Dreamgirls Producers Put Bizarre 'Apology' Ad In Hollywood Reporter

I think it may be a mixture of Berry Gordy/Diana Ross and Phil Spector/Ronnie Spector of the Ronnettes. Darlene Love, one of the girl singers in Spector's stable had by far the best voice, comparable to Jennifer Hudson. He put her on the back burner in order to promote Ronnie who had a much thinner voice, but was more attractive (at least to Phil). Phil married Ronnie and Darlene Love was relegated to background singing for awhile.

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there were the same denials made when it first hit broadway too.. i was actually surprised to see them use the words 'based on' or 'inspired by', in connection of any kind to the supremes, because such a fuss was made to deny the connection years ago!

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Someone needs to option Mary Wilson's books about the true life of the Supremes! Everything about Dreamgirls sucked except for Jennifer Hudson!

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Dreamgirls was never solely based on nor inspired by The Supremes, Berry Gordy or Motown, but rather on girl groups and their relationships with their managers during the 50's and 60's. One only has to go back to the interviews and this same controvery when the original Broadway show opened.

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Number one why would anybody be offended by anything the movie depicted if it's not true. There must be some truth to the story that was told in dreamgirls if its causing any kind of controversy.

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Of course, "Dreamgirls" is based on Motown and the Supremes. Period. Beyonce is Diana Ross. Jennifer Hudson is Florence Ballard. Jamie Foxx is Berry Gordy. There, I said it. Were it not for the film's (and previously, the Broadway Musical's) similarities to reality, nobody would be making such a fuss. And if the players involved (Gordy, Ross, et al) had treated Ballard with the kindness and respect she deserved, they wouldn't have such guilty consciences today. And, they wouldn't be making such a fuss about this.
The truth hurts... don't it, folks? Flo Ballard is up in heaven right now, watching the Mowtown Players squirm uneasily at this film's success, and she's laughing her BUTT off. :)

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If the studio has to offer this apology, it's the film makers' own fault. They added so much to the movie that simply was not in the Broadway show. For example, the opening of the show was set in New York, at the Apollo Theater, NOT in Detroit. Where the show was vague about the record label, the film clearly modeled it after Motown, even right down to moving from Detroit to LA and the tag line "The Sound of Tomorrow", not far from Motown's "The Sound of Young America". Where the show was vague and nebulous, The Dreams could have been any of a hundred girl groups facing racism, payola and getting black music into the mainstream, the film made this group clearly The Supremes-complete with using album covers in the background based on actual Supremes albums like "Touch", "Cream of the Crop", and "Supremes A'Go-Go". To remake the show so close to Motown and The Supremes (not to mention Eddie Murphy's character morphing clearly into Marvin Gaye.), and then to cry "fiction!" is just simply disingenuous.

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Sorry Rick, #2, Miss Hudson's performance was the most overated (and highly hyped) piece of acting of the last 20 years. If someone thinks her vocal talents are worthy of an award then give her a Grammy. But an Oscar? She's not even in the same league as the 'big girls' she's up against. In that cast, Eddie Murphy was the most deserving of recognition.

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This FILM adaptation of Dreamgirls borrowed HEAVILY from several entities and situations at Motown BESIDES the Supremes and yes, including the founder himself. This was ADDITIONAL material 'borrowed', not previously placed witin the play material adapted. The stageplay was not as blatent about Motown as it was inspired by The Supremes. If you borrow a dollar, it's still a dollar, not "inspired by" the dollar or "based on" the dollar. When I watched the FILM Dreamgirls, too much was COPIED, blatently.. not "inspired by" or "based on". I'm surprised The Beach Boys haven't weighed in or Phil Spector (well, Phil IS kinda busy these days...) from their "borrowing" or "inspired by" in this film too. Yes, it has gone beyond the intended - just teetering delicately upon on the legal. The PLAY Dreamgirls was definately an "inpired by" work and I remember when folks went crazy and reported it was based on The Supremes...but this FILM goes further, much further. While not 100% true to fact regarding Motown, et al, there's just too much "borrowed" from it for the sake of this FILM.

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What I liked about the movie, is that I didnt even fall asleep. So, it must of been good!!!

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People do the strangest things when they get a case of the "You owe me"s. Is he looking to equate this movie with his life so that he can get some royalties? It's a movie!

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Who cares? Whatever anyone involved with or associated with the Supremes remembers at this point in their lives would be mostly fiction, anyway - inspired by what they think they remember happening. There old, self-absorbed and probably have been involved with drugs, alcohol or disease at atleast one time in their lives, and want to remember their "stories" as sensationalized and dramatized to hold on to or attempt to recapture any audience or public attention they ever had.

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any one that went through what the supremes went through certainly remember many of the things that happened and have materials to prove it. not everybody used drugs, alcohol and had diseases. yes they were very popular in that time and still are. so why would they be craving for more attention. they are living their life like every one else and if they happen to be involved in something that has anything to do with the supremes, of course they should have a say so, after all, it was their life that look like they were portraying in that movie. who is trying to sensationalize them, nobody. but why dont you stop and think about people like elvis whom we know used drugs and alcohol who people think is still alive, now thats sensationalism. every one and their ma that mostly had anything to do with him have wrote a book or were paid to tell what they knew. but all in all, i enjoyed the movie. and i enjoyed the acting which deserves everything they can get. give honor where honor is due.

