Roll Bounce
Encyclopedia
Roll Bounce is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written by Norman Vance Jr. and directed by Malcolm D. Lee
. The film stars hip hop
artist Bow Wow as the leader of a roller skating
crew in 1970s Chicago. The film also stars Nick Cannon
, Meagan Good
, Brandon T. Jackson
, Wesley Jonathan
, Chi McBride
, Kellita Smith
, and Jurnee Smollett
.
, Roll Bounce tells the story of a boy named Xavier (Bow Wow) (nicknamed "X") whose mother has passed, leaving him with his father, Curtis (Chi McBride
) and his sister, Sonya. After the local roller rink
closes down, X and his friends are forced to skate in the ritzy uptown rink "Sweetwater". Tired of being disrespected by the skate rental distributor (Nick Cannon
) and other skaters at Sweetwater, the group enters a roller disco
contest. Their biggest rivals are the 5-year champion, Sweetness (Wesley Jonathan
) and his crew, the Sweetwater Rollers. The film centers on X's training for the competition while trying to work through problems with his father and his pretty childhood friend, Naomi (Megan Good).
In the end, it not only comes down to gaining the respect of others, but also learning to respect themselves and giving roller disco
their all.
Supporting actors include Marcus T. Paulk
, Khleo Thomas, Nick Cannon
, Rick Gonzalez
, Charlie Murphy
, Mike Epps
, Brandon T. Jackson
, and Wayne Brady
. The soundtrack features Ray J
, R. Kelly
, Chaka Khan
, Beyoncé
, Earth, Wind & Fire
, Brooke Valentine
, Fabolous
, Michelle Williams
, and Shorty Mack
.
Supporting
Minor
began in January 2010. In November 2010, Bow Wow said via Twitter
that he would love to do a sequel. Principal photography
is expected to begin in August 2011, in Atlanta. The plot is said to circle around Bow Wow's move and going to college
with Naomi, and running into Sweetness again. The title is tentatively Roll Bounce 2.
Malcolm D. Lee
Malcolm D. Lee is an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He has directed such films as Undercover Brother, The Best Man, Roll Bounce, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, and Soul Men. He also directed an episode of the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris...
. The film stars hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
artist Bow Wow as the leader of a roller skating
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
crew in 1970s Chicago. The film also stars Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
, Meagan Good
Meagan Good
Meagan Monique Good is an American film and television actress and occasional film producer. Beginning her career at the age of four, Good has appeared in numerous commercials, television shows, feature films, and music videos....
, Brandon T. Jackson
Brandon T. Jackson
Brandon Timothy Jackson is an American stand-up comedian, actor, rapper, writer, and comedian. He is best known for his supporting roles in Roll Bounce, Tropic Thunder, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Lottery Ticket, and a leading role in Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.-Early...
, Wesley Jonathan
Wesley Jonathan
Wesley Jonathan Waples , known professionally as Wesley Jonathan, is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Jamal Grant on the NBC Saturday morning dramedy series City Guys, the dim-witted Gary Thorpe on The WB sitcom What I Like About You, and as Sweetness in the 2005 film,...
, Chi McBride
Chi McBride
Kenneth "Chi" McBride is an American actor. He starred as Steven Harper on the series Boston Public, as Emerson Cod on Pushing Daisies, and recently appeared in Fox's drama Human Target.-Early life:...
, Kellita Smith
Kellita Smith
Kellita Smith is an American actress and model. She is best knownfor her role as Wanda McCullough on the sitcom, The Bernie Mac Show.-Career:Smith has held recurring roles on CBS' Nash Bridges, UPN's Malcolm & Eddie,...
, and Jurnee Smollett
Jurnee Smollett
Jurnee Diana Smollett-Bell is an American actress. She is best known for the role of Jess Merriweather on the critically acclaimed television series Friday Night Lights...
.
Plot
Set in 1978 ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Roll Bounce tells the story of a boy named Xavier (Bow Wow) (nicknamed "X") whose mother has passed, leaving him with his father, Curtis (Chi McBride
Chi McBride
Kenneth "Chi" McBride is an American actor. He starred as Steven Harper on the series Boston Public, as Emerson Cod on Pushing Daisies, and recently appeared in Fox's drama Human Target.-Early life:...
