| Get on the Bus | |
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U.S. Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | Spike Lee |
| Produced by | Spike Lee |
| Written by | Reggie Rock Bythewood |
| Starring | Richard Belzer De'aundre Bonds Andre Braugher Thomas Jefferson Byrd Gabriel Casseus Albert Hall Hill Harper Harry J. Lennix Bernie Mac Wendell Pierce Roger Guenveur Smith Isaiah Washington Steve White with Ossie Davis and Charles S. Dutton |
| Music by | Terence Blanchard |
| Studio | 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 16, 1996 |
| Running time | 120 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2,400,000 |
Get on the Bus is a 1996 film about a group of African-American men who are taking a cross-country bus trip in order to participate in the Million Man March. The film was directed by Spike Lee and premiered on the one-year anniversary of the march.[1][2]
Contents |
The trip begins in Los Angeles, California and ends in Washington, D.C. where the Million Man March is being held. 12 African American men are introduced aboard the bus as it leaves L.A. for the cross-country drive to D.C.
Along the way, the men get to know each other and discuss various topics including their personal lives, their political beliefs and even the recent O.J. Simpson murder case (in which some members of the group share the notion that, even if Simpson was guilty of killing his "white ex-wife and a white Jewish man", which they continue to maintain he was not, it was right of him to be acquitted as "payback" for social racism and opression against blacks in America). The elderly Jeremiah (whom the men nickname "Pop") reveals that after he lost his job, he became an alcoholic and eventually lost his family. He hopes the March will revitalize him and inspire him to turn his life around. Evan Jr., who fancies himself as a gangster named 'Smooth', manages to escape from his father at one point. Evan Sr. finds Junior and realizes that Junior's criminal behavior was an attempt to gain his attention after he became neglectful. He expresses regret and promises to make a sincere effort to be there for Junior.
Xavier, who refers to himself as "X", begins interviewing the passengers, a narrative device which allows each of the passengers to reveal information about their lives and how they perceive themselves and the March. Xavier captures as much as he can on his camcorder but the group often dismisses the earnest amateur filmmaker as "Spike Lee Jr."
Tensions rise after Xavier's interview with Flip, an aspiring actor who spends most of his time bragging about his own sexual prowess, and who seems more concerned with getting a film role opposite Denzel Washington than the purpose of the March. Flip reveals himself to be a homophobe and racist, provoking Kyle and Randall for being homosexuals and Gary for being biracial. This leads to further conflict when Gary reveals that he is a police officer working a beat in South Central Los Angeles, two things for which he has faced criticism and ostracism from other blacks his entire life. Gary proudly recalls his father, a black policeman gunned down in the line of duty by black street gang members, an incident that Gary credits with his decision to become a police officer.
Gary's revelations about his life and career spur Jamal to reveal that he is an ex-Crip who converted to Islam and began work with a community outreach program that works with children to discourage them from becoming involved in gang activity. In a tense conversation, the two debate over the causes of gang violence and the limits of repentance and forgiveness: Jamal confesses that, while he was a Crip, he committed murder and rape, crimes for which he was never arrested or punished. Following Jamal's confession, Gary informs him that he will be arrested upon their return to California.
Next Kyle reveals that he is a 1991 Gulf War veteran who was purposely shot by men in his own platoon because of his race and sexual orientation. Being gay, African-American and Republican, he feels persecution from all sides, which has made him bitter. Although they are having problems in their relationship, Randall, tries to comfort his lover but makes a point of outing Kyle when he refuses to talk. Kyle is harassed further by the homophobic Flip who mocks him claiming "Oh my God, a gay black Republican, now I have seen everything!" with additional homophobic statements rants. Flip also picks on Randall for his effete gay mannerisms following Kyle's outing. A heated argument between Flip and Kyle turns violent when Flip punches Kyle. In the resulting fistfight, Kyle is victorious and Flip is embarrassed.