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RELAX! It's infotainment, nothing REALLY important. In these situations, the truth can be an intrusive and unwanted mistake. In the end, what counts is "Did I get paid yet?"

Americans consuming infotainment have a voracious appetite for the almost, mediocre, fictional, docudrama and practically anything "Based On The Story of ......". And as for Jamie Foxx and his new uppity, Ray Charles did the best and ONLY imitation of Ray Charles.

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People please! It's a M-O-V-I-E!! The world is not going to stop even if it is the story of The Supremes. Who cares what Smokey, Diana (oops, I mean Miss Ross), Berry or anyone connected with Motown thinks about the movie or the Broadway show? Dreamgirls, the musical has been around for over 25 years and just about every city in this country has done productions of it without all this commotion.
I was a teen when The Supremes first came onto the scene and I was never really blown away by them especially after Diana took the lead....and we've been hearing all the stories of what went on, so yes there is a similarity between The Dreams & The Supremes. But it doesn't change the fact that it is only a movie.
You either love or you hate it....and I LOVED IT...the stage show AND the movie. Loved it! Love it!! Loved it!!!

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Yea, what a laugh, the stage musical is by far the best and NOBODY does that song like the real Jennifer Holiday. Nuf said.

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From the similarity of Diana Ross's photos from the Mahogany movie and album to little Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five, from Eddie Murphy's scullcap of Marvin Gaye singing a duet with Tammy Terrell, to Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson's relationship as writer/producer collaborators, this movie was a definite, subtle depiction of the whole motown gossip, with a few little twists attempting to through one offtrack almost like a songwriter infringes upon someone else's works by changing the 8th bar and claiming the song now to be their own; it's too close. Whatever happened in those days it's still dirty laundry and shouldn't be aired just to make a buck. Motown represents too big a monumental leap for black peoples' contribution to American Culture and for us to try and besmirch it just goes to show that the old crabs in the barrel syndrome is far from being remedied among our own. You don't find other cultures so eager to air their flaws or shortcomings and in most cases criminal misfortunes voluntarily to the public. Oftentimes if you found out, you found out through researching it for yourselves. We have to stop this wanton criticism of one another when we finally make a positive mark in this world. Stop judging people according to their personal lives, but calculate on the positive work that they contribute because it really goes to all of our credit if we only understood. Smokey has a right to defend his position because he's coming from a different place and mindset, he sees the big picture and knows the work first hand that it took to build that beautiful history of music that we and the whole world enjoy so much today (come on, yall know you stick your chest way out to know that we are controlling most of the music sway today and Motown was the foundation) and yet he has to witness us on screen sowing seeds of descention for a "few shiny pieces of silver". They offered Muhammad all types of money to retain his heavyweight crown if he would renounce what he believed in and he blatantly turned it down because he was more concerned on how he would be remembered by his own people in years to come. His whole boxing career can't hold a light to that one great act of courage. When you record a movie about true people most times you find the filmmaker questioning the living people about the facts as in Ray Charles and Muhammad Ali's movie. That was not the case here and thus where the controversy kicks in. Smokey and all the others should have been given that same courtesy, for without it, it's not fiction as they try to label it now in retrospect, but instead, it's a fabrication of the truth in which case who wouldn't be offended for being lied on? I know I would.

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What is the big deal? Why do you care, are you getting money from or for this, does it pay your bills? If people cared a little more about their own lives, we as a society would probably prosper more and suffering would be down to nothing.

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How old are you Yolanda? 14? If so, then I would totally understand the premise for your response.

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It is amazing how we can't enjoy a movie without trying to demoralize and critize it. Instead of looking at the the overall content, i.e. GREAT ACTING and SUPERB SINGING, some of you would rather pick it apart, trying to find fault with it...of course it's a movie about Black people-therefore let's reduce it's notariety and credability. The music that came from Motown has been and continues to be the BEST music this country as well as the world has ever known. No matter where you go people of all races, nationalities and backgrounds know the Supremes, Diana Ross, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, etc. The 1960's is the greatest music era to date. For the writers and producers to have taken both the 1981 broadway musical and now the 2006 movie I feel THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB!
It's really sad how some of you critize the components of this endeavor by choosing to verbally bad mouth the characters, both real and fictional, while overlooking the fundamental truths of the times and events that took place in America (oops, maybe you weren't born yet)during the performers struggle and rise to fame, i.e being cheated monetarily and let's not forget that drugs have never been made or manufactured by black people and the fact black people weren't the only people who took them either, and not to mention the facts regarding white artist and record companies who sought only to reap the benefits from the sound that Black Americans were creating so they tried to copy it by STEALING it. It's unfortunate that we are in the 21st century and ignorance still exist. Big Blessings to Jamie Fox, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson and the entire cast of the movie "Dreamgirls"...let's recognize outstanding talent and give credit where it is due...just as we do to Christina Aguilara and other non Black recording artists and actors who can take a song or script and make it their own because they have a God GIVEN TALENT TO DO SO!!!
God loves you and so do I...Niecey!

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