Dreamgirls is a 2006 American musical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon and

jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Adapted

from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name by composer Henry Krieger and
lyricist/librettist Tom Eyen, Dreamgirls is a film à clef, a work of fiction taking strong
inspiration from the history of the Motownrecord label and one of its acts, The Supremes.
[5] The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and
1970s through the eyes of a Detroit, Michigan girl group known as the Dreams and their
manipulative record executive.

The film adaptation of Dreamgirls stars Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé, Eddie Murphy,

and Jennifer Hudson, and also features Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose and Keith
Robinson. Produced by Laurence Mark, the film's screenplay was adapted by director
Condon from the original Broadway book by Tom Eyen. In addition to the original
Kreiger/Eyen compositions, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various
lyricists, were added for this film.[6] Dreamgirlsfeatures the acting debut of Hudson, a
former American Idol contestant and singer.
The film debuted in four special road showengagements starting on December 15,
2006, before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006. [7] With a production cost
of $80 million, Dreamgirls is one of the most expensive films to feature a
mainly African-American starring cast in American cinema history.[3]Upon its release,
the film garnered positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised soundtrack,
cast and the performances of Hudson and Murphy. The film also earned $155 million
at the international box office.[4] Dreamgirls also received a number of accolades,
[8] including three awards at the 64th Golden Globe Awards ceremony, including
the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy,[9] and
two Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards.

In 1962 Detroit, Michigan, young car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. meets a black girl
group known as "The Dreamettes", which consists of lead singer Effie White and backup
singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, at an R&B amateur talent show at the Detroit
Theatre. Curtis presents himself as The Dreamettes' new manager and arranges for the girls to
become backup singers for Chitlin' Circuit R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early.
Curtis soon starts his own record label, Rainbow Records, out of his Detroit car dealership,
and appoints Effie's brother C.C as his head songwriter. When their first single fails after a
white pop group releases a cover version, Curtis, C.C., and their producer Wayne turn
to payola to make "Jimmy Early & The Dreamettes" mainstream pop stars. Offstage, Effie
becomes infatuated with Curtis while the married Jimmy begins an affair with Lorrell.
Jimmy's manager, Marty Madison, grows weary of Curtis' plans to make his client more pop-
friendly and walks out. When Jimmy bombs in front of an all-white Miami Beach supper
club audience, Curtis sends Jimmy out on the road alone, keeping The Dreamettes behind to
headline in his place. Feeling that Effie's plus-sized figure and distinctive voice will not
attract white audiences, Curtis appoints the slimmer and higher-voiced Deena lead singer and
renames the group "The Dreams".
With the aid of new songs and a new image, Curtis and C.C. transform The Dreams into a
top-selling mainstream pop group. By 1965, however, Effie begins acting out, particularly
when Curtis' affections also turn towards Deena. Curtis eventually drops Effie from the
 group, hiring his secretary Michelle Morris to take her place beginning with their 1966 New
Year's Eve debut in Las Vegas as "Deena Jones & the Dreams." Despite Effie's defiance and
desperate appeal to Curtis, he, C.C., and The Dreams leave her behind and forge ahead to
stardom.
By 1973, Effie has become an impoverished welfaremother living in Detroit with her
daughter Magic. Struggling to restart her career in music, she hires Marty as her manager and
begins performing at a local club. Meanwhile, with Deena Jones & the Dreams superstars and
Rainbow having moved to Los Angeles and now the biggest pop business in the country,
Curtis attempts to produce a film about Cleopatra starring an unwilling Deena, who is now
his wife.
The following year, Jimmy, who has descended into drug addiction due to Curtis'
preoccupation with Deena, along with the rejection of the charity single he recorded, has a
breakdown during Rainbow Records' tenth-anniversary television special. Curtis promptly
drops him from the label and Lorrell ends their affair. Sometime later, C.C., who feels Curtis
is undermining the artistic merit of his songs by making them into disco music, quits the
label, only for everyone to then learn that Jimmy has been found dead from
a heroin overdose, much to Lorrell's dismay.
Disillusioned by Jimmy's death and Curtis' cold reaction to the news, C.C. travels to Detroit
and reconciles with Effie, for whom C.C. writes and produces a comeback single. Just as the
record begins gaining local radio play, Curtis uses payola to force radio stations to play The
Dreams' disco cover of the song. The plan falls apart, however, when Deena, angry over how
Curtis controls her career, finds evidence of his schemes and contacts Effie, who arrives in
Los Angeles with C.C., Marty, and a lawyer.
Deena and Effie reconcile, with Effie revealing to Deena that Curtis is Magic's father, while
Curtis agrees to give Effie's record national distribution in order to avoid being reported to
the FBI. Having been inspired by Effie's victory and realizing Curtis' true character, Deena
leaves him to make it on her own.
By 1975, The Dreams give a final farewell performance at the Detroit Theater and invite
Effie onstage for the final song. As the concert ends, Curtis notices Magic in the front row
and realizes she is his daughter.

