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White Chicks

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White Chicks
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKeenen Ivory Wayans
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Keenen Ivory Wayans
  • Shawn Wayans
  • Marlon Wayans
Produced by
  • Keenen Ivory Wayans
  • Shawn Wayans
  • Marlon Wayans
  • Rick Alvarez
  • Lee R. Mayes
Starring
CinematographySteven Bernstein
Edited by
Music byTeddy Castellucci
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing[2]
Release date
  • June 23, 2004 (2004-06-23)
Running time
109 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$37 million[4]
Box office$113.1 million[4]

White Chicks is a 2004 American buddy cop crime comedy film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans from a screenplay co-written by Wayans, Xavier Cook, Andy McElfresh, Michael Anthony Snowden, with additional contributions by and starring Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans. It also stars Jaime King, Frankie Faison, Lochlyn Munro, and John Heard. In the film, two black male FBI agents go undercover as white women by using whiteface to protect two hotel heiresses from a kidnapping plot targeting socialites.

Principal photography for White Chicks took place in Chilliwack and Victoria in British Columbia, and in The Hamptons in New York. It was theatrically released in the United States on June 23, 2004. The film received generally negative reviews upon release,[5] and was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture. It grossed over $113.1 million worldwide,[4] and has since come to be regarded as a cult classic.[5][6][7]

Plot

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In NYC, FBI agents Marcus Anthony II and Kevin Copeland inadvertently ruin a drug bust. Their boss, Chief Elliott Gordon, offers them a reprieve if they escort sisters Brittany and Tiffany Wilson safely to a weekend-long fashion event in the Hamptons. The sisters are the rich, shallow socialite daughters of Wilson Cruiseliners CEO Andrew Wilson, whom the police suspect will become the next victims in a string of high-profile kidnappings. On the drive, the sisters' dog Baby leaps out of the car window, causing Kevin to lose control. The sisters suffer minor facial cuts. With the sisters refusing to be seen with cut faces, Kevin sends them into hiding; he has a makeup expert friend create prosthetic disguises so he and Marcus can replace them.

Kevin as Brittany and Marcus as Tiffany meet the sisters' three best friends – Lisa Anderson, Karen Googlestein, and Tori Wilson – and their rivals: the Vandergeld sisters, Heather and Megan. Unbeknownst to Kevin and Marcus, they are being watched by colleagues, Vincent Gomez and Jake Harper, and Gordon, who are undercover posing as hotel staff. At the hotel, pro basketball player Latrell Spencer is attracted to Marcus/Tiffany, and Kevin sets his sights on New York One News reporter, Denise Porter.

At the Vandergelds' annual charity auction, Latrell wins a dinner date at a restaurant with Marcus/Tiffany. While Latrell takes Marcus/Tiffany to a restaurant, Kevin, believing Denise likes rich men, pretends to be Latrell and takes Latrell's car to drive Denise to Latrell's house. There, he hears about criminal Ted Burton turning the tables on Heather and Megan's father, Warren. With Kevin becoming romantically involved with Denise and Marcus/Tiffany unsuccessfully trying to reject Latrell, their combined antics put them under Gomez and Harper's suspicion.

At a nightclub, after winning a dance-off against the Vandergelds, Kevin and Marcus learn from a drunken Karen that Warren is penniless and has been taking loans from her father, meaning that Warren is the mastermind behind the kidnappings. The next day, the real Brittany and Tiffany arrive at the hotel and discover they are being impersonated. They arrive in the Hamptons, intent on exposing their "clones", as does Marcus' wife, Gina, assuming that he is cheating on her. Realizing the Wilsons are being impersonated by men, Gomez and Harper aim to expose them, but accidentally strip down the real Brittany and Tiffany in front of Gordon, resulting in Harper getting punched in the face. After Gomez and Harper are suspended, a furious Gordon fires Kevin and Marcus. Having lost both his job and possibly Gina, Marcus scolds Kevin for always dragging him into trouble.

Later, Kevin and Marcus discover that Warren had embezzled money through his charity. Marcus convinces Kevin to not tell Gordon, to redeem themselves with Gomez and Harper's help. Again posing as the Wilsons, they are chosen for the final fashion show. The Vandergelds are furious the Copelands/Wilsons have replaced them on the catwalk, but the real Brittany and Tiffany also perform in the event. Karen rejects the callous Heath, and Marcus punches him in the face. During the show, the Vandergeld sisters try to sabotage their "rivals", but end up being humiliated by Karen, Lisa, and Tori.

