The Five Heartbeats poster & wallpaper

Robert Townsend, Michael Wright, Kasi Lemmons

Few things can be more noble than a wholehearted effort to tell the story of black secular music in America, especially through the eyes of a mid-20th century rhythm-and-blues vocal group breaking th...( read more  read more... )rough race barriers to popular success. Comedian and filmmaker Robert Townsend's The Five Heartbeats (1991) is one such ambitious effort. If its story frequently sags under epochal burdens, the film makes up for it with a surprisingly tough look at the music business and classy appearances by Diahann Carroll and hoofer Harold Nicholas. Townsend plays one-fifth of the titular act, whose collective life and times we follow from 1965 to the 1990s, through friendships, break-ups, and re-groupings. The director's script, cowritten with Keenen Ivory Wayans, is wobbly and short on good material for the women in the cast. But several of the male actors are quite strong, particularly John Canada Terrell as an original Heartbeats replacement. --Tom Keogh

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93% liked it

15,660 ratings

R, 120 min.

Directed by: Robert Townsend

Release Date: March 29, 1991

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DVD Release Date: January 22, 2002

Stats: 1,115 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,115)

  • RiderOfTheStorms
    March 20, 2007
    RiderOfTheStorms
    real good
  • shanikias
    November 11, 2009
    shanikias
    Some of the best music I've heard!
  • jam233
    November 8, 2009
    jam233
    Well made, but it?s a little to predictable to be a great film. Great music, the period detail is fair. The performances are fine, perhaps a bit melodramatic, but overall everyone does well. Very entertaining and it always held my interest.
  • pastormw
    September 1, 2009
    pastormw
    This is one of the best African American movies created!
  • samanthaseaotter
    August 6, 2009
    samanthaseaotter
    Sad but interesting.
  • dejadoucette
    July 24, 2009
    dejadoucette
    MY FAVORITE MOVIE, I LOVE HOW THEY SING
  • tyeshacherry
    March 13, 2009
    tyeshacherry
    Nights like this, I wish....Yall know the rest lol
  • newkirkmd
    February 18, 2009
    newkirkmd
    My favorite of all time. Don't watch it with me if you don't know dialogue and songs!!

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The Five Heartbeats Trivia

  • In the movie "The Five Heartbeats", the whole world was a _________, for lead singer Eddie Kane Jr.?  Answer »
  • From the movie: The Five Heartbeats..."I gotta fight every night to ( what )   Answer »
  • what was the name of the movie that robert townsend starred in as a singer that sung with four other men that strived to be singers?  Answer »
  • What character did robert townson play in the Five Heartbeats?  Answer »
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