Get on the Bus
Encyclopedia
Get on the Bus is a 1996 film about a group of African-American men who are taking a cross-country bus trip in order to participate in the Million Man March
. The film was directed by Spike Lee
and premiered on the one-year anniversary
of the march.
and ends in Washington, D.C.
where the Million Man March is being held. 12 African American men are introduced aboard the bus as it leaves L.A. for the cross-country drive to D.C.
Along the way, the men get to know each other and discuss various topics including their personal lives, their political beliefs and even the recent O.J. Simpson murder case (in which some members of the group share the notion that, even if Simpson was guilty of killing his "white ex-wife and a white Jewish man", which they continue to maintain he was not, it was right of him to be acquitted as "payback" for social racism and opression against blacks in America). The elderly Jeremiah (whom the men nickname "Pop") reveals that after he lost his job, he became an alcoholic and eventually lost his family. He hopes the March will revitalize him and inspire him to turn his life around. Evan Jr., who fancies himself as a gangster
named 'Smooth', manages to escape from his father at one point. Evan Sr. finds Junior and realizes that Junior's criminal behavior was an attempt to gain his attention after he became neglectful
. He expresses regret
and promises to make a sincere effort to be there for Junior.
Xavier, who refers to himself as "X", begins interviewing the passengers, a narrative device which allows each of the passengers to reveal information about their lives and how they perceive themselves and the March. Xavier captures as much as he can on his camcorder
but the group often dismisses the earnest amateur
filmmaker as "Spike Lee
Jr."
Tensions rise after Xavier's interview with Flip, an aspiring actor who spends most of his time bragging about his own sexual prowess, and who seems more concerned with getting a film role opposite Denzel Washington
than the purpose of the March. Flip reveals himself to be a homophobe and racist, provoking Kyle and Randall for being homosexuals and Gary for being biracial. This leads to further conflict when Gary reveals that he is a police officer working a beat in South Central Los Angeles, two things for which he has faced criticism and ostracism from other blacks his entire life. Gary proudly recalls his father, a black policeman gunned down in the line of duty by black street gang members, an incident that Gary credits with his decision to become a police officer.
Gary's revelations about his life and career spur Jamal to reveal that he is an ex-Crip
who converted to Islam
and began work with a community outreach program that works with children to discourage them from becoming involved in gang activity. In a tense conversation, the two debate over the causes of gang violence and the limits of repentance
and forgiveness
: Jamal confesses that, while he was a Crip, he committed murder
and rape
, crimes for which he was never arrested or punished. Following Jamal's confession, Gary informs him that he will be arrested upon their return to California.
Next Kyle reveals that he is a 1991 Gulf War
veteran who was purposely shot by men in his own platoon
because of his race and sexual orientation
. Being gay, African-American and Republican
, he feels persecution from all sides, which has made him bitter. Although they are having problems in their relationship, Randall, tries to comfort his lover but makes a point of outing
Kyle when he refuses to talk. Kyle is harassed further by the homophobic Flip who mocks him claiming "Oh my God, a gay black Republican, now I have seen everything!" with additional homophobic statements rants. Flip also picks on Randall for his effete gay mannerisms following Kyle's outing. A heated argument between Flip and Kyle turns violent when Flip punches Kyle. In the resulting fistfight, Kyle is victorious and Flip is embarrassed.
During the trip the bus breaks down and the group board a new bus. The new driver is Rick (Richard Belzer
), who is ethnically Jewish. Eventually, he feels the need to speak out against Louis Farrakhan
's Anti-Semitic statements that Jews are a "gutter" people. Rick talks about his parents' and other Jews' participation in the 1955-1968 Civil Rights Movement, but some members of the group fight back using Jewish stereotypes. At a rest stop, Rick quits the trip in protest
telling George: "I wouldn't expect you to drive a bus to a Ku Klux Klan
meeting." George becomes confrontational and angrily accuses Rick of being a racist for not supporting the march in spite of Farrakhan's remarks, while at the same time refusing to acknowledge that Farrakhan ever made them. Although Rick maintains that he is not a racist, George refuses to accept this; George begrudgingly agrees to disagree
with Rick and lets him depart, although he refuses to look at Rick when Rick wants to shake his hand before he leaves. George drives the bus for the rest of the trip, with help from Evan Sr. who, while not licensed a bus driver, has experience driving trucks.