CastEdit
 Jennifer Hudson as Effie White; inspired by Supremes member Florence Ballard,[10] the plus-
sized Effie is a talented yet temperamental singer who suffers when Curtis, the man she loves,
replaces her as lead singer of the Dreams and his love interest, and later drops her altogether. With the
help of Jimmy's old manager Marty, Effie begins to resurrect her career a decade later, while raising
her daughter Magic, the offspring of her union with Curtis. Hudson won the Golden Globe Award and
the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, among other honors, for her portrayal of Effie.
Hudson also became the first American Idolcontestant to win both major awards.
 Danny Glover as Marty Madison, Jimmy's original manager before Curtis steps into the
picture; Marty serves as both counsel and confidant to Jimmy, and later to Effie as well.
 Jamie Foxx as Curtis Taylor, Jr; based upon Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr.,[11] Curtis is a
slick Cadillac dealer-turned-record executive who founds the Rainbow Records label and shows
ruthless ambition in his quest to make his black artists household names with white audiences. At first
romantically involved with Effie, Curtis takes a professional and personal interest in Deena after
appointing her lead singer of the Dreams in Effie's place.
 Beyoncé Knowles as Deena Jones; based upon Motown star Diana Ross[10] Deena is a very
shy young woman who becomes a star after Curtis makes her lead singer of the Dreams. This, as well
as her romantic involvement and later marriage to Curtis, draw Effie's ire, though Deena realizes over
time she is a puppet for her controlling husband. Knowles was nominated for a Golden Globe
Awardfor her performance.
 Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell Robinson; inspired by Supremes member Mary Wilson,[12] is a
good-natured background singer with the Dreams who falls deeply in love with the married Jimmy
Early and becomes his mistress.
 Keith Robinson as C.C. White; inspired by Motown vice president, artist, and
songwriter Smokey Robinson,[13] Effie's soft-spoken younger brother C.C. (Clarence Conrad) serves
as the main songwriter for first the Dreams and later the entire Rainbow roster.
 Eddie Murphy as James "Thunder" Early (Jimmy); inspired by R&B/soul singers such
as James Brown, Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye,[11] is a raucous performer on the Rainbow label
engaged in an adulterous affair with Dreams member Lorrell. Curtis attempts to repackage Early as a
pop-friendly balladeer. Jimmy's stardom fades as the Dreams' stardom rises, and as a result – he falls
into depression (which he copes with through drug abuse). Murphy won a Golden Globe and was
nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the film.
 Sharon Leal as Michelle Morris; based upon Supremes member Cindy Birdsong,[14] Curtis'
secretary who replaces Effie in the Dreams and begins dating C.C.
 Hinton Battle as Wayne, a salesman at Curtis' Cadillac dealership who becomes Rainbow's
first record producer and Curtis' henchman.
 Loretta Devine as Jazz Singer. Devine originated the role of Lorrell in the 1981 stage
production.
 Dawnn Lewis as Melba Early, James' wife
 John Lithgow as Jerry Harris, a film producer looking to cast Deena
 John Krasinski as Sam Walsh, Jerry Harris' screenwriter/film director
 Jaleel White as Talent Booker at the Detroit Theatre talent show
 Cleo King as Janice
 Robert Cicchini as Nicky Cassaro
 Yvette Nicole Brown as Curtis' Secretary
 Mariah I. Wilson as Magic, Effie's daughter
 Paul Kirby as Promo Film Narrator (voice)