2006 - Dreamgirls

This week's Dreamgirls podcast brings Bill Condon's 2006 Motown musical into the Movie of the Year bracket. Ryan, Mike, and Greg, better known as the Taste Buds, welcome two guests for this one. E, host of The Cinematic Soul, joins the panel alongside author and podcaster Nate Ragolia. Together, they dig into one of the biggest musicals of the decade. Dreamgirls arrived with enormous expectations. It had a star-studded cast, a Tony-winning source, and a massive awards campaign. Moreover, it introduced the world to Jennifer Hudson as a screen actor. The panel asks whether the film lives up to all that hype twenty years later. Additionally, they debate where it belongs among the best films of 2006. About the Film Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama written and directed by Bill Condon. It adapts the 1981 Broadway musical by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist Tom Eyen. DreamWorks and Paramount released it nationwide on December 25, 2006. The story begins in 1962 Detroit. Effie White, Deena Jones, and Lorrell Robinson perform as a girl group called the Dreamettes. Car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx) spots them at a talent show and becomes their manager. Soon, he lands them a gig singing backup for R&B star James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). As the group climbs toward pop stardom, Curtis pushes the slimmer Deena (Beyoncé Knowles) to the front. Consequently, Effie (Jennifer Hudson) loses her spot, her man, and eventually her place in the group. The cast also features Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, and Keith Robinson. You can find full credits on IMDb and the AFI Catalog. Notably, the film grossed $155.4 million worldwide and earned eight Academy Award nominations. For more from this season, start with our 2006 season intro or browse the full Movie of the Year archive. Guest Panelist: E E hosts The Cinematic Soul, a weekly film history podcast about Black cinema and storytelling. A film lover from the South Side of Chicago, E blends deep analysis with humor and a healthy dose of nostalgia. The show has covered classics like Love & Basketball, Eve's Bayou, Boomerang, and Claudine. Furthermore, E has broken down newer work, including Ryan Coogler's Sinners. Each episode looks at how these films reflect Black life, love, and legacy. That perspective makes E an ideal guide to a film rooted in Motown history. You can follow the show on Instagram and Threads at @cinematicsoulpod. Guest Panelist: Nate Ragolia Nate Ragolia is an author, editor, publisher, and podcaster based in Colorado. He has published three books: There You Feel Free (2015), The Retroactivist (2019), and One Person Can't Make a Difference (2022). In addition, he co-founded the indie press Spaceboy Books. At the literary nonprofit F(r)iction, he serves as a senior editor and leads communications and marketing. Meanwhile, Nate co-hosts Debut Buddies with Kelly Attaway and Chelsea Hollander. The fortnightly show explores firsts: first films, first albums, first video games, and more. Fittingly, Dreamgirls marks one of the most famous film debuts of the 2000s. Nate brings a sharp eye for origin stories to the conversation. Jennifer Hudson and the Making of Effie White Effie White is the emotional center of Dreamgirls. Therefore, the casting process for the role was intense. A total of 783 singers auditioned, including several American Idol alumni and Broadway stars. Ultimately, Condon chose Jennifer Hudson, a former Idol contestant with no film experience. Her big moment comes with "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." The production saved the number for the very end of the shoot. Originally, it was scheduled for one day. In practice, it took four, because Hudson's voice would give out after hours of full-power takes. The payoff was historic. Hudson won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her debut performance. However, the panel also wrestles with a thornier question. The studio campaigned Hudson as a supporting player while promoting Beyoncé for Best Actress. As a result, the awards push echoed the film's own story about who gets pushed to the front. Motown, the Supremes, and the Story Behind Dreamgirls Dreamgirls never names the Supremes or Motown. Nevertheless, the parallels are hard to miss. Deena mirrors Diana Ross, while Effie draws on Florence Ballard. Curtis Taylor Jr. stands in for Motown founder Berry Gordy. Likewise, Jimmy Early channels James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and Marvin Gaye. The film leans further into this history than the stage show did. For example, Condon moved the setting from Chicago to Detroit, Motown's hometown. He also gave Curtis his own record label, Rainbow Records, modeled on Motown. Even some album covers in the film borrow designs from real