The group meet various people at rest stops including fellow travelers, White American
Southerners
(who, to the group's surprise, are friendly) and women (with whom Flip tries to flirt). At a diner
, the group meets Wendell (Wendell Pierce
), a Lexus
salesman who bribes his way onto the bus despite pleas from George to travel to the March on his own, since taking on board a passenger without a ticket could potentially jeopardize his job. On the route, Wendell reveals that he is a Republican and his reason for going to the March is to sell cars. He decries liberal blacks such as Jesse Jackson
who believe that it is the government's responsibility to make their lives better, using successful and conservative blacks such as Colin Powell
as examples that black men can "make it" in society. His rhetoric quickly comes to be accused as racist from the others, even Kyle however, as he disparages several people on the bus as being "niggas," after which the other passengers literally throw him out of the bus.
While driving through Knoxville, Tennessee
, the bus is pulled over by a group of redneck Tennessee state troopers (one of whom is played by Randy Quaid
in an uncredited cameo
). They are stopped on suspicion of drug trafficking and searched with drug-sniffing dogs despite the pleas of Gary who shows his LAPD badge to the troopers. The troopers ignore Gary and continue with the search, however they do not find anything illegal and the racist state troopers reluntantly permit the bus to continue on its way.
As the bus approaches Washington, D.C.
, Xavier discovers Jeremiah slumped over and unconscious in his seat. They rush him to a hospital
, where it is revealed that Jeremiah has coronary artery disease and that he knew from the start that taking the trip would put his life in jeopardy. Evan Sr. and Jr., as well as Gary, Jamal, and Xavier, stay behind and watch the beginning of March on television to await word on Jeremiah as the others attend the march. A doctor
later informs the group that Jeremiah has died. The men are shocked and saddened by Jeremiah's death. They end up watching the rest of the March from the hospital. As they come out of the hospital, the group sees their bus pull up, where George tells the group left behind that he and the rest of the people on the bus travelled only halfway to the march before they decided to come back to be with Jeremiah. After being informed of Jeremiah's passing, the men reflect in the parking lot. As the bus prepares to return home, George tells the men that the March should be seen as merely the beginning of a larger movement. George then abdicates Jeremiah's drum to Xavier, reflecting the joyous experience the latter had with Jeremiah when being taught how to play it. George finds a paper in the hollow bottom of the drum, which is told to be the prayer Jeremiah wrote in honor of the Million Man March. While reading part of it, George breaks into tears. Later, in front of the Lincoln Memorial
, George leads the men in Jeremiah's prayer. Near the end of the reading of the prayer, the scene switchs to a scrolling view of the interior of the bus, as the group quietly reflects on the trip's events, which ends with Xavier, shown playing a rapidly increasing beat on Jeremiah's drum, displaying a feeling of awe on his face when he finishes. The film ends with a frontside view of the Lincoln Memorial that scrolls down to show a broken shackle lying near its base.
Million Man March
The Million Man March was a gathering of social activists, en masse, held on and around the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 16, 1995...
. The film was directed by Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
and premiered on the one-year anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
of the march.
Characters
- George (Charles S. DuttonCharles S. DuttonCharles Stanley Dutton is an American stage, film, and television actor and director. He is perhaps best known for his roles as "Fortune" in the film Rudy and "Dillon" in Alien 3...
) – the bus driver and trip organizer. - Jeremiah aka "Pop" (Ossie DavisOssie DavisOssie Davis was an American film actor, director, poet, playwright, writer, and social activist.-Early years:...
) – a downsized senior citizenSenior citizenSenior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
who is an expert on African-American history. - Evan & Evan Jr. aka "Smooth" (Thomas Jefferson ByrdThomas Jefferson ByrdThomas Jefferson Byrd is an American actor. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.-Filmography:* Clockers * Girl 6 * Get on the Bus * Set It Off * Touch Me * He Got Game...
and De'aundre BondsDe'Aundre BondsDe'aundre M. Bonds is an American actor. The actor Samuel Monroe Jr. is his 'God' brother.Bonds has mostly appeared as a guest actor on television shows; however, he was also featured in the Spike Lee film Get on the Bus, Tales from the Hood and the Rick Famuyiwa film The Wood...
