Get On the Bus Movie Review 1996

Lee looks at the personal side of the Million Man March through a fictional group of men who board a bus in south central L.A. and head for Washington, D.C. Practically ignoring the event itself, Lee and writer Bythewood focus on the the men who participated, their reasons, and their interaction with each other. Standouts in the melting pot of characters include Dutton as the attentive bus driver, a brash young actor (Braugher), a likable old man (Davis), an absentee father (Byrd) and his potentially delinquent son (Bonds), and a cop (Smith). Despite low budget (2.4 mil) and tight shooting schedule (21 days), Lee manages to drive the story home with fine dialogue and characterization that (for the most part) avoids stereotypes.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 122 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Buses, Civil Rights, Cops, New Black Cinema, Road Trip, African America, L.A., Capitol Capers

Screenplay

Reggie Rock Bythewood

Cast

Andre Braugher, Ossie Davis, Charles S. Dutton, De'Aundre Bonds, Gabriel Casseus, Albert Hall, Hill Harper, Harry J. Lennix, Bernie Mac, Wendell Pierce, Roger Guenveur Smith, Isaiah Washington, Steve White, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Richard Belzer, Randy Quaid

Cinematography

Elliot Davis

Director

Spike Lee

Music

Terence Blanchard

Producer

Bill Borden, Spike Lee, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, 15 Black Men, Columbia Pictures