Ross/Letterman

email this story
read comments (24)
post a comment

Dreamgirls, a movie musical based on the '60s and early '70s career tribulations of the Supremes and Diana Ross (as well as Berry Gordy, Flo Ballard, etc.) has been playing fairly broadly since Christmas, and yet Ross, who went on Late Night with David Letterman Tuesday night with an absolutely massive '70s 'fro, says she (a) hasn't had time to see it, (b) has "heard a lot about it," (c) plans "to see it with my lawyers" and (d) "I would like to do is to be able to see it."

Those are lies, no? Ross hasn't seen Dreamgirls because she's afraid to, or because she doesn't want people to think she cares about how Beyonce portrays her because that would somehow mess with the above-the-fray diva image that she feels is important to project...right? Certainly not because she's been busy. Phony, disingenuous, over.

Bitter cold<< previous | next >>Fox film discussion

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 17, 2007 at 9:18 AM

comment #1

le corbeau says ...

What I really want to know is if Elizabeth saw The Queen.

Posted by le corbeau at January 17, 2007 10:10 AM

comment #2

Brian says ...

And what I really want to know is if Alexander ever saw Alexander.

Posted by Brian at January 17, 2007 10:19 AM

comment #3

JD says ...

Did Superman see Superman Returns?

Posted by JD at January 17, 2007 10:31 AM

comment #4

Movie fan09 says ...

no, he was at home watching smallville.

Posted by Movie fan09 at January 17, 2007 10:38 AM

comment #5

Josh Massey says ...

But did Departed see "The De..."

Oh wait, that joke doesn't work there.

Posted by Josh Massey at January 17, 2007 10:41 AM

comment #6

nola says ...

LOL. actually I think I read that Elizabeth did see The Queen.

Posted by nola at January 17, 2007 10:54 AM

comment #7

Mr. Muckle says ...

D Ross was not in great voice, but she must be how old now? In her sixties for sure. I saw the supremes in concert at Iowa State University, no less, in 1968. Somehow I got a front row ticket. They sang "Hey Big Spender" at one point, and Diana doing her thing, walked over and pointed at me during the chorus. Ha, how little she knew what a cheapskate I was.

They had a backing orchestra and I remember this old, heavyset, pleasant grandfatherly-looking black guy playing guitar, a Gibson SG if I remember correctly. Tremendously FUNKY, if you must know. Really great.

Posted by Mr. Muckle at January 17, 2007 11:14 AM

comment #8

NYCritic says ...

This seems to be her shtick now to promote her album. She was on with Diane Sawyer on GOOD MORNING AMERICA and said the exact same thing, practically word for word. And she sang live that morning ... her voice was okay. She messed up and started the song too early -- which is how you know it wasn't Memorex!

Posted by NYCritic at January 17, 2007 11:26 AM

comment #9

Chuck Latovich says ...

Word is that E-II not only saw The Queen, but liked it and asked the makers to lunch.

Also, I seem to recall Ross had seen the show Dreamgirls back when it was on Broadway, and even embraced it.

Posted by Chuck Latovich at January 17, 2007 12:14 PM

comment #10

Hallick says ...

says she (a) hasn't had time to see it, (b) has "heard a lot about it," (c) plans "to see it with my lawyers" and (d) "I would like to do is to be able to see it.

(a) What a workhorse! Staging a career resurrection on the back of a movie you don't even have time to see! You're the hardest working ma'am in show business!

(b) And obvious, she's heard nothing but great things about it, considering comment (c)...

(c) Man, I dunno. She's so busy. And then her lawyers might be busy, and then you gotta find a good time for everybody to go together, and - aw FUCK it, let's just wait for Netflix!

(d) Able? I'll take an excuse like that from Peter O'Toole, not Diana Ross. She's able enough to flog her wares on a flagging late night talk show, after all. Then again, so was O'Toole. But I consider his appearance more of a death throw.

Posted by Hallick at January 17, 2007 12:22 PM

comment #11

VedaPierce says ...

"Also, I seem to recall Ross had seen the show Dreamgirls back when it was on Broadway, and even embraced it."