) – an estranged father and son who are court orderCourt orderA court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
ed to be shackleShackleA shackle, also known as a gyve, is a U-shaped piece of metal secured with a clevis pin or bolt across the opening, or a hinged metal loop secured with a quick-release locking pin mechanism...
d together for 72 hours after Junior's arrestArrestAn arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
for petty theft. - Kyle & Randall (Isaiah WashingtonIsaiah WashingtonIsaiah Washington IV is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.-Personal life:...
and Harry J. LennixHarry J. LennixHarry Joseph Lennix III is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Terrence "Dresser" Williams in the Robert Townsend film The Five Heartbeats and as "Boyd Langton" in the Joss Whedon television show Dollhouse....
) – a gayGayGay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
couple in the midst of breaking up. - Flip (Andre BraugherAndre BraugherAndre Braugher is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998 and again in the 2000 made-for-TV film Homicide: Life on the Street, and as Owen Thoreau Jr...
) – a narcissisticNarcissismNarcissism is a term with a wide range of meanings, depending on whether it is used to describe a central concept of psychoanalytic theory, a mental illness, a social or cultural problem, or simply a personality trait...
actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. - Gary (Roger Guenveur SmithRoger Guenveur SmithRoger Guenveur Smith is an American actor, director, and writer.-Early life:Smith was born in Berkeley, California, the son of Helen Guenveur, a dentist, and Sherman Smith, a judge...
) – a police officerPolice officerA police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
who is half black and half white. - Xavier (Hill HarperHill HarperFrancis Harper , known professionally as Hill Harper, is an American film, television and stage actor, and author. An alumnus of Harvard Law School, he is best known for his portrayal of Dr...
) – a UCLA Film SchoolUCLA School of Theater Film and TelevisionThe UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television , is one of the twelve schools within UCLA. It is located in Los Angeles, California, USA, and is unique in that it combines all three of these aspects into a single school. The graduate programs are usually ranking within the top 3 nationally,...
student who is making a documentaryDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
. - Jamal (Gabriel CasseusGabriel CasseusGabriel Casseus is an African-American actor and screenwriter from Roosevelt, New York. He was nominated for Best Debut Performance in the film New Jersey Drive in the Independent Spirit Awards in 1995, and has appeared in the movies Get on the Bus, where he played Jamal, a Muslim enroute to the...
) – a former gangsterGangsterA gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
turned MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
seeking redemption. - Jay (Bernie MacBernie MacBernard Jeffrey McCullough , better known by his stage name, Bernie Mac, was an American actor and comedian. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L...
) – a bubble gum companyCompanyA company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
owner. - Mike (Steve WhiteSteve White (actor)Steve White is an African American actor and comedian, best known for his roles in Spike Lee films. He has worked with Lee five times...
) – a conspiracyConspiracy theoryA conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
theorist who thinks the march is a plot to gather one million black men in one place for mass exterminationGenocideGenocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
. - Craig (Albert Hall) – the original bus driverBus driverA bus driver, bus operator or omnibus driver is a person who drives buses professionally. Bus drivers typically drive their vehicles between bus stations or stops. They often drop off and pick up passengers on a predetermined route schedule. In British English a different term, coach drivers, is...
who is dealing with his teenage daughter's pregnancy.
Plot
The trip begins in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and ends in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
where the Million Man March is being held. 12 African American men are introduced aboard the bus as it leaves L.A. for the cross-country drive to D.C.
Along the way, the men get to know each other and discuss various topics including their personal lives, their political beliefs and even the recent O.J. Simpson murder case (in which some members of the group share the notion that, even if Simpson was guilty of killing his "white ex-wife and a white Jewish man", which they continue to maintain he was not, it was right of him to be acquitted as "payback" for social racism and opression against blacks in America). The elderly Jeremiah (whom the men nickname "Pop") reveals that after he lost his job, he became an alcoholic and eventually lost his family. He hopes the March will revitalize him and inspire him to turn his life around. Evan Jr., who fancies himself as a gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
named 'Smooth', manages to escape from his father at one point. Evan Sr. finds Junior and realizes that Junior's criminal behavior was an attempt to gain his attention after he became neglectful
Child neglect
Child neglect is defined as:# "the failure of a person responsible for a child’s care and upbringing to safeguard the child’s emotional and physical health and general well-being"...