Supremes records. Not everyone appreciated the homage. Smokey Robinson publicly objected to the villainous portrayal of the Gordy figure. Consequently, DreamWorks and Paramount issued an apology to Gordy just before the Oscars. By contrast, Supremes co-founder Mary Wilson attended the Los Angeles premiere and said the film moved her to tears. The Dreamgirls podcast panel weighs how much of this real history the film actually earns. From Broadway to the Big Screen Dreamgirls spent decades in development. In the late 1980s, David Geffen explored a version starring Whitney Houston. Later, Warner Bros. planned an adaptation with director Joel Schumacher. Neither project made it to production. The success of Chicago in 2002 finally opened the door. Condon had written that film's screenplay, and Dreamgirls was a longtime dream project. Specifically, he restructured the second act and added four new songs, including "Listen" for Beyoncé. Additionally, DreamWorks gave the film an old-fashioned roadshow release with reserved seats and souvenir programs. Despite all that effort, the Academy left it out of the Best Picture race. Remarkably, it became the first film to lead the year in Oscar nominations without a Best Picture nod. Our 2006 Dreamgirls podcast panel debates whether that snub was fair. Rushmore: Ghostbusters This episode also features a Rushmore segment, where each panelist carves four faces into the mountain. This time, the topic is Ghostbusters. Everyone makes their picks, defends them, and takes some heat from the rest of the table. Listen in to hear who makes the cut and who gets slimed. Dreamgirls Trivia Next, the panel puts its knowledge to the test with a round of Dreamgirls trivia. The questions cover the cast, the music, and the long road from Broadway to Hollywood. Above all, this segment rewards anyone who stayed through the end credits. Play along at home and see how your score compares to the Taste Buds and their guests. Why Dreamgirls Still Matters Dreamgirls still matters because it put Black artistry and Black music history at the center of a major studio musical. With a budget near $80 million, it ranked among the most expensive films ever made with a predominantly Black cast. Furthermore, it launched Jennifer Hudson into a career that now includes an Oscar, Grammys, and her own talk show. The film also asks hard questions about the music business. Who gets to be the face of a hit? What does crossover success cost the artists who make it possible? Those questions feel just as relevant today. Ultimately, Dreamgirls endures because its biggest musical moments still bring audiences to their feet. Related Episodes from Movie of the Year: 2006 Movie of the Year: 2006 Intro, Part 1 Movies of 2006: The Bracket Reveal The 2006 Mixtape, Part I All Movie of the Year Episodes FAQ: Dreamgirls Podcast and Film What is this Dreamgirls podcast episode about? This Movie of the Year episode covers Dreamgirls (2006) as part of PopFilter's 2006 bracket. Hosts Ryan, Mike, and Greg welcome guests E of The Cinematic Soul and Nate Ragolia of Debut Buddies. The episode also includes a Ghostbusters Rushmore segment and a round of Dreamgirls trivia. What is Dreamgirls (2006) about? Dreamgirls follows a Detroit girl group called the Dreamettes from 1962 into the 1970s. Their manager, Curtis Taylor Jr., turns them into pop stars but replaces lead singer Effie White with Deena Jones. The film tracks the fame, betrayal, and reconciliation that follow. Who directed Dreamgirls? Bill Condon wrote and directed Dreamgirls. He previously wrote the screenplay for Chicago (2002) and directed Gods and Monsters and Kinsey. Is Dreamgirls based on a true story? Dreamgirls is fiction, but it draws heavily on the history of Motown and the Supremes. Deena echoes Diana Ross, Effie echoes Florence Ballard, and Curtis echoes Motown founder Berry Gordy. Did Jennifer Hudson win an Oscar for Dreamgirls? Yes. Jennifer Hudson won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Effie White. It was her first film role. The film also won the Oscar for Best Sound Mixing. Was Dreamgirls nominated for Best Picture? No. Dreamgirls led the 79th Academy Awards with eight nominations but missed the Best Picture race. It was the first film to lead the nominations without a Best Picture nod. Who are the guests on this episode? E hosts The Cinematic Soul, a podcast about Black cinema. Nate Ragolia is an author, Spaceboy Books co-founder, and co-host of the Debut Buddies podcast. Why does Dreamgirls still matter? Dreamgirls remains a landmark big-budget musical centered on Black artists and Black music history. It launched Jennifer Hudson's career and still raises sharp questions about race, image, and power in the music industry. Where can I listen to Movie of the Year? You can stream every Movie of the Year episode at popfilter.co or wherever you get your podcasts.