Why Do Fools Fall In Love (1998)

54% of critics liked it
(54 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(8,512 ratings)

Gregory Nava directed this biographical drama on the brief but intense life of singer Frankie Lymon who stayed with the popular Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers group only for a year. Lymon was 13 years old when the group erupted from radios and jukeboxes with their 1956 hit, Why Do Fools Fall in Love?… More Gregory Nava directed this biographical drama on the brief but intense life of singer Frankie Lymon who stayed with the popular Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers group only for a year. Lymon was 13 years old when the group erupted from radios and jukeboxes with their 1956 hit, Why Do Fools Fall in Love? and appeared in the movie Rock, Rock, Rock (1956). After Mr. Rock and Roll (1957), Lymon turned solo, but then it all fell to pieces. Lymon's career was over by the time he was 18, and he died of a heroin overdose eight years later. Jumping from the '50s to the '80s, this film traces the rise and fall of Lymon (Larenz Tate) in a series of flashbacks as courtroom claims on Lymon's royalties are outlined by three women: Zola Taylor (Halle Berry) of the Platters R&B group; Elizabeth Waters (Vivica A. Fox), who turned prostitute to cover costs of Lymon's recovery from addiction; and schoolteacher Emira Eagle (Lela Rochon). Little Richard also makes a courtroom appearance, while Miguel A. Nunez Jr. portrays Little Richard in scenes set in the '50s. Shown at the 1998 Urbanworld Film Festival (NY). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 56 min.
Directed By: Gregory Nava
Written By: Tina Andrews
Genres: Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy

In Theaters: Aug 8, 1998 Wide
On DVD: May 1, 2001
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy, Variety
Too ill defined to emerge from the pack of box office also-rans.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
A celebration of pop fantasies, a boyish rascal with a helium voice, and three pretty fools who fell in love with him.
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle
A fresh, enlightening example of how to take a tragic American show-business story and make it funny, warm and terrifically entertaining.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Though Nava's soapy directing style makes Fools watchable enough in a campy way, the film's unsophisticated nature undermines its better qualities.
, Boston Globe
Filled with color and energy!
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
What made Frankie run? The movie clearly doesn't know.
Dave McCoy, Film Threat
This biopic is soulless, underwritten, over-acted and, worse, just plain dull.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
Larenz Tate is terrific recreating the excitement of Frankie's stage presence.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Worth it for the music -- but only barely.
Jim Shelby, Palo Alto Weekly
The biggest problem is the man at the center.
Bob Bloom, rec.arts.movies.reviews
The film creates a jigsaw puzzle that, at the end of nearly two hours, still is missing pieces.
Susan Granger, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Why did they make it so muddled?
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Director Gregory Nava's recreation of Frankie Lymon's late '50s-early '60s performances are exuberant.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
more often than not Andrews' screenplay can't decide if it's a cautionary tale about the perils of marrying a has-been or a rowdy 'you go, girl' celebration of sisterhood.
Scott Renshaw, Scott Renshaw's Screening Room
A cop-out!

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Burger S

Based on a true story: Frankie Lyman (Why do fools fall in love).
Joey N

The first hour or so ranks as favorite movie material. It's enormously entertaining and a fresh spin on standard biopic: Diana Ross's cover of Why Do Fools Fall in Love spawns a court case where three women claim the rights to the song as Frankie Liman's wife. My… More
The first hour or so ranks as favorite movie material. It's enormously entertaining and a fresh spin on standard biopic: Diana Ross's cover of Why Do Fools Fall in Love spawns a court case where three women claim the rights to the song as Frankie Liman's wife. My favorite sequence is an infectious Larenz Tate singing (well, lip synching) to Goodie Goodie! But the movie sort of falls apart at the end. Oh, well. Focus on the positive!
Remi L

Loved it!!