The real Brittany and Tiffany appear and expose Kevin and Marcus, causing mass confusion. Warren begins the kidnapping, but incorrectly captures Marcus/Tiffany and Brittany. This begins a fight between the brothers and Heath and Russ, accomplices in the kidnappings. Warren soon captures the real sisters and explains his financial troubles to his wife and daughters, unaware that his confession is being filmed. In the ensuing scuffle, Kevin is nearly shot trying to protect Denise, Latrell is shot trying to protect Marcus/Tiffany, and Kevin shoots Warren in the shoulder.

Marcus and Kevin capture Warren, while Gomez and Harper apprehend Heath and Russ. Afterward, their true identities are revealed, and Latrell is dismayed that Marcus is not white, not that he is a man. Warren, Heath, and Russ are arrested, while Gordon reinstates the brothers, Gomez, and Harper. Marcus clears things with Gina, Kevin and Denise begin a relationship, and Latrell wins over the real Brittany and Tiffany. Tori, Lisa, and Karen admit they liked Brittany and Tiffany a lot more when Marcus and Kevin were them, and the five agree to remain friends and go shopping together.

Cast

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Production

[edit]

Filming occurred partly in Chilliwack, British Columbia, including the exterior scenes at the Hamptons and Victoria, British Columbia.[8] Director Keenen Ivory Wayans also co-wrote and co-produced the film with his brothers.

Soundtrack

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  1. "Latin Thugs" – Cypress Hill
  2. "Hey Ms. Wilson" – The Penfifteen Club
  3. "Shake It (Like a White Girl)" – Jesse Jaymes (Copeland)
  4. "A Thousand Miles" – Vanessa Carlton
  5. "Realest Niggas" – 50 Cent, The Notorious B.I.G.
  6. "White Girls" – Mighty Casey
  7. "Dance City" – Oscar Hernandez
  8. "Trouble" – P!nk
  9. "U Can't Touch This" – MC Hammer
  10. "Dance, Dance, Dance" – The Beach Boys
  11. "Guantanamera" – Jose Fernandez Diaz
  12. "It's My Life" – No Doubt
  13. "(I Got That) Boom Boom" – Britney Spears featuring Ying Yang Twins
  14. "Bounce" (The Bandit Club Remix) – Stock, IC Green
  15. "Get Low" – Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz featuring Ying Yang Twins
  16. "Crazy in Love" – Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z
  17. "It's Tricky" – Run–D.M.C.
  18. "This Love" – Maroon 5
  19. "No Control" – Blackfire
  20. "I Wanna Know" – Joe
  21. "Tipsy" – J-Kwon
  22. "Satisfaction" – Benny Benassi
  23. "Let's Get It Started" – Black Eyed Peas
  24. "Move Your Feet" – Junior Senior
  25. "I Need Your Love Tonight" – Elvis Presley
  26. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" – Cyndi Lauper
  27. "TRU Homies" - TRU

Release

[edit]

White Chicks was theatrically released in the United States on June 23, 2004. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment released on DVD in the United States on October 26, 2004 and also on UMD on November 29, 2005.[9]

Reception

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Box office

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The film grossed $19.7 million in its opening weekend, taking the #2 spot. It finished with $70.8 million at the box office in the United States, and $42.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $113.1 million, against a budget of $37 million.[4] The film was released in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2004, and opened at #2, behind Shark Tale.[10]

Critical response

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The film was "largely panned" by critics upon release.[5] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 15% based on 126 reviews, and an average rating of 3.9/10. The site's consensus states that the film is a "scattershot romantic comedy that's silly and obvious."[11] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 41 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[12] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[13]

In his negative review, Dave Kehr of New York Times stated that "Most movies require some suspension of disbelief. But White Chicks... requires something more radical than that. A full frontal lobotomy might be a good place to start."[14] Film critic Richard Roeper put the film at #1 on his list of the worst films of 2004, amongst claims of unconvincing prosthetics and racism.[15][16] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 1 and 1⁄2 stars out of four and said "Here is a film so dreary and conventional that it took an act of the will to keep me in the theater." He subsequently named the film the seventh worst film of 2004.[17][18] Owen Gleiberman from Entertainment Weekly said "A tawdry excuse for a movie, but it has a handful of shameless giggles", and rated the film "C+".[19]

David Rooney of Variety gave a positive review, and stated that the film "scores more hits than misses."[20] USA Today's Mike Clark rated it 3/4, and said "As with every other genre, there's a right way and a wrong way to handle dude-lawman romantic comedies. Chicks does it right a lot of the time."[21]

