Hustle & Flow

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Hustle & Flow
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCraig Brewer
Written byCraig Brewer
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAmy Vincent
Edited byBilly Fox
Music byScott Bomar
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • July 22, 2005 (2005-07-22)
Running time
116 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.8 million
Box office$23.5 million

Hustle & Flow is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton and Stephanie Allain. It stars Terrence Howard as a Memphis hustler and pimp who faces his aspiration to become a rapper. It also stars Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Taraji P. Henson, Paula Jai Parker, Elise Neal, DJ Qualls and Ludacris.

Hustle & Flow was released in the United States on July 22, 2005, by Paramount Pictures. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at the performances (particularly those of Howard and Henson), Brewer's script and direction, and the soundtrack. It was also a commercial success, grossing $23.5 million against a production budget of $2.8 million.

The film received numerous accolades and nominations, and was nominated twice at the 78th Academy Awards for Best Actor (Howard) and Academy Award for Best Original Song for Three 6 Mafia's song "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp", winning the latter and becoming the second hip hop song to win an Academy Award, after Eminem's "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile.

Plot[edit]

DJay is a pimp and drug dealer living in Memphis, Tennessee, who is dissatisfied with his life, and is going through a midlife crisis. After reacquainting himself with an old friend and sound technician, Key, DJay decides to make hip hop music.

Key and his sound-mixer friend Shelby help DJay put together several songs in which he expresses the frustrations of struggling to survive in the ghetto. DJay proves his talent through rhyming as well as writing lyrics, and his first song appears to have a decent chance of getting local radio play.

The group experiences setbacks throughout the creative process. DJay must hustle those around him in order to procure equipment and recording time; in particular, he offers Nola, his top prostitute, to a microphone salesman, and she is outraged afterwards. They argue, but he says he will put her in charge of something one day. Also, Key's relationship with his wife becomes strained. DJay throws out one of his prostitutes, Lexus, along with her infant son, for ridiculing him. Pregnant Shug, another of DJay's girls, joins in the creative process, singing hooks. The group eventually records several tracks, including "Whoop That Trick" and "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp". After their first recording, DJay gains romantic feelings toward Shug, even sharing a passionate kiss.

DJay's friend Arnel informs him that Skinny Black, a successful Memphis rapper, will be returning for a Fourth of July party. DJay gains admittance under the pretext of providing marijuana, with the true intention of giving Black his demo tape. Black is dismissive at first, but DJay successfully persuades him into taking the tape.

Before leaving the party, DJay discovers that a drunken Black has destroyed his tape. DJay confronts Black who insults him. In a fit of rage, DJay nearly beats Black to death but attempts to resuscitate him. A member of Black's entourage enters the bathroom and pulls out his gun. DJay shoots the man in his arm with Black's gun and escapes.

DJay arrives home to find the police and Black's associates waiting for him. DJay turns himself in and tells Nola to safeguard his writing pad with his lyrics on it, also placing her in charge of sending his songs to radio stations. He then exchanges a glance with a tearful Shug before a brawl breaks out after one of Black's crew sucker punches him. DJay is charged with assault and possession of a firearm and is sentenced to 11 months in prison.

While serving his time, DJay is visited by Key and learns that Nola has successfully gotten radio DJs to play his songs, which have become local hits. The pair then prepare to discuss their future business plans. Two correctional officers ask DJay to listen to their demo. Humbled and flattered, DJay accepts.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Terrence Howard initially turned down the role of DJay. He reportedly was attempting to avoid being typecast as a "pimp" archetype. However, after recognizing the complexity and depth of the character, he reversed his earlier decision and took on the role.

As concepts of both hustle and flow are unique to African American culture, it turned out to be nearly impossible to find proper translations for international release of the film. For example, the Russian translation of the title means "The bustle and the motion". The Italian title is appended with "Il colore della musica" which means "The color of music". The Chinese translation is "Street hip hop".

The film experienced many years of near-misses and outright rejection from major studios and potential financiers before finally being backed by its longtime supporter John Singleton. In the DVD extras Singleton says that he decided at last to put up the money himself because he was exasperated at his friends' not getting what their film deserved.