She stormed out of the theater before the first act ended.

Miss Ross may be delusional but all great stars are. In the end, who really cares if she sees it or not. Like everyone else, she's lining up to see Factory Girl.

Posted by VedaPierce at January 17, 2007 12:28 PM

comment #12

sardine says ...

Dreamgirls is a shitty movie....the ugliest-looking one of the year also.

Posted by sardine at January 17, 2007 12:32 PM

comment #13

sardine says ...

Dreamgirls is a shitty movie....the ugliest-looking one of the year also.

Posted by sardine at January 17, 2007 12:34 PM

comment #14

Larry says ...

Dreamgirls is the The Supremes what The Monkees are to The Beatles, except the Monkees have good songs.

Posted by Larry at January 17, 2007 12:43 PM

comment #15

bellepoitrine says ...

Why in hell would she want to see it? She lived it. She could have said that, but it would wind up sounding like a diss, or an endorsement, depending upon your pov. So she tries to remain above the fray. As for using it to launch a career comeback, how many comebacks can you have in 40 years? She's had about 35. I didn't notice her try one after SPARKLE was released :)

Posted by bellepoitrine at January 17, 2007 12:58 PM

comment #16

Colin says ...

I finally caught up with Dreamgirls and found it good, but not great. Actually, I was really with it until the last half hour or so. Then, ** spoilers ** we get 1) the weird and seemingly pointless Jackson 5 stuff, 2) the tacked on "Listen" song, which I guess was intended as a showcase for Beyonce, but which sounds like a Beyonce song from 2006, and not a song that belongs in the movie, and 3) the terrible Jamie Foxx-daughter scene at the end. Overall, I'd give the film a B+ or B, but I don't think it has any place in the awards picture.

I've talked with three people who saw the stage production, and all three didn't really like the movie that much, for what it's worth.

Posted by Colin at January 17, 2007 1:37 PM

comment #17

Argen says ...

She, like a lot of people based on the box office, hasn't seen it. Big deal. She knows the show, has probably made whatever peace with it. Does she really have to see it? Who gives a shit one way or the other? Oh, I forgot. Jeffrey "Drama Queen Masquerading as a 'Regular Guy'" Wells does.

Posted by Argen at January 17, 2007 2:19 PM

comment #18

cobhome says ...

Ok she's a diva - but she'd do more for herself if she would simply be gracious - I agree that while Dreamgirls is entertaining and well worth the 9 bucks I spent to see it -it hardly seems like awards material - and it didn't really to me capture the whole excitement both musically and culturally of the emergence of Motown. But then again - I'd vote for Children of Men as best pic - lol - and liked Babel so obviously I don't get it.

Posted by cobhome at January 17, 2007 2:20 PM

comment #19

Spacesheik says ...

"Dreamgirls is the The Supremes what The Monkees are to The Beatles, except the Monkees have good songs."

Ouch!

Posted by Spacesheik at January 17, 2007 2:33 PM

comment #20

squealy says ...

Why shouldn't she see it? The character based on her is portrayed positively. The manager is blamed for getting rid of Jennifer Hudson's character, and everyone reconciles at the end.

Posted by squealy at January 17, 2007 3:38 PM

comment #21

Joe Leydon says ...

A point about Dreamgirls I haven't seen addressed elsewhere: Some of the faux album covers scattered throughout the movie are meticulously precise copies of real covers for albums by The Supremes and the solo Diana Ross. So I can't help wondering: Did money have to change hands for this to happen? Or will this be the focus of the next big lawsuit?

Posted by Joe Leydon at January 17, 2007 3:52 PM

comment #22

T. S. Idiot says ...

I attended a taping of Martha Stewart today for which Miss Ross was the celebrity guest. She sang as well as ever, though the song, "I Love You," from her new album, is pretty bad. In chatting with the audience afterward, Martha said she did not ask Miss Ross about Dreamgirls because Miss Ross feels it is not a depiction of her. This program will be broadcast Jan. 26.

Posted by T. S. Idiot at January 17, 2007 5:32 PM

comment #23