. He expresses regret
Regret (emotion)
Regret is a negative conscious and emotional reaction to personal past acts and behaviors. Regret is often expressed by the term "sorry." Regret is often felt when someone feels sadness, shame, embarrassment, depression, annoyance or guilt after committing an action or actions that the person later...
and promises to make a sincere effort to be there for Junior.
Xavier, who refers to himself as "X", begins interviewing the passengers, a narrative device which allows each of the passengers to reveal information about their lives and how they perceive themselves and the March. Xavier captures as much as he can on his camcorder
Camcorder
A camcorder is an electronic device that combines a video camera and a video recorder into one unit. Equipment manufacturers do not seem to have strict guidelines for the term usage...
but the group often dismisses the earnest amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
filmmaker as "Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
Jr."
Tensions rise after Xavier's interview with Flip, an aspiring actor who spends most of his time bragging about his own sexual prowess, and who seems more concerned with getting a film role opposite Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
than the purpose of the March. Flip reveals himself to be a homophobe and racist, provoking Kyle and Randall for being homosexuals and Gary for being biracial. This leads to further conflict when Gary reveals that he is a police officer working a beat in South Central Los Angeles, two things for which he has faced criticism and ostracism from other blacks his entire life. Gary proudly recalls his father, a black policeman gunned down in the line of duty by black street gang members, an incident that Gary credits with his decision to become a police officer.
Gary's revelations about his life and career spur Jamal to reveal that he is an ex-Crip
Crips
The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang. They were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams...
who converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and began work with a community outreach program that works with children to discourage them from becoming involved in gang activity. In a tense conversation, the two debate over the causes of gang violence and the limits of repentance
Repentance
Repentance is a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law...
and forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all...
: Jamal confesses that, while he was a Crip, he committed murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, crimes for which he was never arrested or punished. Following Jamal's confession, Gary informs him that he will be arrested upon their return to California.
Next Kyle reveals that he is a 1991 Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
veteran who was purposely shot by men in his own platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
because of his race and sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. Being gay, African-American and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, he feels persecution from all sides, which has made him bitter. Although they are having problems in their relationship, Randall, tries to comfort his lover but makes a point of outing
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
Kyle when he refuses to talk. Kyle is harassed further by the homophobic Flip who mocks him claiming "Oh my God, a gay black Republican, now I have seen everything!" with additional homophobic statements rants. Flip also picks on Randall for his effete gay mannerisms following Kyle's outing. A heated argument between Flip and Kyle turns violent when Flip punches Kyle. In the resulting fistfight, Kyle is victorious and Flip is embarrassed.
During the trip the bus breaks down and the group board a new bus. The new driver is Rick (Richard Belzer
Richard Belzer
Richard Jay Belzer is an American stand-up comedian, author, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as John Munch, which he has portrayed as a regular cast member on the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as in guest...
), who is ethnically Jewish. Eventually, he feels the need to speak out against Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
's Anti-Semitic statements that Jews are a "gutter" people. Rick talks about his parents' and other Jews' participation in the 1955-1968 Civil Rights Movement, but some members of the group fight back using Jewish stereotypes. At a rest stop, Rick quits the trip in protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
telling George: "I wouldn't expect you to drive a bus to a Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
meeting." George becomes confrontational and angrily accuses Rick of being a racist for not supporting the march in spite of Farrakhan's remarks, while at the same time refusing to acknowledge that Farrakhan ever made them. Although Rick maintains that he is not a racist, George refuses to accept this; George begrudgingly agrees to disagree
Agree to disagree
The term "agree to disagree" or "agreeing to disagree" is a phrase in English referring to the resolution of a conflict whereby all parties tolerate but do not accept the opposing position. It generally occurs when all sides recognise that further conflict would be unnecessary, ineffective or...
with Rick and lets him depart, although he refuses to look at Rick when Rick wants to shake his hand before he leaves. George drives the bus for the rest of the trip, with help from Evan Sr. who, while not licensed a bus driver, has experience driving trucks.
The group meet various people at rest stops including fellow travelers, White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
Southerners
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
(who, to the group's surprise, are friendly) and women (with whom Flip tries to flirt). At a diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
, the group meets Wendell (Wendell Pierce
Wendell Pierce
Wendell Pierce is an American actor, best known for his work in HBO dramas, including his portrayal of Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire and trombonist Antoine Batiste in Treme.-Life and career:...