) and his sister, Sonya. After the local roller rink
Roller rink
A roller rink is a hard surface used for roller skating or inline skating. This includes roller hockey, speed skating, and recreational skating...
closes down, X and his friends are forced to skate in the ritzy uptown rink "Sweetwater". Tired of being disrespected by the skate rental distributor (Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
) and other skaters at Sweetwater, the group enters a roller disco
Roller disco
A roller disco is a discothèque or skating rink where all the dancers wear roller skates of some kind . The music played is modern and easily danceable, historically disco but in modern times including almost any form of dance music or pop music...
contest. Their biggest rivals are the 5-year champion, Sweetness (Wesley Jonathan
Wesley Jonathan
Wesley Jonathan Waples , known professionally as Wesley Jonathan, is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Jamal Grant on the NBC Saturday morning dramedy series City Guys, the dim-witted Gary Thorpe on The WB sitcom What I Like About You, and as Sweetness in the 2005 film,...
) and his crew, the Sweetwater Rollers. The film centers on X's training for the competition while trying to work through problems with his father and his pretty childhood friend, Naomi (Megan Good).
In the end, it not only comes down to gaining the respect of others, but also learning to respect themselves and giving roller disco
Roller disco
A roller disco is a discothèque or skating rink where all the dancers wear roller skates of some kind . The music played is modern and easily danceable, historically disco but in modern times including almost any form of dance music or pop music...
their all.
Supporting actors include Marcus T. Paulk
Marcus T. Paulk
Marcus Paulk is an American actor, rapper and dancer best known for his role as Myles Mitchell in the UPN sitcom Moesha, which aired from 1996 through 2001....
, Khleo Thomas, Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
, Rick Gonzalez
Rick Gonzalez
Rick Gonzalez is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Timo Cruz in the motion picture Coach Carter, and as Ben Gonzalez on the CW supernatural drama television series Reaper.-Early life:...
, Charlie Murphy
Charlie Murphy
Charles Quinton "Charlie" Murphy is an American actor, comedian, and writer notable as being a cast member and writer on the Comedy Central sketch-comedy series Chappelle's Show...
, Mike Epps
Mike Epps
Michael Elliot "Mike" Epps is an American stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer, singer, and rapper. He is best known for playing Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and the sequel-to-the-sequel, Friday After Next, and also starring alongside Ice Cube in All About the Benjamins...
, Brandon T. Jackson
Brandon T. Jackson
Brandon Timothy Jackson is an American stand-up comedian, actor, rapper, writer, and comedian. He is best known for his supporting roles in Roll Bounce, Tropic Thunder, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Lottery Ticket, and a leading role in Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.-Early...
, and Wayne Brady
Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
. The soundtrack features Ray J
Ray J
William Ray Norwood Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.-Early life:...
, R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
, Brooke Valentine
Brooke Valentine
Kanesha Nichole Brookes , better known by her stage name Brooke Valentine, is an American R&B singer and former member of the group Best Kept Secret. In 2005, her single "Girlfight" was a hit on the United States single charts....
, Fabolous
Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...
, Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams (singer)
Tenitra Michelle Williams , commonly known as Michelle Williams, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress...
, and Shorty Mack
Shorty Mack
Derrelle Owens , better known by his stage name Shorty Mack, is a rapper and actor. He has put an album out under jvc/vertex 96 [hard 2 tame me] appeared on numerous recordings by Ray J, including the Knockout remix of "Formal Invite" and the Smokin' Trees version of "What I Need". Also did he...
.
