Adapted from the August Wilson stage play, the Netflix original film the late Chadwick Boseman are poised to earn Academy Award nominations for their standout performances in the film.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom s a long line of excellent movies adapted from stage plays. These are often tremendous interpretations, many of which have gone on to be nominated for or actually win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
Named Best Picture at the 1990 Academy Awards, Bruce Beresford's Driving Miss Daisy also earned Jessica Tandy an Oscar for Best Leading Actress.
Based on the Alfred Uhry play, the story concerns an elderly rich Jewish woman named Daisy Werthan who is driven across the American South by her African-American driver Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman) in the 1950s. Much like Green Book, the two people from different backgrounds begin to discuss racial dynamics in America over two decades.
Cabin In The Sky (1943)
Co-directed by Busby Berkeley and Vincent Minnelli, Cabin in The Sky is one of the first stage-to-screen adaptations to star an all-Black cast. In 2020, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Featuring music from jazz greats Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, the film follows Little Joe (Eddie Anderson), a small-time gambler who is killed but given a second shot to redeem his existence.
Porgy And Bess (1959)
Based on the 1935 opera by George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward, and Ira Gershwin, Porgy and Bess won an Oscar for Best Original Score.
Directed by Otto Preminger, the film tells the story of Bess (Dorothy Dandridge), a disgraced South Carolina woman who is ostracized when her husband is arrested for murder. The only person who will accept and love Bess without condition is Porgy (Sidney Poitier), a crippled man with a heart of gold. As Porgy and Bess grow closer, they contend with societal disapproval.
A Raisin In The Sun (1961)
Often hailed as one of the greatest plays ever written, Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun earned BAFTA and Golden Globe nods for its two leads, Sidney Poitier and Claudia McNeil.
The drama centers on the Youngers, a poor Black family living in Chicago. When the father of the family dies, his wife Ruth (Ruby Dee) hopes to raise their status with the $10,000 insurance payout. However, Ruby's children Walter (Poitier) and Lena (McNeil) want the money for themselves, and the story depicts the dogged pursuit of the American dream no matter the cost.
Cabaret (1972)
For fans of Ma Rainey, another great musical adaptation featuring an empowered female at its center includes Cabaret, Bob Fosse's 8-time Oscar-winning tour de force.
Liza Minnelli won a Best Leading Actress Oscar for her turn as Sally Bowles, a cheery American chanteuse working as a cabaret performer at the Kit Kat Klub in Berlin, in the 1930s. With a cast of colorful characters, the film won Best Director, Cinematography, Editing, ing Actor, Sound, Score, and Art Direction.
Dreamgirls (2006)
Adapted from the 1981 musical stage play written by Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen, Dreamgirls tells the inspiring story of three Black backup singers in 1960s Motown who rise to national fame after being discovered by Curtis Taylor (Jamie Foxx).
The trio includes Deena Jones (Beyoncé Knowles), Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose), and Effie White (Jennifer Hudson in an Oscar-winning role). With the help of R&B singer James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy), the Dreamgirls face personal and professional highs and lows as their careers take off.
Chicago (2002)
Based on the 1975 Broadway musical by Maurine Dallas Watkins, Rob Marshall's Chicago features a jazz and blues soundtrack sure to appeal to fans of Ma Rainey. The film won six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best ing Actress for Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Set in Chicago during the 1920s Jazz Age, the film follows the rivalry between two female murderers (Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger) who vie for the affection of a seedy public defense attorney (Richard Gere) following a crime of ion.
Amadeus (1984)
Much like Ma Rainey, Amadeus is a story about a gifted musician determined to forge his own path and dictate their own while rising to international acclaim. In this case, the musician happens to be Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce).
Directed by Milos Forman, Amadeus won 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, and Leading Actor (F. Murray Abraham). Currently rated #84 on IMDB's Top 250, the epic biopic traces the ups and downs of Mozart's rise to glory and his nefarious murder attempt at the hands of rival composer Antonio Salieri.
West Side Story (1961)
The 10-time Oscar-winning The original Broadway musical production took place in 1957, with director Jerome Robinson reprising his duties with Robert Wise for the film version.
The unrequited love story between Tony and Maria, two lovers in rival gangs, underscores the American Dream among different ethnic backgrounds as they fight for supremacy in 1950s New York. Steven Spielberg's remake is due in December of 2021.
Fences (2016)
As the only other August Wilson play to be adapted to the big screen so far, Fences should be the number one film for fans of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Viola Davis earned an Oscar for her leading performance in the film.
Directed, produced by, and starring Denzel Washington, the drama centers on Troy Maxson (Washington), a blue-collar worker in 1950s Pittsburgh struggling with his station in life. Disgruntled over his failed baseball career, Troy seethes with anger and regret as his son gets a chance to meet a college football scout.