), a Lexus
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
salesman who bribes his way onto the bus despite pleas from George to travel to the March on his own, since taking on board a passenger without a ticket could potentially jeopardize his job. On the route, Wendell reveals that he is a Republican and his reason for going to the March is to sell cars. He decries liberal blacks such as Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
who believe that it is the government's responsibility to make their lives better, using successful and conservative blacks such as Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
as examples that black men can "make it" in society. His rhetoric quickly comes to be accused as racist from the others, even Kyle however, as he disparages several people on the bus as being "niggas," after which the other passengers literally throw him out of the bus.
While driving through Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, the bus is pulled over by a group of redneck Tennessee state troopers (one of whom is played by Randy Quaid
Randy Quaid
Randall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
in an uncredited cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
). They are stopped on suspicion of drug trafficking and searched with drug-sniffing dogs despite the pleas of Gary who shows his LAPD badge to the troopers. The troopers ignore Gary and continue with the search, however they do not find anything illegal and the racist state troopers reluntantly permit the bus to continue on its way.
As the bus approaches Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Xavier discovers Jeremiah slumped over and unconscious in his seat. They rush him to a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, where it is revealed that Jeremiah has coronary artery disease and that he knew from the start that taking the trip would put his life in jeopardy. Evan Sr. and Jr., as well as Gary, Jamal, and Xavier, stay behind and watch the beginning of March on television to await word on Jeremiah as the others attend the march. A doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
later informs the group that Jeremiah has died. The men are shocked and saddened by Jeremiah's death. They end up watching the rest of the March from the hospital. As they come out of the hospital, the group sees their bus pull up, where George tells the group left behind that he and the rest of the people on the bus travelled only halfway to the march before they decided to come back to be with Jeremiah. After being informed of Jeremiah's passing, the men reflect in the parking lot. As the bus prepares to return home, George tells the men that the March should be seen as merely the beginning of a larger movement. George then abdicates Jeremiah's drum to Xavier, reflecting the joyous experience the latter had with Jeremiah when being taught how to play it. George finds a paper in the hollow bottom of the drum, which is told to be the prayer Jeremiah wrote in honor of the Million Man March. While reading part of it, George breaks into tears. Later, in front of the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
, George leads the men in Jeremiah's prayer. Near the end of the reading of the prayer, the scene switchs to a scrolling view of the interior of the bus, as the group quietly reflects on the trip's events, which ends with Xavier, shown playing a rapidly increasing beat on Jeremiah's drum, displaying a feeling of awe on his face when he finishes. The film ends with a frontside view of the Lincoln Memorial that scrolls down to show a broken shackle lying near its base.
Additional cast
- Richard BelzerRichard BelzerRichard Jay Belzer is an American stand-up comedian, author, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as John Munch, which he has portrayed as a regular cast member on the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as in guest...
as Rick - Wendell PierceWendell PierceWendell Pierce is an American actor, best known for his work in HBO dramas, including his portrayal of Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire and trombonist Antoine Batiste in Treme.-Life and career:...
as Wendell Perry - Jadi McCurdy as Ja-Dee
- Guy Margo as Khalid
- Dr. Hosea Brown III as Doc
- Kristen Wilson as Shelly
- Paula Jai ParkerPaula Jai ParkerPaula Jai Parker is an American actress and comedian. She is best known of her roles as Lexus in Hustle & Flow, Joi in Friday, and as the voice of matriarch Trudy Proud on the Disney Channel animated sitcom The Proud Family....
as Jamilia - Gina RaveraGina RaveraGina Ravera is an American actress from San Francisco, California. She is best known for the role of Irene Daniels during the first four seasons TNT's Emmy Award winning crime drama The Closer, and was the only regular cast member to leave the series during its run...
as Gina - Joie LeeJoie LeeJoie Susannah Lee is an American screenwriter, film producer and actress. She has appeared in many of the films directed by her brother, Spike Lee, including She's Gotta Have It , School Daze , Do the Right Thing , and Mo' Better Blues...
as Jindal - Randy QuaidRandy QuaidRandall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
as Tennessee State Trooper (uncredited)