>While I appreciated Condon using bits and pieces of the actual
>Motown backstory to flesh the film out (and to give it a less
>abstract setting with the Rainbow Records headquarters), it
>creates the problem of people confusing "Dreamgirls" with an
>attempted Motown biopic or docudrama. A lot of reviewers are
>arguing about historical inaccuracies....isn't this supposed
>to be fiction.
>
The problem with the theory of "Dreamgirls" NOT being a Motwon biopic is that they borrwed SO heavily from the Motown story when writing the adaptation from changing the setting of the story to Detroit to having the original Rainbow records offices being in the car dealership then later moving to Hollywood, to the blatent jacking of Motown 25. They jacked Motown 25 all the way down to minor details like Diana and Berry being prominently seated up in the balcony and then Diana doing the whole stroll down the aisle with her fur to meet the waiting Supremes onstage and doing the whole blowing the kiss thing to Berry. All were contained in the movie. Deena being cast in Cleopatra where as she says "the character stays 16 years old throughtout the movie" a la "The Wiz." I'll be honest, as a Bonafide Motown junkie, I sat there in the theatre calling out all the references to Motown. Things that were not in the original production. They went through to many pains to make it LOOK like Motown when they didnt have to just to come back and say "no, no, its not about Motown..." More then likely cause they thougt it wouldnt be picked up or fuck it maybe they just didnt care!