending that Bessie is an unfit mother.
During the Great Depression, Bessie's fortune evaporates, forcing her and Clarence to move into a small apartment. Bessie reconciles with Ma Rainey and takes some time to recuperate from her personal losses. Eventually, she accepts Richard's love for her and the two begin a relationship. After hearing Lucille Bogan's licentious hit song "Til the Cows Come Home", Bessie performs once again and meets a young John Hammond in 1932 who wishes to produce her comeback tour. Bessie's comeback is a success and she later reflects on her life while discussing the future with Richard.

## Cast

* Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith
* Michael K. Williams as Jack Gee, Bessie's husband
* Khandi Alexander as Viola Smith, Bessie's older sister
* Mo'Nique as Gertrude "Ma" Rainey
* Mike Epps as Richard Morgan, a romantic interest of Bessie's and later, her lifetime companion
* Tory Kittles as Clarence Smith, Bessie's older brother
* Tika Sumpter as Lucille, a romantic interest of Bessie's, a fictional character who is likely a composite of several of Smith's real life female companions and lovers
* Oliver Platt as Carl Van Vechten, artistic photographer
* Bryan Greenberg as John Hammond, record producer and critic
* Charles S. Dutton as William "Pa" Rainey
* Joe Knezevich as Frank Walker
* Jeremie Harris as Langston Hughes
* Chantelle Rose as Gertrude Saunders

## Production

A first draft screenplay was written by playwright Horton Foote at a time when Columbia Pictures was slated to produce the film, but the project died when the studio became involved in a financial irregularity that threatened its existence. Mr. Foote purchased his screenplay back from Columbia and acquired the film rights from biographer Chris Albertson. In the early 1990s, when the possibility of producers Richard D. Zanuck and Lili Fini Zanuck taking over the project arose, Albertson suggested Queen Latifah for the lead, but the project lay dormant when financing could not be found. Upon Horton Foote's death in 2009, the script and film rights became the property of his daughter, actress Hallie Foote, who took it to the Zanucks and HBO. Thus, press releases claim that Bessie has been "22 years in the making." The successful production of the film was also largely due to the executive producer team that was hailed for its elite lineup. The team included multiple industry legends, including Producer and talent manager Shakim Compere, who received his first Emmy in what his colleagues have noted as an "extremely well deserved" accolade. Compere is known for being a close and vital part of Latifah's success and her management team. The executive producer team also included Randi Michel who was praised by much of the production staff and talent as being "the key playmaker" in bringing the film onto its feet. As part of the HBO deal, Queen Latifah is credited as one of the executive producers alongside her managers Shakim Compere, and Randi Michel. The project was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia.
An early article announcing the HBO film indicated it would be based on Bessie, a 1972 biography by Chris Albertson, but a year later the book was not included in the film's credits or promotion, nor did the end result bear but a peripheral resemblance to Albertson's book. An HBO interview with director and screenwriter Dee Rees inquired which books were most influential to her research. Rees replied, "Blues Legacies and Black Feminism by Angela Davis; Blues Empress in Black Chattanooga: Bessie Smith and the Emerging Urban South by Michelle Scott; and Jamaica Kincaid's book, Autobiography of My Mother, really informed me visually and thematically."

## Reception

The film received positive reviews from critics, with many critics praising the performances of Queen Latifah, Mo'Nique, and Michael K. Williams, while criticizing the use of the "Hollywood biopic" formula. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 91% based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Strong performances, led by Queen Latifah, overpower a middling script in the entertaining and informative Bessie." Metacritic gave the film a score of 75 out of 100 based on 20 critic reviews.
As of 2016, Bessie remained the most watched HBO original movie of all time with 1.34 million viewers and an 18–49 demo rating of 0.4.

## Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2015 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Movie | Best Movie | Won |
| 2015 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Movie or Limited Series | Queen Latifah | Nominated |
| 2015 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Limited Series | Khandi Alexander | Nominated |
| 2015 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Limited Series | Mo'Nique | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Motion Picture | Best Motion Picture | Won |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Queen Latifah | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Khandi Alexander | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Mo'Nique | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Dee Rees | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, and Bettina Gilois | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Cinematography in a Non-Series | Best Cinematography in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Costume Design in a Non-Series | Best Costume Design in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Editing in a Non-Series | Best Editing in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Non-Series | Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Music in a Non-Series | Best Music in a Non-Series | Won |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best New Titles Sequence | Best New Titles Sequence | Nominated |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Production Design in a Non-Series | Best Production Design in a Non-Series | Won |
| 2015 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Sound in a Non-Series | Best Sound in a Non-Series | Won |
| 2015 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Television Movie | Richard D. Zanuck, Lili Fini Zanuck, Queen Latifah, Shakim Compere, Shelby Stone, Randi Michel, and Ron Schmidt | Won |
| 2015 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie | Queen Latifah | Nominated |
| 2015 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie | Michael Kenneth Williams | Nominated |
| 2015 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie | Mo'Nique | Nominated |
| 2015 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special | Dee Rees | Nominated |
| 2015 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special | Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois, and Horton Foote | Nominated |
| 2015 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie or a Special | Billy Hopkins and Jackie Burch | Nominated |
| 2015 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie | Jeffrey Jur | Won |
| 2015 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Hairstyling for a Limited Series or a Movie | Lawrence Davis, Monty Schuth, Iasia Merriweather, and Victor Jones | Nominated |
| 2015 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Makeup for a Limited Series or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic) | Debi Young, Mi Young, Ngozi Olandu, Noel Hernandez, and Sian Richards | Nominated |
| 2015 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score) | Rachel Portman | Won |
| 2015 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or a Movie | James Emswiller, Robert Fernandez, Damian Volpe, Ed Cherney, and Evyen Klean | Won |
| 2015 | Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | Nominated |
| 2015 | Women Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Theatrically Unreleased Movie by or About Women | Best Theatrically Unreleased Movie by or About Women | Won |
| 2016 | American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television | Brian A. Kates | Won |
| 2016 | American Society of Cinematographers Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Television Movie, Miniseries or Pilot | Jeffrey Jur | Nominated |
| 2016 | Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design Award – Television Movie or Mini-Series | Clark Hunter, Drew Monahan, Carrie Gale, and Traci Kirshbaum | Nominated |
| 2016 | Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Television Movie or Limited Series | Ron Schmidt | Won |
| 2016 | Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Limited Series | Dee Rees | Won |
| 2016 | Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series | Queen Latifah | Won |
| 2016 | Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series | Charles S. Dutton | Nominated |
| 2016 | Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series | Michael Kenneth Williams | Nominated |
| 2016 | Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series | Mo'Nique | Nominated |
| 2016 | Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Writing, TV Movie/Limited Series | Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois, and Dee Rees | Nominated |
| 2016 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries | Dee Rees | Won |
| 2016 | Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema | Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, and Bettina Gilois | Nominated |
| 2016 | GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series | Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series | Won |
| 2016 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Queen Latifah | Nominated |
| 2016 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Long Form Dialogue and ADR in Television | Damian Volpe, Tony Martinez, Brian Bowles, and Mary Ellen Porto | Won |
| 2016 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing - Long Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television | Damian Volpe, Kris Fenske, Bill Sweeney, Heather Gross, Dave Paterson, and Jay Peck | Nominated |
| 2016 | Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | Best Music Supervision – Television Limited Series or Movie | Evyen Klean and Jennifer Reeve | Won |
| 2016 | Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | Best Song/Recording Created for Television | "Long Old Road" Written by Bessie Smith; Performed by Queen Latifah; Music Supervisors: Evyen Klean and Jennifer Reeve | Nominated |
| 2016 | Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards | Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling – Television Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television | Lawrence Davis and Monty Schuth | Nominated |
| 2016 | Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards | Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television | Debi Young, Sian Richards, and Mi Young | Nominated |
| 2016 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Nominated |
| 2016 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Michael Kenneth Williams | Nominated |
| 2016 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Queen Latifah | Won |
| 2016 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television) | Dee Rees | Won |
| 2016 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television) | Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, and Bettina Gilois | Nominated |
| 2016 | Satellite Awards | Best Motion Picture Made for Television | Best Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated |
| 2016 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Queen Latifah | Nominated |
| 2016 | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Michael Kenneth Williams | Nominated |
| 2016 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Mo'Nique | Nominated |
| 2016 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Queen Latifah | Won |