White Chicks was nominated for five Razzies, including Worst Picture, Worst Actress for the Wayans brothers in drag, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Screen Couple. It lost in all categories to Catwoman and Fahrenheit 9/11.[22] At the 2004 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards, the film received nominations for Worst Picture, Worst Director (Keenan Ivory Wayans), Most Painfully Unfunny romantic Comedy, Worst On-Screen Couple (Shawn and Marlon Wayans), and Least "Special" Special Effects. Its only win was for Most Painfully Unfunny romantic Comedy.[23]

Legacy

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Possible sequel

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In August 2009, a sequel to the film was announced by Sony, though they later canceled the project.[25][26] In April 2014, Marlon Wayans expressed interest in a sequel.[27] A sequel was confirmed to be in the works in March 2018.[28] On June 30, 2019, Terry Crews confirmed a sequel on the program Watch What Happens Live. Marlon Wayans confirmed that this information was not meant to leak, and that the deal had not yet been confirmed.[29]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Chito Childs, Erica (June 16, 2009). Fade to Black and White: Interracial Images in Popular Culture. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 193. ISBN 978-0742565418.
  2. ^ a b "White Chicks". American Film Institute. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  3. ^ "White Chicks (15)". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "White Chicks (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c McGregor, Nesta (March 14, 2016). "White Chicks creator Marlon Wayans says he's up for making a sequel". BBC. Retrieved November 17, 2020. Slowly though, the film has become a cult classic thanks to its larger than life characters.
  6. ^ Wang, Lydia (July 3, 2019). "Dust Off Your Vanessa Carlton CD Because A White Chicks 2 Is Happening". Refinery29. Retrieved November 17, 2020. It's hard to believe it's been 15 years since the Wayans brothers brought us the romantic comedy cult classic White Chicks, but it sounds like Shawn and Marlon Wayans (and their alter egos Kevin and Marcus Copeland, and their alter egos Brittany and Tiffany Wilson) will all be returning to the big screen.
  7. ^ Noronha, Remus (July 4, 2019). "After Terry Crews' claim on 'White Chicks 2', Marlon Wayans dashes hopes of sequel with Insta post". Meaww. Retrieved November 17, 2020. In the 15 years since its release, 'White Chicks' gained a cult following and became a pop culture phenomenon.
  8. ^ "White Chicks". Tribute. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  9. ^ Rizzo, Francis III (October 24, 2004). "White Chicks - Unrated and Uncut". DVD Talk. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  10. ^ "UK Weekend Box Office 15th October 2004 - 17th October 2004". www.25thframe.co.uk. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  11. ^ "White Chicks (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  12. ^ "White Chicks Reviews". Metacritic.
  13. ^ "CinemaScore". Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  14. ^ Kehr, Dave (June 23, 2004). "The New York Times > Movies > Movie Review | 'White Chicks': F.B.I. Agents in Drag Enjoy Wild Hamptons Weekend". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  15. ^ "Ebert & Roeper, Worst of 2004". May 4, 2006. Archived from the original on May 4, 2006. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  16. ^ EBERT & ROEPER: THE WORST MOVIES OF 2004, February 5, 2019, archived from the original on December 22, 2021, retrieved October 8, 2019
  17. ^ Ebert, Roger. "White Chicks movie review & film summary (2004) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  18. ^ "Top 10 Worst Movies of the 2000's - Roger Ebert Review". YouTube. March 21, 2019. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  19. ^ "White Chicks". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 10, 2006. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  20. ^ Rooney, David (June 23, 2004). "White Chicks". Variety. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  21. ^ "USATODAY.com - Humor helps 'White Chicks' put a better face forward". usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  22. ^ "2004 RAZZIE Nominees & "Winners"". Razzies.com. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  23. ^ "Stinkers Bad Movie Awards - 2004". The Stinkers. Archived from the original on May 4, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  24. ^ Lawrence, Derek. "How 'White Chicks' went 'A Thousand Miles' to become a surprise summer classic". Entertainment Weekly.
  25. ^ "'White Chicks 2' Is On The Way". Screenrant.com. August 18, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  26. ^ ""White Chicks 2" is canceled by Sony Pictures". DVD World Report. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  27. ^ Witherspoon, Chris (April 10, 2014). "Marlon Wayans talks 'White Chicks 2,' defends Nick Cannon in whiteface controversy". theGrio. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  28. ^ "WHITE CHICKS 2 HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY MARLON WAYANS". www.kiis1065.com.au. March 5, 2018. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  29. ^ "Terry Crews Wasn't Supposed To Announce 'White Chicks 2,' According To Marlon Wayans". Talent Recap. July 5, 2019. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
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