The Five Heartbeats

This is such a wonderful, underrated film. Everyone I recommend it to looks at me like I'm crazy until they watch it and become total fans. One of the many delights about the Five Heartbeats is the soundtrack. The songs were written, performed and recorded with such attention to period detail they sound like they really come from the years of the movie. And most of them are great songs anyway. If they had been "real" they would be classics today. A Heart is a House for Love which was actually sung by the Dells, made it to #13 on the R&B charts. Most of the music came from Stanley Clarke, the brilliant bassist and composer. But Thom Bell, one of the originators of TSOP, contributed importantly too, including one of his old songs for the Delfonics. There are so many cool moments in this film. Michael Wright and Hawthorne James offer stand- out performances in a great cast. The Five Heartbeats is easily Robert Townsends best film.

To the guy who questioned the racism in the movie.... you need to do a little homework, cause that was all truth. Although the movie was a fictionalized account, the racist elements shown were very much true.

The idea that it couldn't have taken place in the "60's", of all possible timeframes, is absurd and quite ludicrous. All of the major black acts from the 60's were subject to racism where they were treated poorly when off stage. ALL used the service entrance, or kitchen, to enter the venue in which they played. I'm talking Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, the temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Jackie Wilson, Stevie Wonder.... you name 'em.

The practice of fronting songs recorded by blacks with white groups was commonplace in the 50's-60's. Unfortunately, many racist whites didn't want their music to have a black face on it.

Do your homework prior to debunking historical fact.

The movie is THE all time music themed rags-to-riches film ever made.

Black performers in the South were treated very badly in the 50s and early to mid 60s. They had to use seperate entrances and often inferior hotels and restaraunts. And the changing of the album cover, the Marvalettes "Please Mr. Postman "album had a cover which featured a cartoon drawing of a mailbox rather than 4 black faces...the movie is accurate in its racial interpretation

I have the DVD of this movie and it is moving. It shows all races black and white that if you want something to keep working toward it and never give up. This movie really touched me and gave me a new outlook on my life and the things that i do. Where are the great writers like the ones who wrote this story? We need to be giving them all of the credit and praise because they are the ones who believed that the world should see how black music began and evolved into what is the most dominant music in America. We have had problems over the years with the really bad music and the really great music. This shows that black people lots of talent and much more charisma and can truly ACT.

The Five Heartbeats was a real, honest, remarkable film. It was packed with emotion. Well acted by all involved. A must see to appreciate! The portrayals on the members in the group were believable. It is my understanding that this is a story based upon the popular singing group, "The Dells". I don't know how true it is. I feel that Robert Townsend not only acted well in this film but, he did a fantastic job in directing it, too. To me, it's one of if not the best piece of work that he has done. I also enjoyed his film, "The Hollywood Shuffle" but the Five Heartbeats is my overall favorite. Kudos to Mr. Townsend for a job well done and may we say his greatest works are yet to come. Thank you Mr. Townsend and I hope to meet you one day!