Critical reception[edit]

On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 83% based on 160 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Hustle & Flow is gritty and redemptive, with a profound sense of place and exciting music."[2] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[3]

The Boston Globe said, "Some will find it chicly inspired, recalling blaxploitation's heyday with its grimy urban realism. Some will find it corny, absurd, and a limited view of options for disenfranchised African-Americans."[4] According to Entertainment Weekly, "The home-studio recording sequences in Hustle & Flow are funky, rowdy, and indelible. Brewer gives us the pleasure of watching characters create music from the ground up."[5]

Legacy[edit]

The phrase "whoop that trick," which was featured in the film, became a rallying cry for fans of the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team during the early 2020's.[6][7][8][9][10]

Accolades[edit]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Academy Awards March 5, 2006 Best Actor Terrence Howard Nominated [11][12][13]
Best Original Song Frayser Boy, Juicy J, and DJ Paul (for "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp") Won
African-American Film Critics Association 2005 Top Ten Films Hustle & Flow 7th place [14][15][16]
Best Actor Terrence Howard Won
Austin Film Critics Association 2005 Best Film Hustle & Flow 6th place [17]
Breakthrough Artist Terrence Howard Won
Black Reel Awards February 18, 2006 Best Film Hustle & Flow Nominated
Best Actor Terrence Howard Won [18][19]
Best Supporting Actor Anthony Anderson Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Taraji P. Henson Won [18][19]
Best Original Soundtrack Hustle & Flow Won
Best Ensemble Hustle & Flow Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association January 9, 2006 Best Actor Terrence Howard Nominated [20]
Most Promising Filmmaker Craig Brewer Nominated
Most Promising Performer Chris "Ludacris" Bridges Nominated
Costume Designers Guild Awards February 26, 2006 Excellence in Contemporary Film Paul A. Simmons Jr. Nominated [21]
Critics' Choice Awards January 9, 2006 Best Actor Terrence Howard Nominated [22][23][24]
Best Song Terrence Howard (for "Hustle & Flow") Won
Florida Film Critics Circle December 24, 2005 Pauline Kael Breakout Award Terrence Howard Won [25][26]
Golden Globe Awards January 16, 2006 Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Terrence Howard Nominated [27][28]
Golden Trailer Awards June 1, 2006 Best Drama Hustle & Flow Nominated [29]
Gotham Awards November 30, 2005 Breakthrough Actor Terrence Howard Nominated [30][31]
Independent Spirit Awards March 4, 2006 Best Male Lead Terrence Howard Nominated [32]
Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards March 4, 2006 Best Sound Editing – Music – Musical Feature Film Shie Rozow and Marvin Morris Nominated [33][34][35]
MTV Movie Awards June 3, 2006 Best Performance Terrence Howard Nominated [36]
Best Breakthrough Performance Taraji P. Henson Nominated
Best Kiss Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard Nominated
NAACP Image Awards February 25, 2006 Outstanding Motion Picture Hustle & Flow Nominated [37][38][39]
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Terrence Howard Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Anthony Anderson Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Taraji P. Henson Nominated
Elise Neal Nominated
Nashville Film Festival April 14–21, 2005 Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Craig Brewer Won [40][41]
National Board of Review January 10, 2006 Breakthrough Performance by an Actor Terrence Howard Won [42][43]
Special Recognition For Excellence In Filmmaking Hustle & Flow Won
New York Film Critics Circle January 8, 2006 Best Supporting Actor Terrence Howard Runner-up [44]
New York Film Critics Online 11 December 2005 Breakthrough Performance Terrence Howard Won [45][46]
Online Film Critics Society January 16, 2006 Best Actor Terrence Howard Nominated [47][48]
Best Breakthrough Filmmaker Craig Brewer Nominated
Satellite Awards December 17, 2005 Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy Hustle & Flow Nominated [49]
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy Terrence Howard Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards January 29, 2006 Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Anthony Anderson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Isaac Hayes, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard, Taryn Manning, Elise Neal, Paula Jai Parker, and DJ Qualls Nominated [50][51]
Sundance Film Festival January 29, 2005 Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic Hustle & Flow Won [52][53]
Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic Amy Vincent Won
Teen Choice Awards August 16, 2005 Choice Summer Movie Hustle & Flow Nominated [54]
August 20, 2006 Choice Actor – Drama/Action Adventure Terrence Howard Nominated [55]
Chris "Ludacris" Bridges Nominated
Vancouver Film Critics Circle February 7, 2006 Best Actor Terrence Howard Nominated [56][57]
Village Voice Film Poll December 2005 Best Performance Terrence Howard 9th place [58]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association December 13, 2005 Best Actor Terrence Howard Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Taraji P. Henson Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Craig Brewer Nominated
Best Breakthrough Performance Terrence Howard Won [59][60]
Taryn Manning Nominated
Women Film Critics Circle December 28, 2005 Best Comedic Performance Paula Jai Parker Won [61]

Soundtrack[edit]

Main article: Hustle & Flow (soundtrack)

The soundtrack was released on July 12, 2005, by Grand Hustle and Atlantic Records. The album centers on Southern hip hop.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

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