She Hate Me
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Michael Genet
- Spike Lee
- Spike Lee
- Preston Holmes
- Fernando Sulichin
| She Hate Me | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Spike Lee |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Michael Genet |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Matthew Libatique |
| Edited by | Barry Alexander Brown |
| Music by | Terence Blanchard |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics |
Release date |
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Running time | 138 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $9 million[1] |
| Box office | $1.5 million[2] |
She Hate Me is a 2004 American independent comedy-drama film directed by Spike Lee. The film stars Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Bai Ling, and John Turturro. The film touches on a variety of themes such as corporate greed, race, sexuality, and politics. As with many of Lee's films, the film garnered controversy. Unlike many prior works, Spike Lee does not have an acting credit in this film.
The film was shot mostly on location in New York City, including each of the city's five boroughs. It was released on July 30, 2004, and grossed almost half a million dollars at the North American box office in limited release, with a worldwide revenue of $1.5 million. It received generally negative reception from critics.
John Henry "Jack" Armstrong is a financially successful and upwardly mobile executive at a biotechnology firm who, following the suicide of a colleague, Dr. Herman Schiller, is falsely accused of securities fraud by his superior, Leland Powell. Armstrong's assets are frozen, and he finds himself unable to maintain his quality of life.
In order to make ends meet, he becomes a sperm donor, initially by acquiescing to the desires of Fatima Goodrich, his ex-fiancée who came out as a lesbian and now wants a child. There is still unresolved bitterness and tension between them over Armstrong and Goodrich's prior relationship, as before coming out, Armstrong discovered her cheating on him with another woman. Goodrich and her girlfriend, Alex Guerrero, offer Armstrong a substantial sum of money to impregnate them both. This leads to Goodrich goading Armstrong into establishing a business in which groups of lesbians come over to his house and pay him $10,000 each to have sex with them in order to become pregnant. This business becomes a success, along with many of the women enjoying the intercourse with him.
One of the women whom Armstrong impregnates is the daughter of a mafia boss, Don Angelo Bonasera. Armstrong's employers learn of his impregnation business, and they use it in their campaign to sully his image in order to deflect attention from their own criminal business activities. Conflict is also depicted in the turbulent relationship between Armstrong's mother and his dependent diabetic father.
Armstrong's situation is portrayed as a cause célèbre, with protests being held in support of or against him, and the news media interviewing people on the street with respect to his sexual activities. Armstrong is called before a committee of the United States Senate investigating his alleged securities fraud, where both his services to lesbians and his relationship to the "Bonasera crime family" are raised.
Armstrong's situation is compared, to the plight of Frank Wills, the security guard who discovered the break-in that led to the Watergate scandal, which brought down President Nixon. He eventually wins the case and is seen with nineteen of the children he helped conceive. Powell, meanwhile, is eventually arrested for his crimes.
Armstrong and Goodrich come to terms with their lingering feelings for one another, and with the mutual attraction they share for Guerrero. They then begin a three-way polyamorous relationship, and Armstrong apparently maintains a friendship with all of the eighteen women who became pregnant by him.
Cast
- Anthony Mackie as John Henry "Jack" Armstrong
- Kerry Washington as Fatima Goodrich
- Jim Brown as Geronimo Armstrong
- John Turturro as Don Angelo Bonasera
- Q-Tip as Vada Huff
- Woody Harrelson as Leland Powell
- Dania Ramirez as Alex Guerrero
- Monica Bellucci as Simona Bonasera
- Lonette McKee as Lottie Armstrong
- Michael Genet as Jamal Armstrong
- Ossie Davis as Judge Buchanan
- Brian Dennehy as Chairman Billy Church
- Ellen Barkin as Margo Chadwick
- David Bennent as Dr. Herman Schiller
- Joie Lee as Gloria Reid
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Frank Wills
- Michole Briana White as Nadiyah
- Paula Jai Parker as Evelyn
- Murphy Guyer as John Erlichman
- Bai Ling as Oni
- Sarita Choudhury as Song
- Jamel Debbouze as Doak
- Isiah Whitlock as Agent Amos Flood
- Lemon as Eugenio Martinez
- Kim Director as Grace
- T.V. Carpio as Gail
- Rick Aiello as Rocco Bonasera
- Don Harvey as G. Gordon Liddy
Production
Spike Lee based the title of the film on XFL football player Rod Smart, who gained some notoriety by nicknaming himself "He Hate Me".[3] The main character in the film references Smart when explaining why he has decided to nickname his ex-fiancée "She Hate Me".[3]
Before filming, Lee hired lesbian author and sex columnist Tristan Taormino as a consultant.[4][5] Taormino put Lee through "lesbian boot camp", in which she taught him about lesbian life through books, visits to lesbian bars, and panel discussions.[4]
Filming, which was done on Super 16, took place in 28 days[1] in New York City.[6] The film featured a close-up scene of a real human birth, similarly to Lee's 1990 film Mo' Better Blues.[7]
Raul Midon sang the theme song for the movie, "Adam 'N' Eve 'N' Eve".[8] In the film, Armstrong's brother disapproves of his impregnating lesbians and also uses the phrase "Adam 'N' Eve 'N' Eve.
