| Livin' Large | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Michael Schultz |
| Produced by | David V. Picker |
| Written by | William Mosley-Payne |
| Starring | Terrence "T.C." Carlson Lisa Arrindell Anderson Loretta Devine Blanche Baker |
| Cinematography | Peter Collister |
| Editing by | Christopher Holmes |
| Distributed by | MGM |
| Release date(s) | 1991 |
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Livin' Large! is a 1991 comedy movie starring Terrence "T.C." Carlson, Lisa Arrindell Anderson, and Loretta Devine.
Contents |
Carson portrays Dexter Jackson, a young, black deliveryman in Atlanta, Georgia who aspires to become a news reporter. Jackson gets what he considers his big break, when he drives up to a hostage situation. When the reporter on the scene is killed, Dexter steps in and confronts the hostage-taker, who threatens to kill himself on live television. However, Dexter talks the man out of it, and ratings-obsessed executive producer Kate Penndragin (Blanche Baker) later offers Dexter a reporter position at "News 4 Atlanta".
A recurring gag throughout the film involves Jackson seeing himself on TV with notably different facial features, i.e. thinner lips, straight hair, and a lighter complexion. As Kate tries to transform Dexter's urban image (mainly his dreadlocks, clothing, and diction), he begins questioning whether he's starting to sell out as he becomes more and more successful, in other words, he wonders whether becoming successful also means becoming "white".
Although Dexter begins to fulfill his dream, he also starts forgetting where he came from. He alienates those close to him with tabloid-style exposé stories, i.e. a local barber's illegal numbers racket, and a restaurant's unhealthy cooking styles. Dexter loses his fiancé Toynelle (Arrindell Anderson) after a night on the town results in him spending the night with ditzy weather forecaster, Missy Carnes (Julia Campbell). Dexter also betrays his best friend Baker Moon (Nathaniel 'Afrika' Hall) by revealing a local criminal's plan to commit grand theft auto. Baker winds up in the hospital.
After longtime anchor Clifford Worthy (Bernie McInerney) blows up on the air, Kate promotes Dexter to lead anchor and teams him with Missy, much to his chagrin. Kate also arranges a live marriage between the two, which she plans to exploit for ratings. However, in the end, Dexter comes to his senses and calls off the wedding, deciding to go back to Toynelle. He also makes amends to those he stepped over, just to become successful. In the end, Dexter finally reaches his goal, becoming co-anchor at News 4 Atlanta, alongside Clifford Worthy.
The movie was released in September 1991, and grossed more than $5 million.[1]
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