Don't Stop Believin'

Author(s): Matt
Location: Illinois

“Don’t Stop Believin’”

Directed By: Marc Forster
Written By: Patrick Marber

Principal Cast:

Queen Latifah as Rita Grange
Jaden Smith as Stephen Grange
Peter Gallagher as Jerry White
Lindsay Lohan as Laura White
Laura Linney as Priscilla White
Morgan Freeman as Terrence
Milo Ventimiglia as Drake Sampson

Tagline: “Life isn’t about the destination, it’s about the JOURNEY”

Synopsis: The year is 1996. The city is Chicago. The White’s are a family living in the southwest suburbs. The father Jerry is a slimey real estate agent, who pays little to no attention to his wife. Laura, the daughter, gets plenty of attention, though. Her father is very overprotective when it comes just about everything. On the other hand, Jerry’s wife Priscilla has become extremely depressed and hardly talks to Jerry, her daughter, or really anyone of the outside world. An understated jealousy fills Priscilla, as she wishes Jerry gave her the time that he spent on Laura. Laura wishes she could be left alone. She runs to the city, with little money, and settles in a dreadful apartment. Laura is still happier there than she ever was with her father. One night on the train, Laura meets a man named Drake. Drake decides to show Laura around the city, and eventually takes her to a Blues bar. The well-known performer at the club is Rita Grange. The well-known customer is Terrence. Terrence was known for tipping Rita large sums after she performed. This money came in handy for Rita, who was supporting herself and her son Stephen. The small family lived in the projects. The dilapidated building happened to have been sold to Jerry White who was going to advertise the land and hopefully produce a respectable condominium complex. This meant the Grange’s would be out of luck. Rita went to Terrence for help. He promised that he would always take care of Rita and her son, and that they would always have a place to stay. After exploring the Grange’s home, Jerry took a train out of the city. He was followed from the projects to the station by a young resident. He was mugged and killed. His daughter never learned her father’s alternate motives for fixing up the building in Chicago. Jerry had planned to revamp the projects so that he and his wife could move there to be closer to their daughter. Still, after her father’s death, Laura began to understand that all of his sheltering was full of the best intentions. She formed a closer bond with Jerry after he had passed than she ever had while he was living.

What the press would say:

Don’t Stop Believin’ is a completely unique and original film. Never has there been a movie truly inspired by a song, and such a classic one at that. Don’t Stop Believin’ isn’t the average ensemble drama. It is full of irony, heart, and complex characters. The screenplay is amazing. Patrick Marber, hot off Notes on a Scandal, got the job done. He took the Journey song and used similar settings and sounds to produce characters and plot lines. Marc Forster is responsible for putting all of it together; the setting, the characters, the dialogue, and the story. He does an amazing job and makes and even more emotional film than his earlier Finding Neverland. The entire cast of Don’t Stop Believin’ deserves kudos, but of course there were a few standout performances. Most notably, Queen Latifah. She showcases both her voice and her acting talent in the film. Her chemistry with both of her male costars, Jaden Smith and Morgan Freeman is amazing. Freeman is also deserving of some acclaim. He makes Terrence a fully developed and well-rounded character. He is responsible for some of the most heartfelt lines in the film. Still, the stand out male performance is by none other than Peter Gallagher. After leaving film for a while to pursue television acting, Gallagher is back and at the top of his game. He is great at balancing the role of vain, hot shot real estate agent and caring father. Lindsay Lohan expands her talent and even tops her work from Bobby and A Prairie Home Companion. All of these performances and more, result in Don’t Stop Believin’, a film the critics believe is one of the best of the year.

Memorable Quote: “Some will win. Some will lose. And some were born to sing the blues.” – Rita Grange (Queen Latifah)

Possible Oscar Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director - Marc Forster
Best Original Screenplay – Patrick Marber
Best Actor – Peter Gallagher
Best Actress – Lindsay Lohan
Best Supporting Actor – Morgan Freeman
Best Supporting Actress – Queen Latifah