Get on the Bus (1996)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Spike Lee

Writer (WGA):

Reggie Rock Bythewood (written by)

Release Date:

16 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

On October 16, 1996, the one year anniversary of the Million Man March, Spike Lee invites you to lift your head, raise your voice, and...get on the bus.

Plot:

Get on the Bus follows several Black men on a cross country bus trip to the Million Man March. On the...

Plot Keywords:

Bus | Million Man March | Political | Father Son Relationship | Racial Slur

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Richard Belzer	...	Rick
De'aundre Bonds	...	Junior, aka 'Smooth'
Andre Braugher	...	Flip
Thomas Jefferson Byrd	...	Evan Thomas Sr.
Gabriel Casseus	...	Jamal
Albert Hall	...	Craig
Hill Harper	...	Xavier
Harry Lennix	...	Randall
Bernie Mac	...	Jay
Wendell Pierce	...	Wendell
Roger Guenveur Smith	...	Gary
Isaiah Washington	...	Kyle
Steve White	...	Mike
Ossie Davis	...	Jeremiah
Charles S. Dutton	...	George

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby SR

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #34796) | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15

Company:

15 Black Men

Trivia:

Rather than seek studio financing, Spike Lee financed the film with monetary contributions from famous black men so as to reflect the spirit of the Million Man March. The contributors included (but were not limited to): Will Smith, Danny Glover, Wesley Snipes, Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., and Robert Guillaume.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: By evening on the second day of driving, the bus had gone from Los Angeles, CA to Memphis, TN (almost 1,800 miles). Despite driving through the night, by evening on the third day they had only traveled as far as Knoxville, TN (almost 400 miles).

Quotes:

Jeremiah: I think as we prepare to go on this journey; it might be appropriate to have a prayer.
[praying]
Jeremiah: Dear Lord, we ask you to...
Flip: [running onto the bus] Damn, I'm glad ya'll ain't left. I didn't think I was ever goin' to...
George: [angrily] Hey; CP Time, we tryin' to have a prayer here!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Wanderlust (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Cruisin'

Wonderful character study

With the million man march as a motivational backdrop, a bus full of black men and a European-Jewish driver head off to DC from LA. Spike plays round and round with stereotypes, archetypes, and everything in between in this sharp character study.