Mo' Better Blues

Synopsis: Opens with Bleek as a child learning to play the trumpet, his friends want him to come out and play but mother insists he finish his lessons. Bleek grows into adulthood and forms his own band - The Bleek Gilliam Quartet. The story of Bleek's and Shadow's friendly rivalry on stage which spills into their professional relationship and threatens to tear apart the quartet.
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Director(s): Spike Lee
Production: MCA Universal Home Video
  1 win & 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.6
Rotten Tomatoes:
73%
R
Year:
1990
130 min
1,748 Views


25.000

U-N-l-V-E-R-S-A-L.

Universal. Y'all been large for years.|Yo, Spike, start the movie, G.

Flavor Flav, you've done it again.

He's gotta come outside.

Every time we waste our time here,|we always missin' games.

Yo, Bleek!

Yo, Bleek!

- You coming out to play?|- You're wasting time on him.

l know, man. Yo, Bleek!

We're going to miss the game!

Boys! Boys!

Boys, please be quiet!

Sorry, Mrs Gilliam, we wanted to know|if Bleek can come out.

l understand that,|but this noise has got to stop.

- Psst!|- Oh, man!

Bleek.

- Bleek!

l told you to tell your friends|not to come around.

Leave the boy alone.

- Oan l go outside now?|- When you've finished.

- What about then?|- We'll see.

- Let the boy be a boy, have some fun.|- He could be a bum for all you care.

Running the streets with those kids.

Almost wlthln walklng dlstance|of Forbes Fleld.

He ls just 21 years old.

That child's going to drive me|up the wall. Go tell them to go home.

- You don't let me do nothing.|- You hear what l said?

Go tell him to go home.

Bleek!

Bleek.

Are you coming out?

Yo, Ty,|what'd l tell you about that stuff?

- Are you coming out?|- When l'm done.

- Done what?|- Finished my lesson.

- Forget him.|- We're going.

- l said l'll see you later.|- l'm glad my moms ain't like your moms.

- She lets me do whatever l want.|- Me, too.

- Come on down, you f***ing bum!|- Giant, who you cursing at?

- You!|- You're a effing bum.

- l'll see you later.|- We'll see you later, mama's boy.

- Sissy.|- Who you calling a sissy?

- You!|- You're a sissy, sissy.

When l finish my lessons,|l'll come down.

- Man, he does this every time.|- Thanks for nothing.

We'll win the game without you.

Bleek!|Get your butt out of that window.

Throw the ball, man!

Mommy,|l never get to play with my friends.

Now they callin' me a sissy.|l ain't no sissy.

- A sissy?!|- Don't pay those fools no mind.

l'm sick and tired of the trumpet.|l hate the trumpet!

All the money l paid for that horn?|You must be losing your mind.

- You better play that trumpet.|- Look...

That child will drive me up the wall.

- Don't say that.|- l can say it if l want to...

You got a lot of time|to be with your friends.

- Like when?|- l don't want you to grow up like them.

- After your lessons.|- l have to play this stupid trumpet.

- This instrument can be your friend.|- Shut up! Shut up!

- l'm not having this.|- We'll go to a game.

- l don't want to go.|- l got a game on, OK?

- Go look at it.|- You spoiled him rotten.

He's not worth a damn. Listen.|Shut up! Don't you talk back to me.

l want you to pick up the horn,|and you're going to play the scales.

Do you hear me?|And you're going to do it right now.

Boy, l think you better do|what your mother says, OK? Now?

Moose ls worklng on a no-hltter.

l still hate it.

Good boy. Damn. l'm missing the game.|lt's for the pennant here.

He's a chucker, man.|He comes off the bench shooting, Bleek.

Never gonna see no pass from this guy.|He's a selfish ballplayer.

You need to get rid of him.

lt's your team. lt's your band.|You're the coach. Fire his ass.

Every night, three-hour solos.|Bleek, what's up?

lt's your band.

Get rid of this guy.|Go out there and play.

Great.

God.

Bleek, just talk to the guy, all right?

Talk to him.

All right!

Left Hand Lacey on the piano.

Left Hand.

The earl himself.|The earl of rhythm.

- Rhythm Jones on the drums.|- Thank you. Thank you.

On the bottom, the bass,|Bottom Hammer.

- Rock bottom, that's my man!|- Bottom Hammer.

On tenor and soprano saxophone,|Shadow Henderson.

- Shadow Henderson.|- Shadow, l love you.

- My name is Bleek Gilliam.|- He's the best, huh?

- He's the best, that guy.|- The best.

Your band! lt's your band!

Thank you for coming.|You didn't have to.

You could have stayed home|and watched Arsenio Hall or something.

No, listen,|l got nothing against the brother.

But er... thank you again for coming.

This concludes our first set.|We'll be back soon.

We got some beautiful waitresses here,|so put them to work.

Give them some business and a fat tip.

Speaking of fat...

Don't get mad, Bleek.|l'll kick your ass.

l know l'm gonna hear it now.|Butterbean.

Whoo!

Nice, boy. Nice set.

You see them girls out in front?|The girl in purple?

When she crossed her legs,|l saw sparks fly.

- What's up, man?|- She got a big baseball booty.

Oh, man, she was fine!

She was looking at me the whole show.

She was looking at me|the whole motherfucking show, man.

Yo, cut the bullshit, hold up.

Shadow, what's up with this ego stuff?|What's up with the outing?

- Grandstanding!|- You're the only one complaining.

- Everybody else is OK.|- Everybody who?

The audience got no problem.

All you doing|is playing for the audience?

- That's what l do.|- That's ego, grandstanding.

- Do l tell you what to play?|- ls your name on the marquee?

- Shadow sounds good, man.|- Who asked you, Left Hand?

- Nobody asked me.|- Well, shut the f*** up!

What the f*** is this?|You shut the f*** up, you midget!

- My name is Giant, all right?|- Blame your motherfucking mother, man.

- On the real side.|- Why you talking about my mother, man?

- Stop talking about my mother.|- On the real side.

Yo, chill.|Everybody chill for one second.

Relax on the solos, OK?|Bring them down a little bit, all right?

- Oould you do that for me?|- Down to an hour.

Maybe an hour, 45 minutes?

Rate this script:4.5 / 9 votes

Spike Lee

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "Mo' Better Blues" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/mo'_better_blues_13901>.

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