| FILMOGRAPHY |
PRECIOUS - FORMERLY KNOWN PUSH: BASED ON THE NOVEL BY SAPPHIRE Precious’s instincts tell her one thing: if she’s ever going to break from the chains of ignorance, she will have to dig deeply into her own resources.Don’t be misled—Push is not a film wallowing in the stillness of depression; instead, it vibrates with the kind of energy derived only from anger and hope. The entire cast are amazing; they carry out a firestorm of raw emotion. Daniels has drawn from them inimitable performances that will rivet you to your seat and leave you too shocked to breathe. If you passed Precious on the street, you probably wouldn’t notice her. But when her story is revealed, as Daniels does in this courageous film, you are left with an indelible image of a young woman who—with creativity, humor, and ferocity—finds the strength to turn her life around. Lee Daniels produced Monster's Ball, which made him the first African American sole producer of an Academy Award–winning film. His next producing credit was The Woodsman, which screened at Sundance in 2004, was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, and received the CICAE Arthouse Prize at the Cannes International Film Festival and a special mention from the National Board of Review. Daniels made his directorial debut with Shadowboxer in 2005 and most recently produced Tennessee. At the request of Bill Clinton, he also produced public-service announcements to encourage young people of color to vote (Article courtesy of Sundance Festival Official Website). TENNESSEE 
Mariah Carey will star in Tennessee, an independent drama to be directed by Aaron Woodley (Rhinoceros Eyes) from a script by Russell Schaumberg, reports Variety. The film will be produced by Lee Daniels (Monster's Ball) and shoots in New Mexico and Tennessee this spring.
Carey plays a waitress who sets off with two brothers to find their estranged father. Their goal: Get dad involved in saving their younger brother, who has leukemia. While Carey's movie resume is overshadowed by the disappointing 2001 film Glitter, Daniels got the idea to cast her after watching her Grammy-winning album "The Emancipation of Mimi" become the biggest selling disc of 2005 and viewing her work in 2002's WiseGirls. "I never saw 'Glitter,' but I liked her work in the other film. Because this character is interracial and struggles with all sorts of issues because of that, I thought she was perfect," said Daniels, who also produced "The Woodsman" and made his directing debut on the Helen Mirren-Cuba Gooding Jr. starrer "Shadowboxer" (Variety). Russell Schaumburg has written numerous feature-length film screenplays, including “Tennessee” and “The Man in the Woods”. Both placed among the top 50 finalists in the prestigious Chesterfield Writer’s Film Project. He was also a semifinalist in The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting program. Lee Daniels, producer of “Monster’s Ball” and “The Woodsman,” optioned Schaumburg’s “Tennessee” this past May, and its upcoming production was recently announced in Daily Variety. “Tennessee” is a story about two brothers who must return to their boyhood home in East Tennessee from New Mexico to find their abusive father when one of the brothers falls ill and needs a life-saving bone marrow transplant from the very man they ran from many years ago (Comingsoon.net). WISEGIRLS 
Wisegirls debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January of 2002. The reviews for Wisegirls were excelent. Mariah Carey had also excelent reviews for her performance.
This story revolves around the daily lives of three waitresses (Sorvino, Carey, Walters) who work at a restaurant run by the mafia (where the secret item on the menu is drugs), and end up getting involved with their bosses' "business". Mariah comes with this new film getting great reviews. Rychel is a waitress on a Italian restaurant, soon she feels a friendship with her partners (Sorvino & Walters). She is involved with her bosses bussiness. GLITTER 
Originally set to be called 'All That Glitters.' Glitter is the story of a young singer, Billie Frank (Carey), who overcomes a turbulent childhood and struggles to find her true family and her true voice.
