Life (1999 film)

Life is a 1999 American buddy comedy-drama film directed by Ted Demme. The film stars Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. It is the second film featuring Murphy and Lawrence together (the first being Boomerang, in 1992). The supporting cast includes Ned Beatty, R. Lee Ermey, Obba Babatundé, Bernie Mac, Anthony Anderson, Miguel A. Núñez Jr., Bokeem Woodbine, Guy Torry, Michael Taliferro and Barry Shabaka Henley.

Life
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ted Demme
Written by	Robert Ramsey Matthew Stone
Produced by	Brian Grazer Eddie Murphy
Starring	Eddie Murphy Martin Lawrence
Cinematography	Geoffrey Simpson
Edited by	Jeffrey Wolf
Music by	R. Kelly Wyclef Jean
Production company	Imagine Entertainment
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	April 16, 1999 (1999-04-16)
Running time	109 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$80 million[1]
Box office	$73.4 million[1]

The film is framed as a story being told by an elderly inmate about two of his friends, Ray (Murphy) and Claude (Lawrence), who are both wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

It received an Oscar nomination for Best Makeup at the 72nd Academy Awards. Life failed to meet the studio's expectations at the box office, and received mixed reviews from critics. The film later found a strong cult following among Murphy and Lawrence’s fans, establishing Life as a cult classic.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Plot

In 1997, at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, elderly convict Willie Long tells two inmates his friends' life stories at their burial. Ray Gibson and Claude Banks, vastly different New Yorkers, meet at the club Spanky's in 1932. Small-time thief Ray picks Claude as a mark in a bathroom, who had just been cleaned out by debt collectors.

Ray convinces Spanky to allow them to pay off their debts via bootlegging. Buying Mississippi "hooch" down south, they stop in a local bar. Ray loses his father's prized pocketwatch to card hustler Winston Hancock, and Claude gets swindled by a woman. Outside, racist sheriff Warren Pike kills Hancock, framing Ray and Claude.

Ray and Claude are given life sentences at the infamous hard labor Camp 8. They immediately clash with the guards and meet fellow inmates Jangle Leg (who hits on Claude), Willie Long, Biscuit (involved with Jangle Leg), Radio, Goldmouth (who picks a fight with Ray, but later befriends him), Cookie the chef, and Pokerface.

Claude's attorney cousin loses his appeal, then seduces his girlfriend. With no chance at freedom, Claude and Ray break out, reaching Tallahatchie before being recaptured.

12 years later, Claude and Ray meet young, mute inmate "Can't-Get-Right", a talented baseball player scouted by a Negro league and offered a pardon to play. Sensing an opportunity for freedom, Ray and Claude introduce themselves as his handlers.

Despite his talent, Camp 8's superintendent Abernathy's daughter Mae Rose often distracts Can't-Get-Right. After she gives birth to a mulatto boy, Abernathy demands to know who is the father. Various inmates claim to be, embarrassing him. All present laugh at him, so Abernathy quits on the spot.

At a dance social, Biscuit confides to Ray that he is due for release but fears his family will not accept his homosexuality. Despite Ray’s sincere encouragement, Biscuit commits suicide by crossing the gun line, to the other inmates' shock and heartache.

Can't-Get-Right is soon released without Ray and Claude, which causes extreme frustration and a bitter falling out between them, ending their friendship. Over the following years, Ray attempts several lone escapes unsuccessfully.

By 1972, Ray and Claude are still not speaking; all their friends but Willie have either died or been released. One day, Claude snaps, running past the gun line to steal a pie - due to a flashback when he unsuccessfully attempted to buy one in a whites-only diner - and his punishment is to stand barefoot on a case of bottles. Dillard offers to set Ray free if he will shoot Claude should he move. He refuses, so is given the same punishment. Touched, Claude apologizes, and they finally make amends.

Ray and Claude are transferred to live and work at Superintendent Dexter Wilkins' mansion. Ray does yard work, while Claude works inside and befriends Wilkins. Claude is entrusted to pick up the new superintendent, former Sheriff Warren Pike.

While on a pheasant hunt one day, Ray confronts Pike upon seeing him wearing his father's watch and the scar on his cheek, realizing he framed them 40 years ago. Pike then recognizes Ray and threatens to kill him.

Ray points Pike's shotgun at him, explaining to Wilkins that Pike framed them for murder. The sheriff admits it with no remorse. Furious, Ray tries to kill him as Claude struggles to stop him, while Pike pulls a hidden Derringer on them. Realizing they are innocent and disgusted with Pike, Wilkins kills him, calling it a hunting accident. Avenged, Ray reclaims the watch. Wilkins apologizes for their unjust imprisonment, promising to issue them pardons, but suffers a fatal heart attack before he can.

