Main Cast: Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Spike Lee, Anthony Quinn, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee
Release Year: 1991
Country: US
Run Time: 131 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Spike Lee defines "jungle fever" as sexual attraction between members of two races. In his film Jungle Fever, he examines the repercussions of an interracial affair upon two very distinct communities. Wesley Snipes is Flipper, a happily married and successful architect, and Annabella Sciorra is Angie, an office temp. When she starts working in Flipper's Manhattan office, one day they look at each other and are soon having sex over a blueprint-strewn desk. Their liaison causes an explosion on both homefronts. Flipper's family consists of his father Doctor Purify (Ossie Davis), a former preacher; his mother Lucinda (Ruby Dee); his violent, crackhead brother Gator (Samuel L. Jackson); and his wife Drew (Lonette McKee), whom he loves, despite his sexual attraction to Angie. Angie's family is a typical Italian-American household from Bensonhurst. She's engaged to Paulie Carbonne (John Turturro), who works in a deli owned by his father Lou (Anthony Quinn). When the two families find out about Flipper and Angie's affair, their shock leads to recriminations and racial animosity. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
Focused on interracial relationships, Jungle Fever deals less with race than with how and why relationships go sour -- usually because people get into them for the wrong reasons and with the wrong expectations. Race is the main problem in the short-lived romance of Flipper Purify (Wesley Snipes) and Angie Tucci (Annabella Sciorra), but mainly because they deny that race forms almost the whole basis of their attraction. On the other hand, the budding romance of Paulie (John Turturro) and Nilda (Phillis Stickney) makes clear that race isn't an issue if two people love each other. While Lee looks at romance at its best and worst, he also examines a family in collapse, as crack addict Gator (Samuel L. Jackson, in a remarkable performance that won a special award at the Cannes Film Festival) betrays his family's trust to support his habit. In short, like most of Spike Lee's best films, Jungle Fever has a lot more to say than a one-line description would lead you to believe, and, as always, Lee puts across his message with intelligence, skill, humanity, and occasional (and welcome) humor. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
John Turturro - Paulie Carbone; Samuel L. Jackson - Gator Purify; Lonette McKee - Drew; Frank Vincent - Mike Tucci; Halle Berry - Vivian; Tyra Ferrell - Orin Good; Veronica Webb - Vera; Veronica Timbers - Ming; David Dundara - Charlie Tucci; Bob Adrian - Man on the Street; Rick Aiello - Officer Long; Mamie Louise Anderson - Mouth #2; Curtis Atkins - Paperboy; Michael Badalucco - Frankie Botz; Melvin Bethea - Drug Dealer; Yvette Brooks - Mouth #1; Danielle Coleman - Woman Panhandler; Averell Curtle - Young Panhandler; Franc D'Ambrosio; Joseph D'Onofrio - Patty; Doug E. Doug - Friend of Livin' Large; Brad Dourif - Leslie; Richard Edson; Frank Esposito - Frankie-Denise's Brother; Joseph Giammarino - Boy in Candy Store; Talese Harris - Iris; Tiger Haynes; Michael Imperioli - James Tucci; Queen Latifah - Lashawn; Ewart Lauder - Drug Dealer; Shawn Lowenthal - 2nd Boy in Candy Store; Gina Mastrogiacomo - Louise; Randolph May - Man in Crack Den; Debi Mazar - Denise; El-Shah Muhammad - Gentleman in Wheelchair; Charlie Murphy - Livin' Large; Marilyn Nelson - Crack Lady; Anthony Nocerino - Veeshay; Steve Randazzo - Sonny; Theresa Randle - Inez; Scot Anthony Robinson - 2nd Friend of Livin' Large; Miguel Sandoval - Officer Ponte; Catherine Scorsese; Charles Scorsese; Phyllis Stickney - Nilda; Nicholas Turturro - Vinny; Pamela Tyson - Angela; Suzanna White - Church Lady; Tim Robbins - Jerry
Credit
Robi Reed - Casting, Monty Ross - Co-producer, Ruth E. Carter - Costume Designer, Randy Fletcher - First Assistant Director, H.H. Cooper - First Assistant Director, Spike Lee - Director, Sam Pollard - Editor, Brunilda Torres - Editor, Terence Blanchard - Composer (Music Score), Stevie Wonder - Composer (Music Score), Stevie Wonder - Songwriter, Wynn P. Thomas - Production Designer, Ernest R. Dickerson - Cinematographer, Spike Lee - Producer, Jon Kilik - Producer, Ted Glass - Set Designer, Spike Lee - Screenwriter