Abandoned as a child by her mother, Billie is remanded to an orphanage. Years later, Billie is discovered by Julian Dice, a charismatic, “bad boy” deejay who soon becomes her partner, producer and lover. With Dice, Billie begins an exciting but often volatile and precarious journey as she struggles through both her personal and professional life, riding the roller coaster to superstardom. Mariah's fans really enjoyed Glitter. It is full of music, and an 80's enviroment; the first time I saw it I had the idea I was not going to like it, but I did like it, I think many bad press didn't even watch it. THE BACHELOR 
In 1999, Mariah debuted as an actress in the movie "The bachelor." "The Bachelor" is a romantic comedy about a bachelor played by Chris O'Donnell, who must get married in the next 24 hours in order to collect his inheritance of $100 million... Mariah plays a small role in this movie. She appears as O'Donnell's ex-girlfriend, who is an opera diva... The filming started in November 1998. Mariah remembers this scene in the Mirabella magazine: "It's over the top. I'm singing La Traviata, which is a highly dramatic opera-and my character dies at the end of the scene. The director said, "Okay, you need a stunt double for that [fall] right?" And I said, "Nah, I can do that," not realizing that I was going to have to do 30 more takes. My hips, my knees were killing me. A medic had to bring me ice, and I was like, "Never again." Jimmie Shannon (Chris O’Donnell) values his freedom more than life itself. As his male peers, even his best buddy, Marco (Artie Lange), begin to hook up in marriage, Jimmie continues happily plugging away with his dating lifestyle, in no rush to find “the one.” When he least expects it, Jimmie crosses paths with the adorable Anne (Renée Zellweger) and falls in love. After a three-year relationship, Jimmie feels the pressures of commitment and decides to "give in", reluctantly proposing to Anne at the most romantic of restaurants. Sensing his uncertainty and angry over his botched and lame attempt at a proposal, Anne dumps Jimmie back into the town known as "Bachelorville." Shortly thereafter, Jimmie’s grandfather (Peter Ustinov) passes away and wills a $100 million inheritance to his grandson, on the condition he marries before his thirtieth birthday, which is less than twenty-four hours away. After seeking advice from the family attorney, Gluckman (Ed Asner) and stock broker, O’Dell (Hal Holbrook), a desperate Jimmie hastily arranges for a priest (James Cromwell) to wait in the wings while he finds a bride. He tries to reconcile with Anne and several other ex-girlfriends, including Buckley (Brooke Shields), a well-to-do ex-debutante; Ilana (Mariah Carey), an opera singer; Monique (Katharine Towne), a chef; Daphne (Jennifer Esposito), a cop; Zoe (Stacy Edwards), a window dresser; Carolyn (Sarah Silverman), a college student; and Stacy (Rebecca Cross) a commodities broker. Through these hilarious antics, Jimmie can’t help but discover the true meaning of love. CAMEOS FILM: YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN 
FILM: STATE PROPERTY 2 A Lions Gate release of a Lions Gate/Dash Films presentation of a Dash Films/Lions Gate production. Produced by Damon Dash. Executive producers, Michael Paseornek, Beth Melillo. Co-producer, Per Melita. 
The Damon Dash-directed film featuring a sassy cameo from Mariah as "the Professionally Dressed Woman", was released on dvd in the United States on July 12, 2005. Director Damon Dash said it was mostly improvised. "We gave Mariah the gist of what to say and how to say it, then we went through it a couple of times and she got it. It's easy for her to act like a diva. She's not a real diva, but she acts like one really well. She gets the joke." TV: THE PROUD FAMILY Mariah's episode of the animated series The Proud Family. On this episode Oscar Proud's monkey is switched with someone else's (guess who??) at Dr. Trudy Proud's veterinarian office. 
TV: ALLY MCBEAL We've mentioned the fact that this last-ever series of Ally gets bogged down in an endless and increasingly desperate series of stunt star cameos. Well here's Mariah Carey to prove the point. The demented diva plays a key figure in a trial in which series regular Kimmie sues a matchmaking company for telling her she was unmatchable. Meanwhile, Ally-alike Jenny has to deal with her mother (guess what? guest star Jaqueline Bisset) getting married to a toyboy. Quite good episode though. 
Mariah had a brief, but very memorable appearance on an episode of Ally McBeal, which aired in January 2002. So memorable, that TV Guide made it the "Editors Choice" after reviewing every other television program airing in Primetime. Mariah played Candy Cushnip, the key witness on the defense side of a lawsuit against a matchmaking company that deemed a woman "unmatchable". Candy: But it's the worst thing that could happen to me. It was awful. She promised me a partner, but it was a fraud. Span: Ms. Cushnip, did you get dates through the defendant's service? Candy: Oh yes, "dates", but not with men who could even remotely be partners. She peppers you with dates but then nothing ever works out. And then she blamed it on me. And that's what was so hurtful. Span: You put in your video you liked the spotlight. Candy: Well, a lot of women like attention. Span: Yes, but you actually travel around with your very own technician and a spotlight don't you, Ms. Cushnip? Candy: It's an esteem device - that's all. A woman is prettier when she feels good about herself. Span: I see you brought your technician with you here Todd - Ms. Cushnip, would you feel more comfortable he lit you up? Candy: Maybe a little. Span: Go ahead, sir. Candy: Much better. [smiles and waves] |