In 1997, present day, Ray and Claude live in the prison infirmary with Willie. Claude tells Ray of a new plan, which Ray initially rejects, but then follows Claude to hear more. That night, the infirmary catches fire, and they seemingly perish. The inmates are saddened by the story, and Willie then reveals that Ray and Claude planted two bodies from the morgue in their beds, started the blaze, then escaped in the fire trucks.

Ray and Claude immediately return to NYC and go to a Yankees game. Free, they are happily living together in Harlem.

Cast

• Eddie Murphy as Rayford "Ray" Gibson
• Martin Lawrence as Claude Banks
• Obba Babatundé as Willie Long
• Ned Beatty as Dexter Wilkins
• Bernie Mac as "Jangle Leg"
• Miguel A. Núñez Jr. as "Biscuit"
• Clarence Williams III as Winston Hancock
• Barry Shabaka Henley as "Pokerface"
• Brent Jennings as Bob "Hoppin' Bob"
• Guy Torry as "Radio"
• Nick Cassavetes as Sergeant Dillard
• Bokeem Woodbine as "Can't-Get-Right"
• Anthony Anderson as "Cookie"
• Michael Taliferro as "Goldmouth"
• Sanaa Lathan as Daisy
• O'Neal Compton as Superintendent Abernathy
• Noah Emmerich as Stan Blocker
• R. Lee Ermey as Older Sheriff Pike
  • Ned Vaughn as Younger Sheriff Pike
• Heavy D as Jake
• Kenn Whitaker as Isaac
• Bonz Malone as Leon
• Lisa Nicole Carson as Sylvia
• Poppy Montgomery as Older Mae Rose
• Johnny Brown as Blind Reverend Clay
• Don Harvey as Billy Bob
• Rick James as "Spanky"
• Leon Turner as "Arm That Went Up" (uncredited)

Production

In July 1996, it was announced Eddie Murphy would star in the buddy comedy Life.^[7][8] The film was the result of a pitch Murphy gave to Brian Grazer, whom Murphy previously worked with on The Nutty Professor.^[9] The film was the first of a two-movie deal between Murphy and Imagine Entertainment, the second being Bowfinger.^[9][10]

Although Life is set in Parchman, Mississippi, it was filmed in California.^[11] Filming locations in the Los Angeles area included Downey^[12] and Norwalk,^[13] in addition to the Universal Pictures backlot.^[9] Locations in northern California included Sacramento,^[14] Brentwood, and Locke. Filming took place from March to June 1998.^[15]

Reception

Box office

Life was released on April 16, 1999 in North America. On its opening weekend, the film grossed $20,414,775, making it one of the biggest April openings at that time.^[1][16] However, its gross the next weekend amounted to $11,257,995, and $6,481,175 in its third weekend.^[10][1] Its domestic run concluded with $63,886,029 for a worldwide total of $73,475,268, making it a financial disappointment.^[1][10]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Life has an approval rating of 52% based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The site's critic consensus reads, "Entertaining if not over-the-top humor from a solid comic duo provides plenty of laughs."^[17] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[18] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.^[19]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times gave a positive review, writing "Lawrence and Murphy make an entertaining team", and noting "Murphy in particular develops a more substantial personality than might be expected here. As he evolves affectingly from a fast-talking hotshot into an old man with the growl and gait of a venerable blues singer, he seems to be reaching for a greater acting opportunity than this lightweight material can offer. It's a performance that feels solid even when the film is at its most formulaic, or when it vacillates strangely."^[20]

Since its release, the film has gained a strong cult following, with Elliot Smith of Entertainment Weekly classifying it as one of Murphy’s best:

A surprisingly touching buddy comedy-drama that both lives up to and subverts audience expectations, Life has become a cult classic over the past 20-plus years, showing the artistic range of stars Murphy and Martin Lawrence. The film is greatly aided by the steady hand of director Ted Demme, who gives his actors both freedom to shine while also reining in their overwrought impulses.^[21]

Accolades

• Academy Awards^[22]
  • nominated, Rick Baker for Best Makeup (1999)
• NAACP Image Award^[23]
  • nominated for Outstanding Motion Picture (2000)
• BMI Film & TV Awards^[24]
  • (won) for Most Performed Song from a Film (2000)
• Blockbuster Entertainment Awards^[25]
  • nominated with Eddie Murphy for Favorite Comedy Team (2000) for the movie
  • nominated for Favorite Song from a Movie (Fortunate)

Soundtrack

Main article: Life (soundtrack)

A soundtrack containing hip hop and R&B music was released on March 16, 1999 on Rock Land/Interscope Records. It peaked at 10 on the Billboard 200 and 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and was certified platinum with over 1 million copies sold on June 18, 1999.