Do the Right Thing
(1989)

Director: Spike Lee

Key Cast: Ossie Davis, Danny Aiello, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Spike Lee, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, Rosie Perez, Paul Benjamin, Frankie Faison

Rating: R

Genre(s): Comedy, Crime, Drama

Song Sample:
"Fight the Power" by Public Enemy

It’s the hottest day of the year in a Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York and tensions are brewing everywhere. Do the Right Thing explodes onscreen with its stellar ensemble cast and vibrant look at the day in the life of this New York urban neighborhood.

Spike Lee plays Mookie, a pizza delivery man for Sal’s Famous Pizzeria.  As he delivers pizza for Sal (Danny Aiello), you get to meet everyone in the neighborhood and watch as the racial tensions unfold. Everyone has a say about the problems in the neighborhood and as the temperature rises, so does the anger.
 
There’s Sal the owner of the pizzeria and his two sons Pino (John Turturro) and Vito (Richard Edson), Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) who doesn’t say much but loves to play “Fight the Power” on his boom box, and Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito) who is upset that Sal’s doesn’t have any African-Americans on his wall. Even the men on the corner have their say.

∙  Spike Lee wrote, produced and directed Do the Right Thing.

∙  Spike Lee wrote the script for this film in only two weeks.

∙  Spike Lee, also directed three other Top 100 BlackClassicMovies.com Films: 4 Little Girls, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It and School Daze.

∙  The song, “Fight the Power,” by Public Enemy is played over fifteen times in Do the Right Thing.

∙  Robin Harris, Paul Benjamin and Frankie Faison played the men on the corner and all of their scenes were improvised.

∙  The movie was shot on location in a real Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in New York.

∙  Won two 1991 NAACP Image Awards:  Outstanding Lead Actress (Ruby Dee) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (Ossie Davis)

∙  Nominated for two 1990 Academy Awards:  Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Danny Aiello) and Best Writing, Screenplay (Spike Lee)

∙  Nominated for four 1990 Golden Globe Awards:  Best Motion Picture, Best Director (Spike Lee), Best Supporting Actor (Danny Aiello) and Best Screenplay (Spike Lee)

∙  Selected in 1999 to the Library of Congress National Film Registry

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Spike Lee Movie DVD Collection
Buy the Spike Lee Joint DVD Collection which contains the movie, Do the Right Thing, plus these other Spike Lee movies:

Do the Right Thing
Jungle Fever
Clockers
Mo’ Better Blues
Crooklyn

Buy the Spike Lee Joint Collection (Movie DVD Set)