''Foolish'' is a 1999 comedy drama film directed by Dave Meyers and starring

Master P Percy Robert Miller Sr. (born April 29, 1967), known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record executive, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the record label No Limit Records, which was relaunched as ...

and Eddie Griffin. It was No Limit Films second theatrical release after '' I Got the Hook-Up''.

Plot

Quentin "Fifty Dollah" Waise (

) is involved in a crime ring that earns him good money but worries his grandmother Odetta (

Marla Gibbs Marla Gibbs (born Margaret Theresa Bradley; June 14, 1931) is an American actress, singer, comedian, writer and television producer, whose career spans six decades. Gibbs is known for her role as George Jefferson's maid, Florence Johnston, in t ...

), who dotes on him and encourages him to follow a more righteous path. Fifty Dollah's brother Miles "Foolish" Waise ( Eddie Griffin), who got his nickname from Odetta, is an aspiring comedian, but his inability to get his career going convinces his older sibling he's wasting his talents. The movie pays homage to several of Griffin's idols, such as

Redd Foxx John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights moveme ...

Robin Harris Robin Hughes Harris Sr. (August 30, 1953 – March 18, 1990) was an American comedian and actor, best known for his recurring comic sketch about "Bébé's Kids". He was posthumously nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting ...

and

Sammy Davis, Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

who appear as feet under restroom stalls while he prepares to perform. His idols inspire Foolish to do well in his shows, which are widely attended and scheduled last to keep the bar customers drinking, but he has home trouble with his girlfriend and their son, and after the death of his grandmother, seems unable either to keep a gig or to move on. Fifty Dollah tries to give him the push he needs and tries to get his own life in order, but is distracted both by problems with criminal leader Eldorado Ron (

Andrew Dice Clay Andrew Dice Clay (born Andrew Clay Silverstein; September 29, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He rose to prominence in the late 1980s with a brash, deliberately offensive persona known as "The Diceman". In 1990, he became the fi ...

) and by a painful love triangle with his brother and the girl they both like (Amie) (Amy Petersen).

Cast

as Quentin "Fifty Dollah" Waise * Eddie Griffin as Miles "Foolish" Waise * Amie Petersen as Desiree * Frank Sivero as Giovanni * Daphne Duplaix as Clarisse * Jonathan Banks as "Numbers" *

as Ron "Eldorado Ron" * Sven-Ole Thorsen as Paris *

as Odetta Waise * Traci Bingham as Simone *

Bill Nunn William Goldwyn Nunn III (October 20, 1953 – September 24, 2016) was an American actor known for his roles as Radio Raheem in Spike Lee's film ''Do the Right Thing'', Robbie Robertson in the Sam Raimi ''Spider-Man'' film trilogy and as Terr ...

as Jimmy Beck * Clifton Powell as Everette Washington * AJ Johnson as Himself * Traequon Tolbert as Miles Waise Jr. * Brion James as Ruben Reyes, Talent Scout (uncredited)

Soundtrack

A soundtrack containing hip hop music was released on March 23, 1999 by

No Limit Records No Limit Records is an American record company founded by Master P. The label's albums were distributed by Priority Records, Universal and Koch Records. The label included artists such as Snoop Dogg, Mercedes, Silkk the Shocker, Mystikal, Mi ...

. It peaked at #32 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and #10 on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine that ranks contemporary R&B, R&B and hip hop music, hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. Th ...

References

External links

* * * {{No Limit Records 1999 films 1999 comedy-drama films African-American comedy-drama films Hood comedy films Artisan Entertainment films Films directed by Dave Meyers (director) 1999 directorial debut films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films