Cast
Main- Bow Wow as Xavier 'X' Smith
- Brandon T. JacksonBrandon T. JacksonBrandon Timothy Jackson is an American stand-up comedian, actor, rapper, writer, and comedian. He is best known for his supporting roles in Roll Bounce, Tropic Thunder, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Lottery Ticket, and a leading role in Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.-Early...
as Junior - Chi McBrideChi McBrideKenneth "Chi" McBride is an American actor. He starred as Steven Harper on the series Boston Public, as Emerson Cod on Pushing Daisies, and recently appeared in Fox's drama Human Target.-Early life:...
as Curtis Smith - Meagan GoodMeagan GoodMeagan Monique Good is an American film and television actress and occasional film producer. Beginning her career at the age of four, Good has appeared in numerous commercials, television shows, feature films, and music videos....
as Naomi Phillips - Wesley JonathanWesley JonathanWesley Jonathan Waples , known professionally as Wesley Jonathan, is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Jamal Grant on the NBC Saturday morning dramedy series City Guys, the dim-witted Gary Thorpe on The WB sitcom What I Like About You, and as Sweetness in the 2005 film,...
as Sweetness
Supporting
- Jurnee SmollettJurnee SmollettJurnee Diana Smollett-Bell is an American actress. She is best known for the role of Jess Merriweather on the critically acclaimed television series Friday Night Lights...
as Tori - Marcus T. PaulkMarcus T. PaulkMarcus Paulk is an American actor, rapper and dancer best known for his role as Myles Mitchell in the UPN sitcom Moesha, which aired from 1996 through 2001....
as Boo - Rick GonzalezRick GonzalezRick Gonzalez is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Timo Cruz in the motion picture Coach Carter, and as Ben Gonzalez on the CW supernatural drama television series Reaper.-Early life:...
as Naps - Khleo Thomas as Mixed Mike
- Kellita SmithKellita SmithKellita Smith is an American actress and model. She is best knownfor her role as Wanda McCullough on the sitcom, The Bernie Mac Show.-Career:Smith has held recurring roles on CBS' Nash Bridges, UPN's Malcolm & Eddie,...
as Vivian - Paul WesleyPaul WesleyPaul Thomas Wasilewski , known professionally as Paul Wesley, is an American actor, best known for his roles as Stefan Salvatore in The CW TV series The Vampire Diaries and as Aaron Corbett in the ABC Family miniseries Fallen....
as Troy
Minor
- Nick CannonNick CannonNicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
as Bernard - Wayne BradyWayne BradyWayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
as DJ Johnny - Mike EppsMike EppsMichael Elliot "Mike" Epps is an American stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer, singer, and rapper. He is best known for playing Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and the sequel-to-the-sequel, Friday After Next, and also starring alongside Ice Cube in All About the Benjamins...
as Byron - Charlie MurphyCharlie MurphyCharles Quinton "Charlie" Murphy is an American actor, comedian, and writer notable as being a cast member and writer on the Comedy Central sketch-comedy series Chappelle's Show...
as Victor - Darryl McDanielsDarryl McDaniels-Video game appearances:*The Warriors - Scopes*Guitar Hero: Aerosmith - Himself- External links :* * * * * http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/12/entertainment/la-et-people-speak12-2009dec12...
as D.J. Smooth Dee - Busisiwe Irvin as Sonya
Awards/nominations
| Year | Show | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Black Movie Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Directing | Malcolm D. Lee Malcolm D. Lee Malcolm D. Lee is an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He has directed such films as Undercover Brother, The Best Man, Roll Bounce, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, and Soul Men. He also directed an episode of the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris... |
Nominated |
| Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting | Norman Vance, Jr. | Nominated | ||
| Black Reel Awards | Best Breakthrough Performance | Brandon T. Jackson Brandon T. Jackson Brandon Timothy Jackson is an American stand-up comedian, actor, rapper, writer, and comedian. He is best known for his supporting roles in Roll Bounce, Tropic Thunder, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Lottery Ticket, and a leading role in Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.-Early... |
Winner | |
| Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted | Norman Vance, Jr. | |||
| Best Ensemble Award | N/A | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Malcolm D. Lee Malcolm D. Lee Malcolm D. Lee is an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He has directed such films as Undercover Brother, The Best Man, Roll Bounce, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, and Soul Men. He also directed an episode of the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris... |
|||
| Best Original Soundtrack | N/A |
Sequel
Talks of a sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
began in January 2010. In November 2010, Bow Wow said via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that he would love to do a sequel. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
is expected to begin in August 2011, in Atlanta. The plot is said to circle around Bow Wow's move and going to college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
with Naomi, and running into Sweetness again. The title is tentatively Roll Bounce 2.