Dreamgirls Wiki 2024 & Lots of Interesting Facts About the Movie

Dreamgirls Wiki/Dreamgirls Wikipedia

If you would like to see the Wikipedia entry for Dreamgirls, click here.

Dreamgirls Ending Explained/Dream Girls Ending

The ending of “Dreamgirls” resolves the central conflicts and storylines of the film.

Here’s a summary of the movie’s ending:

Spoiler Alert: Plot Details Below

At the end of the film, several significant events occur such as:

1. Deena’s Solo Career: Deena Jones (played by Beyoncé Knowles), who was a member of the girl group “The Dreamettes,” has left the group to pursue a solo career. She is now a successful solo artist and is seen performing a song called “Listen” in a glamorous concert setting. This marks her triumph as a solo artist and reflects her journey from being in the group to finding her own path.

Dreamgirls (Film): Dreamgirls Plot/Dreamgirls Summary

So what exactly did I find so great about Dreamgirls?

Before I get into that, let me give you (without spoiling) a brief Dreamgirls synopsis.

Dreamgirls Storyline

In the words of Wikipedia:

“Dreamgirls” follows the lives of Effie White, Deena Jones, and Lorrell Robinson, three young women who form an R&B singing trio from Detroit, Michigan called “The Dreamettes”. Thanks to manipulative agent and record executive Curtis Taylor, Jr., the Dreamettes become famous as the backing group for soul singer James “Thunder” Early. Conflict arises when Curtis transforms “The Dreamettes” into the pop-friendly “Dreams,” particularly when he has Deena replace Effie as both lead singer of the group and as his romantic interest.

But…the plot, albeit interesting, was not what I found so great about this movie.

What I really loved were the musical performances and the cinematography.

Jennifer Hudson, who plays Effie White, can not only sing but also act (she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her debut role)!

But she was not the only outstanding one.

Of course, Beyoncé did her thing, as did Jamie Foxx, as did they all.

Is Dreamgirls Based on a True Story?

Dreamgirls is a fictional story but draws heavy inspiration from the real-life history of Motown Records and the rise of Diana Ross and The Supremes.

While it is not directly based on true events, the parallels between the fictional characters and real-life figures in the music industry are undeniable.

• The Dreamettes and The Supremes: The central group in the film, The Dreamettes (later The Dreams), closely resembles The Supremes. Deena Jones (played by Beyoncé) mirrors Diana Ross, as she becomes the group’s lead singer despite others being more vocally powerful. Effie White (Jennifer Hudson) is reminiscent of Florence Ballard, an original member of The Supremes who was later replaced.
• Curtis Taylor Jr. and Berry Gordy: Jamie Foxx‘s character, Curtis Taylor Jr., is loosely based on Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records. Like Curtis, Gordy was known for his strong influence over his artists’ careers and personal lives.
• James “Thunder” Early and Various Artists: Eddie Murphy‘s character, James “Thunder” Early, reflects elements of real-life performers like James Brown, Marvin Gaye, and others who struggled with changing musical trends and personal issues.

While the film weaves in elements that echo true events, it is ultimately a work of fiction designed to capture the essence of an era in American music rather than serve as a direct biography.

Dreamgirls Reviews/The Dreamgirls Musical Reviews

We all know, for the most part, that singers don’t usually make good actors, right? (Am I the only one who thinks this?) I wonder then: what makes so many musicians think they can make it in the movie industry just because they made it in the music industry? Is it because they think it is just all art?

Well, that was the train of thought I was on when I first saw posters and trailers for the Dreamgirls musical.

Although I saw that Dreamgirls featured a star-studded (all-black starring) cast, the inclusion of Beyoncé Knowles in that cast made me think that her presence in the film would probably be the movie’s greatest glory.

I decided, then, that I would watch the movie if I happened to be going to the cinema around the time it was showing, but I definitely was not going to make any special effort to see it.

That was my stance!

And then…a couple of months later, I was at home, bored out of my mind.

A friend had lent me one of those 8-in-1 DVDs, which I was a little reluctant to watch because I am not really a movie-at-home kind of girl.

Still, desperate to ease my boredom, I slotted the DVD into my laptop before going to bed and began to watch Dreamgirls.

Two hours and eleven minutes later found me clapping furiously at my laptop screen as the credits began to roll. That was how moving I found the movie.

Believe it or not, that was not the first time during the film where I felt moved to clap!

I had not only clapped several other times in the film, but at one point, had to stop the movie and rewind it just so I could re-watch a particularly poignant scene in the film. (For those who have already watched Dreamgirls, can you guess which scene that was? 😉 )

Yes, I really, really enjoyed this movie! Ok, let me proceed with my Dreamgirls review.

Dream Girls Review: Cinematography

I loved how the scenes were strung together in order to convey information central to the storyline such as the passage of time and the political and social climate of the day.

Dreamgirls Revue: The Music

I never knew to what extent music in a motion picture could be used to tell a story, and that it could do this so aptly. Still, I’d like to say, although Dreamgirls is heavy on music, it does have enough dialogue so that one is not overwhelmed by all the singing (if you’ve watched the movie before, is that what you thought too, or did you think it was very heavy on music?).

Photo Credits: richardcrouse.ca