Welcome to another edition of Retro Rewind, the TGJ original feature carved out to celebrate TV and Film’s brilliant past.
What we’re highlighting today? ‘Boomerang’, the Eddie Murphy which soared on the wings of Grace Jones, Eartha Kitt, Halle Berry, Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, David Alan Grier and more.
A hilarious comedy, the project was born out of Murphy’s desire to celebrate the diversity of African-American culture and showcase talent shunned by a diversity-shy industry.
The result? A timeless classic which generated over $131 million at the box office.
Watch Murphy discuss criticism of the movie’s decision to be led with an African-American cast.
Hit the 4 minute 30 mark…
The Root had this to say about the release…
White critics panned Boomerang, saying that it was unrealistic in its portrayal of black life on celluloid. Some went so far as calling the film “racist” and a “fantasy,” saying that companies like Lady Eloise didn’t exist. In other words, how dare Hudlin and Murphy create a film where everyone from the mailroom workers to the CEO was black and about that corporate life?
Hudlin knew that black audiences of various socioeconomic statuses would relate to the film.
“[Boomerang is] a film that rings true to people,” Hudlin says. “Anyone who knows Johnson Publishing or Burrell advertising or Motown Records or BET or Radio One—there’s any number of black media businesses where black folks work and live our lives.”
![New Song: Lil Nas X - ' Here We Go' [from the 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' Official Soundtrack]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/thatgrapejuice-2024-beverly-cop-eddie-murphy-here-we-go-lil-nas-x-464x260.jpg "New Song: Lil Nas X - ' Here We Go' [from the 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' Official Soundtrack].")
“YOUR GONNA TURN DOWN A P**** LIKE THIS” STRANGE’ WAS A QUEEN!!
Yaaaas! I can’t believe critics panned this CLASSIC movie! Affluent black people do exist OF COURSE…they said the same thing about A Different World and The Cosby Show! I grew up in an all black community and it wasn’t THE HOOD! Not that there’s ANYTHING wrong with the hood! But this notion that all black communities are the ghetto or the projects is just WRONG…or that all black ANYTHING is flawed in some way…HA! SMH…my neighborhood was carefree 80’s/90’s FUN…majority 2 parent households, majority white collar…the majority went on to college! I graduated business school with honors, ok? *SMACKS* lol…SO, Boomerang keeps me coming BACK because it’s one of the RARE blockbuster movies that shows a black business environment, first of all…and not halfway there either! I’m talking ALL the way there! This isn’t a Cinderella story, this is black people with THE REAL from the beginning of the movie (I could write an essay about Marcus Graham’s beautiful apartment lol) until the closing credits…and Eddie Murphy is FINE in this movie! Robin Givens in THIS movie? Homegirl is S.NA.T.C.H.E.D. lol…ain’t no white actress EVER looked as good as Robin Givens did in this movie besides Marilyn Monroe, in my opinion! Scene for scene, who F’N with Miss Givens? I’ll wait….oh, Halle, who’s SNATCHED for every inch of her life in this movie TOO lol…this is what BLACK EXCELLENCE looks like! And no one gets shot! LOL… they actually show racism (but Marcus is unbothered by that store peasant lol)…thank GOD Eddie Murphy made this movie at the height of his success! And the beautiful and striking Grace Jones SLAYED her role too! This is what Fenty Beauty should aim for with their ads! lol, Rihanna needs to make an advertisement that is CLASSIC, daring and striking…think Chanel No. 5 ads from the late 70’s and 80’s…this is why I love TGJ…ya’ll understand.
Preach! Everybody was featured perfectly in this film. Sooo many stars!!!! Plus every black movie in the 90’s had a bomb ass soundtrack attached!
The fact alone that the soundtrack contained Toni Braxton’s “Love Shoulda Brought You Home” and thus put her on the map makes it an untouchable classic in my book.