- For the album by EPMD, see Strictly Business (album)
| Strictly Business | |
|---|---|
 The movie poster for Strictly Business. |
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| Directed by | Kevin Hooks |
| Produced by | Mark Burg, Chris Zarpas, Andre Harrell |
| Written by | Nelson George, Pam Gibson |
| Starring | Tommy Davidson, Joseph C. Phillips, Anne-Marie Johnson, David Marshall Grant, Jon Cypher, Samuel L. Jackson, Halle Berry, Sam Rockwell |
| Music by | Michel Colombier |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | November 8 1991 |
| Running time | 83 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Strictly Business (1991) is a comedy starring Tommy Davidson, Joseph C. Phillips, and Halle Berry. The film was directed by Kevin Hooks who has directed many other films and television series. In addition to Davidson, Phillips, and Berry, Strictly Business has additional cast members of Anne-Marie Johnson, David Marshall Grant, Jon Cypher, and Samuel L. Jackson. The film is billed as a comedy but is also labeled as a romantic comedy. The films follows the ways of a mail clerk to hook his executive friend up with his clubbing girl pal. It plays on comedy, business, romance, and even ethics sometimes. The film has appearances by some up and comers in the entertainment industry such as a young Sam Rockwell and the R&B group Jodeci right before they hit it big. The film was released in November of 1991 and went on to gross over seven million dollars at the box office. The movie was made for a selected audience and was not as widely released as most films of the day. Another reason for the low income amount by the movie is the relative list of unknowns in the movie although many of these actors went on to become stars. The film was shot at various locations in New York City. The two prime locations used in shooting the film were Harlem and Manhattan.
Synopsis
Fun-loving Bobby is a mail clerk in a big firm, but he has a trump card, his best friend Waymon, an African-American who is almost a partner in the firm. They make a deal: Waymon will try to move Bobby to the trainee broker program if he will help him meet Natalie, the girl of his dreams. There's only one problem, everyone will have to change.
Characters
Bobby Johnson (Tommy Davidson): Bobby is a mail clerk at a major real estate firm in New York City who is care free. He is a party type who is always going out even when he has to work the next day. Despite his meek background and his club status he has some big time connections. He is the one who hook Waymon and Natalie up...if Waymon makes Bobby his trainee. Waymon Tinsdale III (Joseph C. Phillips): Waymon is a big business man who is about to be made a partner at the firm if he can close out a big deal. He is stuck in an unhappy relationship and by chance bumps into the woman of his dreams while out to lunch one day. His friend Bobby holds the key to hooking both of them up because he knows both of them and how to connect them. Diedre (Anne-Marie Johnson): She is the girlfriend of Waymon. She doesn't really love him but is with him because they make a good team. She is very controlling and is very materialistic. David (David Marshall Grant): He is a big business man and works at the firm with Waymon and Bobby. He pretends to be Waymon's friend but is actually racist and is plotting against him to fail in his latest deal. Drake (Jon Cypher): He is the owner of the firm that Bobby and Waymon work at. He is the one who will promote Waymon if the deal goes through. Monroe (Samuel L. Jackson): He is the supervisor of the mailroom. He is a person who tries to assert his authority at all given times and also tries to suck up when the high ups are around. He is always looking for a reason to get Bobby. Natalie (Halle Berry): She is Waymon's dream girl. She is a club girl who sets up clubs and gets patrons to come and fill them. She also has dreams of owning her own club some day. Gary (Sam Rockwell) : A St. John's graduate (who is also Bobby's Friend/former co-worker) who got a promotion (to work upstairs) by David.
