Themes: Playing the Field, Party Film, Love Triangles
Main Cast: Ric Young, Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, Vivica A. Fox, Tamala Jones, Art Malik
Release Year: 1997
Country: US
Run Time: 79 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
It's 3 a.m. -- do you know where your condoms are? That's one of the dilemmas befalling the characters in this raunchy comedy. Rushon (Tommy Davidson) is a mild-mannered Buppie who has been going out with his girlfriend Nikki (Tamala Jones) for about seven weeks; they seem to like each other well enough, but the relationship has been mainly platonic, and Nikki isn't so sure that she wants that to change. Rushon asks Nikki out to dinner, but Nikki wants to bring along her tart-tongued friend Lysterine (Viveca A. Fox). Rushon has to find a date for her, and he comes up with his rude-boy buddy Bunz (Jamie Foxx). Lysterine and Bunz soon hit it off, and, to Rushon's surprise, Nikki decides it's time for their relationship to move to the physical level. Only one problem: this is the '90s, and all parties involved want to be sure they're practicing safe sex. Which means Rushon and Bunz have to find some condoms fast, before the evening's mood evaporates. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
It would be extreme generosity to credit Booty Call with anything other than popularizing a dubious catchphrase. And that's too bad, because some imagination could have pushed it toward the demented where-the-night-takes-you logic of Martin Scorcese's After Hours, another experiment in wee-hours absurdism conducted in the laboratory of New York City. The fruitless quest for condoms might be genius material for a lowbrow farce, but not with these people calling the shots. Screenwriters Takashi Bufford and Bootsie might have taunted these frustrated playas by forever dangling their quarry just out of reach, which would have doubled as a mild comment on the folly of their booty-or-bust mentality. But instead of throwing roadblocks in their path, the writers resort to misogyny by blaming the booty blockade on the capricious women -- sketched either as teasing prude (Tamala Jones) or insatiable freak (Vivica Fox) -- who balk at the imperfections of each newly procured prophylactic. (And for all its jokes about stamina, the film requires a pointless hospital scene at the end to last even a scant 70 minutes). Booty Call is maliciously indifferent about so many details that only the most insulting can really be named. In fact, even citing its near misses is too generous, since that involves the film in a discussion too discerning for such over-simplified vulgarity. Even though Booty Call qualified as a minor hit and zeitgeist moment, its only real score was to provide an early showcase for Jamie Foxx, who would find more satisfying conquests down the road. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Scott LaRose - Singh; David Hemblen - Dr. Blade; Bernie Mac - Judge Peabody; Gedde Watanabe - Chan; Ric Young; Robert Bidaman - Dr. Zevroloski; Ammie Sin - Yoyo; Amy Monique Waddell - Argueing Woman
Credit
Armando Sgrignuoli - Art Director, Ronnie Yeskel - Casting, Mary Vernieu - Casting, John M. Eckert - Co-producer, Jeffrey Steven Authors - First Assistant Director, Jeff Pollack - Director, Christopher Greenbury - Editor, Robert Folk - Composer (Music Score), Sandra Kybartas - Production Designer, Ron Orieux - Cinematographer, John Morrissey - Producer, Douglas Ganton - Sound/Sound Designer, Takashi Bufford - Screenwriter, Bootsie - Screenwriter, J. Stanford Parker - Screenwriter
Booty Call is about a tender-hearted, upwardly-mobile African American named Rushon (Davidson) who has been dating his girlfriend Nikki (Jones) for seven weeks. They really like each other, but their relationship has not yet been consummated; Nikki is not so sure if their relationship is ready for the next stage.
Rushon asks Nikki out to dinner, but Nikki wants it to be a double date. She brings her opinionated friend Lysterine (Vivica A. Fox), and Rushon comes with his "bad boy" buddy Bunz (Foxx). Lysti and Bunz hit it off very quickly, and to Rushon's surprise, Nikki decides it is time for their relationship to move to the next level. However, they have one small problem: this is the 90s, and everyone wants to practice "safe sex." Therefore, Rushon and Bunz must go on wild adventures trying to find "protection" before the evening's mood evaporates.
