Our Friend, Martin is a 1999

1999 in film

The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...

 animated

Animation

Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...

 children's educational film about Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...

 and the American civil rights movement

African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)

The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights to them. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1955 and 1968, particularly in the South...

. Two friends travel through time, meeting Dr. King at several points during his life. It featured an all-star voice cast and was nominated for an Emmy award in 1999 for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming More Than One Hour).

Production

While the film was released on VHS, and with co-distribution rights with CBS/Fox Video

CBS/Fox Video

CBS/Fox Video was a home video company formed and established in 1982, as a merger between 20th Century Fox Video, formerly Magnetic Video Corporation, and CBS Video Enterprises....

 (which in turn was also distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....

 and CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

), the film was also distributed by DiC Entertainment

DiC Entertainment

DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...

. Andy Heyward

Andy Heyward

Andrew A. "Andy" Heyward is the former Chairman and CEO of DIC Entertainment, an animation production company.Heyward was born in New York City, New York, the son of Sylvia and Louis M. "Deke" Heyward, who was vice president in charge of development at Barry & Enright Productions...

, Michael Maliani, and Robby London assumed the position to producing the series, and making a deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment & CBS/Fox Video to distribute the series.

Main Roles

Miles Woodman- A care free, wise cracking 12 year old, African American baseball fan who is having trouble in school, his teacher Mrs. Clark is threatening to recommend he repeat 6th grade. During a class field trip to the Martin Luther King, Jr museum, he and his best friend Randy discover that the museum holds magic. With the help of Martin's old watch, and a few of his belongings, he and Randy travel back in time throughout Martin's life (from when he is 12 to about 34). After his adventures with his friends, he learns that Martin was killed by gunshot. By taking young Martin out of his time, an alternate universe is created in the present time. As Martin was unable to do his Civil Rights work, Randy and Kyle are racist and are no longer friends with Miles, Maria can no longer speak English and is a maid, his mother no longer has a business and they are poor, and his middle school is a segregated white school. Miles then must sacrifice his plan to save Martin. Young Martin goes back to his own time and thanks Miles for being his friend, leaving him the watch. Martin gets shot and eventually dies, the world returning to what it is today. Miles learns from this experience and gets an A on his report, leading him to progress to the 7th grade.

Randy Smith- A 12 year old Caucasian skater boy, Miles's best friend and partner in his adventures through time. In the alternate universe, he and Kyle are best buds and pick on black kids like Miles.

Maria Ramirez (although on Mrs. Clark's computer her last name is Alverez, possibly she has both last names)- A very intelligent 10 year old Latina girl (she said she skipped two grades) who is a little bit of a snob, but is the first to realize that even though they are different, she, Miles, Randy and Kyle can all be friends. In the alternate universe, she is unable to speak English and works as a maid, scrubbing the floors of the school.

Kyle Langon- A Caucasian 12 (possibly 13) year old bully of the story, but later is a friend of Miles, Randy and Maria. He often wears shirts that don't fit. In the alternate universe, he is a racist bully to black kids and is best friends to Randy. He get his "lousy" attitude from his dad.

Cast

• Edward Asner - Mr. Harris
• Angela Bassett
  Angela Bassett
  Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
  
   - Miles' Mom
• Lucas Black
  Lucas Black
  Lucas York Black is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the CBS television series American Gothic as well as roles in films such as Sling Blade, Jarhead, Friday Night Lights, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Legion, Get Low, and All the Pretty Horses.-Personal...
  
   - Randy
• Theodore Borders - Martin at age 12
• LeVar Burton
  LeVar Burton
  Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. , professionally known as LeVar Burton, is an American actor, director, producer and author who first came to prominence portraying Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award-winning ABC television miniseries Roots, based on the novel by Alex Haley...
  
   - Martin at age 26
• Jessica Garcia - Maria
• Danny Glover
  Danny Glover
  Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
  
   - Train Conductor
• Whoopi Goldberg
  Whoopi Goldberg
  Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
  
   - Mrs. Peck
• Samuel L. Jackson
  Samuel L. Jackson
  Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
  
   - Turner
• James Earl Jones
  James Earl Jones
  James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
  
   - Daddy King
• Ashley Judd
  Ashley Judd
  Ashley Judd is an American television and film actress, who has played lead roles in films including Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Where the Heart Is and High Crimes...
  
  - Mrs. Dale
• Richard Kind
  Richard Kind
  Richard John Kind is an American actor known for his roles in the sitcoms Mad About You and Spin City .- Early life :...
  
   - Mr. Willis
• Dexter King - Martin at age 34
• Yolanda King
  Yolanda King
  Yolanda Denise King was the first-born child of Coretta Scott King and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
  
   - Christine King
• Zachary Leigh - Kyle
• Robert Ri'chard
  Robert Ri'chard
  Robert Andrew Ri'chard is an American television and movie actor.-Early life:Ri'chard was born Robert Andrew Richard in Los Angeles, California...
  
   - Miles
• Susan Sarandon
  Susan Sarandon
  Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
  
   - Mrs. Clark
• John Travolta
  John Travolta
  John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
  
   - Kyle's Dad
• Jaleel White
  Jaleel White
  Jaleel Ahmad White is an American actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Steve Urkel from Family Matters and voicing the character of Sonic the Hedgehog and other characters for Sonic the Hedgehog media....
  
   - Martin at age 15
• Adam Wylie
  Adam Wylie
  Adam Augustus Wylie is an American television and motion picture actor, as well as a Broadway musical performer and a former Crayola spokesman.-Early life:...
  
   - Sam Dale
• Oprah Winfrey
  Oprah Winfrey
  Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
  
   - Coretta Scott King
  Coretta Scott King
  Coretta Scott King was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.Mrs...
  
  
• Frank Welker
  Frank Welker
  Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
  
   - Bull Connor
  Bull Connor
  Theophilus Eugene "Bull" Connor was the Commissioner of Public Safety for the city of Birmingham, Alabama, during the American Civil Rights Movement...
  
  /Chihuahua
• Nicole Palacio - Parker Marie
• Jess Harnell
  Jess Harnell
  Jess Q. Harnell is an American voice actor and singer, best known for voicing Wakko Warner on Animaniacs. Harnell has been the announcer for America's Funniest Home Videos since 1998.-Life and acting career:...
  
   - Reporter #1/Demonstrator
• Joe Lala
  Joe Lala
  Joe Lala is an actor and voice actor, notable for his dubbing of Kun Lan of the video-game Killer7.He also played drums and percussion on 32 gold and 28 platinum albums. His credits include Blues Image, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Manassas, The Bee Gees, Whitney Houston, and many...
  
   - Reporter #2/Demonstrator
• John Wesley
  John Wesley
  John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
  
   - Man/Demonstrator
• Elizabeth Primm - Old Woman/Demonstrator
• H.P Shimono - Additional Voices.

Soundtrack

Motown Records

Motown Records

Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...

 released a soundtrack from this film that featured a cover of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is an R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla Motown label. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, becoming a hit again in 1970 when recorded by former Supremes...

" by Debelah Morgan

Debelah Morgan

Debelah Morgan is an American Singer and Songwriter. Morgan is best known for her hit single "Dance with Me," off of her third album, which reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100...

, which combined the Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....

/Tammi Terrell

Tammi Terrell

Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, known as Tammi Terrell was an American singer-songwriter most notable for her association with Motown and her duets with Marvin Gaye. As a teenager she recorded for the Scepter–Wand, Try Me and Checker record labels. She signed with Motown in April 1965 and enjoyed...

 and Diana Ross

Diana Ross

Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...

versions.