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Life Support (film)
Encyclopedia
Life Support is a 2007 American film starring Queen Latifah
. It is loosely based on the real life story of Andrea Williams, an HIV
-positive woman.
The film premiered January 26, 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival
and premiered on HBO on March 10, 2007.
) was diagnosed with HIV
11 years ago. She got the virus from shooting cocaine
with her boyfriend, Slick (Wendell Pierce
). Slick had the virus first but did not tell Ana he had it. Ana is devoted to her work at Life Support, an AIDS
outreach group, but she struggles to repair her relationship with her teenage daughter, whom she lost custody of 11 years ago due to her drug addiction.
, the film had an average score of 77 out of 100, based on 9 reviews.
at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards
in 2007: Queen Latifah
was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie and the film was nominated for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or Special. Queen Latifah won the Golden Globe
for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for 2007
. Queen Latifah also won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries at the 14th Screen Actors Guild Awards
held in 2008.
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
. It is loosely based on the real life story of Andrea Williams, an HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
-positive woman.
The film premiered January 26, 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival
2007 Sundance Film Festival
The 2007 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 18 until January 28, 2007 in Park City, Utah with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah and Ogden, Utah. It was the 23-rd iteration of the Sundance Film Festival...
and premiered on HBO on March 10, 2007.
Plot
Ana Wallace (Queen LatifahQueen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
) was diagnosed with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
11 years ago. She got the virus from shooting cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
with her boyfriend, Slick (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:...
). Slick had the virus first but did not tell Ana he had it. Ana is devoted to her work at Life Support, an AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
outreach group, but she struggles to repair her relationship with her teenage daughter, whom she lost custody of 11 years ago due to her drug addiction.
Cast
- Queen LatifahQueen LatifahDana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
as Ana Wallace - Anna Deavere SmithAnna Deavere SmithAnna Deavere Smith is an American actress, playwright, and professor. She is currently the artist in residence at the Center for American Progress.-Early life:...
as Lucille - 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 Slick - Rachel Nicks as Kelly Wallace
- Evan RossEvan RossEvan Olav Næss is an American actor and musician. He is the son of entertainer Diana Ross. He is the brother of actresses Rhonda Ross Kendrick and Tracee Ellis Ross, and of singer Leona Naess. He began acting in the late 2000s, appearing in the films ATL and Pride...
as Amare - Gloria ReubenGloria ReubenGloria Reuben is a Canadian singer and actress of film and television, known for her role as Jeanie Boulet on the popular medical drama ER and for her role of Rosalind Whitman in the TV show Raising the Bar.-Life and career:...
as Sandra - Tony RockTony RockTony Rock is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is the younger brother of comedian Chris Rock....
as Ness - Darrin Dewitt Henson as MJ2
- Tracee Ellis RossTracee Ellis RossTracee Ellis Ross is an American actress. She is best known for her lead role as Joan Clayton on the UPN/CW series, Girlfriends. She is currently starring as Dr...
as Tanya - Limary L. Agosto as Woman #1
- Carlos AlbanCarlo AlbanCarlo Alban is an Ecuadorian actor. He is known as Carlo from Sesame Street , appearing in the telefilm Elmo Saves Christmas. He grew up in Sayreville, New Jersey and attended Rutgers University, majoring in visual arts.-Notable roles:He has had recurring roles in Strangers with Candy, Thicker...
as Andre - Sidné Anderson as Sister Bernice
- Dorothea Golden as Peer Counselor #1
- Chyna LayneChyna LayneChyna Layne is a New York-born Jamaican-Filipino actress whom has appeared in a number of films and television productions, including the movie Precious, the television movie Life Support, and the television drama Push. She has appeared in over 30 independent films and has been touted as the...
as Deyah - Angel Magee as Peer Counselor #2
Critical reception
Critics gave the film favorable reviews. On the review aggregator MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film had an average score of 77 out of 100, based on 9 reviews.
Awards and nominations
The film was nominated for 2 EmmysEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards
59th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition...
in 2007: Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie and the film was nominated for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or Special. Queen Latifah won the Golden Globe
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for 2007
65th Golden Globe Awards
The 65th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television of 2007, were scheduled to be presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on January 13, 2008...
. Queen Latifah also won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries at the 14th Screen Actors Guild Awards
14th Screen Actors Guild Awards
----Best Cast - Motion Picture: No Country For Old Men ----Best Cast - Drama Series: The Sopranos Best Cast - Comedy Series: The Office ...
held in 2008.
External links
- Life Support at sundance.org