Based on the life of pioneering black entertainer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878-1949), this lavish but disappointing made-for-cable homage from Showtime portrays the hoofer’s rise to fame and fortune, followed by his penniless death. It begins with Robinson (Gregory Hines) challenging vaudeville’s pervasive racism and his charming courtship of sassy Fannie Mae (Kimberly Elise), an ambitious co-ed. Hines and Elise’s chemistry and solid performances are chief among the movie’s redeeming qualities. Unfortunately, cliched direction and scripting, including dialogue delivered directly into the camera, compromise any true articulation of Robinson’s complex professional a...
Released:
2001
Rated:
NR
Length:
101 mins