What's Love Got to Do with It (film)
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- For other uses, see What's Love Got to Do with It?.
| What's Love Got to Do with It? | |
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| Directed by | Brian Gibson |
| Produced by | Doug Chapin Roger Davies Mario Iscovich Pat Kehoe |
| Written by | Tina Turner (book) Kurt Loder (book) Kate Lanier (screenplay) |
| Starring | Angela Bassett Laurence Fishburne Khandi Alexander |
| Distributed by | Touchstone Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 9, 1993 (USA) |
| Running time | 118 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15,000,000 (estimate) |
| IMDb profile | |
What's Love Got to Do with It is a 1993 biographical film which tells the life story of Tina Turner. It stars Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne. The screenplay was adapted by Kate Lanier from the book I, Tina written by Tina Turner and Kurt Loder. This film is directed by Brian Gibson. The film paints a dark picture of her relationship with Tina Turner's mentor and husband, Ike Turner. The film's soundtrack featured the hit song "I Don't Wanna Fight."
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[edit] Plot summary
What's Love Got to Do With It is the filmed biography of R&B/pop singer Tina Turner (Angela Bassett), documenting her efforts to break away from her abusive husband Ike (Laurence Fishburne). After a few scenes detailing Tina's life as a young singer in Nutbush, Tennessee, she's discovered by Ike Turner, an already established songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Ike takes Tina under his wing and makes her a star, but her fame makes him jealous and abusive, and she has to struggle to break free of his domination. Eventually Tina frees herself from Ike and tries to create a solo career,and meets produce Roger Davies. The movie ends with a final confrontation between Ike and Tina before Tina's major show at the Ritz, where Ike pulls a gun out on Tina, but doesn't harm her. Tina proceeds to the stage to sing her new song "What's Love Got To Do With It", which (the movie implies without explaining) goes on to be a huge hit and Tina Turner becomes one of the most successful acts in the world.
[edit] Awards
- Angela Bassett won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical.
- Bassett also won an NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture.
- The film was nominated for an Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role for (Laurence Fishburne), and Best Actress in a Leading Role for Angela Bassett).
[edit] Production notes
Halle Berry, Whitney Houston, Robin Givens and Janet Jackson were all in the running for the role of Tina Turner. Laurence Fishburne turned down the role of Ike Turner five times. When he learned that Angela Bassett had won the role of Tina Turner, he changed his mind. Both Fishburne and Bassett were previously seen together in the John Singleton film Boyz N The Hood. In 2006's Akeelah and the Bee and the stage play Fences, the acting duo starred together again for the first time since this film.
Nearly all of the Ike & Tina Turner songs used in the film were newly re-recorded versions featuring Tina Turner covering her own songs. On "Proud Mary", Laurence Fishburne sings Ike Turner's parts. For Tina Turner's solo recordings, the original masters were used. The only Ike & Tina Turner song not rerecorded was the Phil Spector-produced epic "River Deep - Mountain High".
In his autobiography Taking Back My Name, Ike Turner denies beating and raping Tina in their home recording studio, and confronting her with a pistol back stage, scenes depicted in the film.
[edit] Trivia
- Fishburne was credited as Larry Fishburne until his last film before this, Deep Cover; this was the first time he used his birth name since Death Wish II (he used his birth name, Laurence Fishburne III), in which he portrayed a street mugger. Fishburne chose not to use the suffix "III" for this film.