During the trip the bus breaks down and the group board a new bus. The new driver is Rick (Richard Belzer), who is ethnically Jewish. Eventually, he feels the need to speak out against Louis Farrakhan's Anti-Semitic statements that Jews are a "gutter" people. Rick talks about his parents' and other Jews' participation in the 1955-1968 Civil Rights Movement, but some members of the group fight back using Jewish stereotypes. At a rest stop, Rick quits the trip in protest telling George: "I wouldn't expect you to drive a bus to a Ku Klux Klan meeting." George becomes confrontational and angrily accuses Rick of being a racist for not supporting the march in spite of Farrakhan's remarks, while at the same time refusing to acknowledge that Farrakhan ever made them. Although Rick maintains that he is not a racist, George refuses to accept this; George begrudgingly agrees to disagree with Rick and lets him depart, although he refuses to look at Rick when Rick wants to shake his hand before he leaves. George drives the bus for the rest of the trip, with help from Evan Sr. who, while not licensed a bus driver, has experience driving trucks.
The group meet various people at rest stops including fellow travelers, White American Southerners (who, to the group's surprise, are friendly) and women (with whom Flip tries to flirt). At a diner, the group meets Wendell (Wendell Pierce), a Lexus salesman who bribes his way onto the bus despite pleas from George to travel to the March on his own, since taking on board a passenger without a ticket could potentially jeopardize his job. On the route, Wendell reveals that he is a Republican and his reason for going to the March is to sell cars. He decries liberal blacks such as Jesse Jackson who believe that it is the government's responsibility to make their lives better, using successful and conservative blacks such as Colin Powell as examples that black men can "make it" in society. His rhetoric quickly comes to be accused as racist from the others, even Kyle however, as he disparages several people on the bus as being "niggas," after which the other passengers literally throw him out of the bus.
While driving through Knoxville, Tennessee, the bus is pulled over by a group of redneck Tennessee state troopers (one of whom is played by Randy Quaid in an uncredited cameo). They are stopped on suspicion of drug trafficking and searched with drug-sniffing dogs despite the pleas of Gary who shows his LAPD badge to the troopers. The troopers ignore Gary and continue with the search, however they do not find anything illegal and the racist state troopers reluntantly permit the bus to continue on its way.
As the bus approaches Washington, D.C., Xavier discovers Jeremiah slumped over and unconscious in his seat. They rush him to a hospital, where it is revealed that Jeremiah has coronary artery disease and that he knew from the start that taking the trip would put his life in jeopardy. Evan Sr. and Jr., as well as Gary, Jamal, and Xavier, stay behind and watch the beginning of March on television to await word on Jeremiah as the others attend the march. A doctor later informs the group that Jeremiah has died. The men are shocked and saddened by Jeremiah's death. They end up watching the rest of the March from the hospital. As they come out of the hospital, the group sees their bus pull up, where George tells the group left behind that he and the rest of the people on the bus travelled only halfway to the march before they decided to come back to be with Jeremiah. After being informed of Jeremiah's passing, the men reflect in the parking lot. As the bus prepares to return home, George tells the men that the March should be seen as merely the beginning of a larger movement. George then abdicates Jeremiah's drum to Xavier, reflecting the joyous experience the latter had with Jeremiah when being taught how to play it. George finds a paper in the hollow bottom of the drum, which is told to be the prayer Jeremiah wrote in honor of the Million Man March. While reading part of it, George breaks into tears. Later, in front of the Lincoln Memorial, George leads the men in Jeremiah's prayer. Near the end of the reading of the prayer, the scene switchs to a scrolling view of the interior of the bus, as the group quietly reflects on the trip's events, which ends with Xavier, shown playing a rapidly increasing beat on Jeremiah's drum, displaying a feeling of awe on his face when he finishes. The film ends with a frontside view of the Lincoln Memorial that scrolls down to show a broken shackle lying near its base.
The movie received generally positive reviews. On the website Rotten Tomatoes the film scored an 87% fresh on the tomatometer. Critic Roger Ebert gave the film a perfect four star rating, stating "What makes Get on the Bus extraordinary is the truth and feeling that go into its episodes".[3]