Why Do Fools Fall in Love(film)

For the 1956 song by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, seeWhy Do Fools Fall in Love (song).

Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Gregory Nava
Screenplay by	Tina Andrews
Produced by	Paul Hall Stephen Nemeth
Starring	Halle Berry Vivica A. Fox Lela Rochon Larenz Tate Little Richard
Cinematography	Edward Lachman
Edited by	Nancy Richardson
Music by	Stephen James Taylor
Production company	Rhino Films
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date	August 28, 1998(1998-08-28)
Running time	116 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$12,461,773

Why Do Fools Fall in Loveis a 1998 Americanbiographical dramafilm directed byGregory Nava.Released byWarner Bros. Pictures,it is the true story ofFrankie Lymon,lead singer of the pioneering rock and roll groupThe Teenagersfor one year. Moreover, the film highlights the three women in his life, each of whom claim to have married Lymon and lay claim to his estate.

Written by Tina Andrews,Why Do Fools Fall in LovestarsHalle Berry,Vivica A. Fox,Lela Rochon,andLarenz Tate,who portrays Lymon.Little Richardalso appears in the film as himself.

"I Want You Back",one of the singles from the soundtrack, byMelanie BrownfeaturingMissy Elliott,peaked at number one on theUK Singles Chart.

Plot

Lymon was age 13 when the teenage groupFrankie Lymon & the Teenagerserupted from radios and jukeboxes with their 1956 hit "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?"and appeared in the movieRock, Rock, Rock(1956).

AfterMr. Rock and Roll(1957), Lymon started a solo singing career, but it all fell apart. Lymon's career was over by the time he was age 18, and he died of a heroin overdose seven years later.

Jumping from the 1950s to the 1960s, the film traces the rise and fall of Lymon (Larenz Tate) in a series of flashbacks as courtroom claims on Lymon's royalties are outlined by three women:Zola Taylor(Halle Berry) of the R&B groupThe Platters;Elizabeth Waters (Vivica A. Fox), a petty thief from Philadelphia; and schoolteacher Emira Eagle (Lela Rochon). Ending credits show the real Frankie Lymon singing his song "Goody Goody".

Little Richardalso makes a courtroom appearance, andMiguel A. Nunez Jr.portrays Little Richard in scenes set in the 1950s.

The film ends with Emira's winning Frankie's estate.

Cast

• Halle BerryasZola Taylor
• Vivica A. Foxas Elizabeth "Mickey" Waters
• Lela Rochonas Emira Eagle
• Larenz TateasFrankie Lymon
• Paul MazurskyasMorris Levy
• Pamela Reedas Judge Lambrey
• Alexis CruzasHerman Santiago
• Jon HuertasasJoe Negroni
• David Barry Gray as Peter Markowitz
• Miguel A. Nunez Jr.asYoung Little Richard

• Clifton Powellas Lawrence Roberts
• Lane Smithas Ezra Grahme
• Ben Vereenas Richard Barrett
• Paula Jai Parkeras Paula King
• Marcello Thedfordas Drug Dealer
• Norris Young as Jimmy
• Little Richardas himself
• Aries SpearsasRedd Foxx
• J. August Richardsas Sherman
• Shirley Caesaras minister/singer at funeral

Background

The screenplay of the film, written by actress-turned-screenwriter Tina Andrews, took 15 years to be produced. Director Gregory Nava used most of the technical staff from his prior filmSelena.

Filming locations

Filming locations include Jacksonville, Florida; Los Angeles; and Starke, Florida.

Distribution

The film was first presented at the Urbanworld Film Festival on August 8, 1998. The film opened in wide release on August 28, 1998 (1,369 theaters), and sales on the opening weekend were $3,946,382.Why Do Fools Fall in Loveran for eight weeks and eventually grossed $12,506,676 in the United States. At its widest release, the film was shown in 1,377 screens.

Reception

Critical response

On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,52% of 58 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "This is a fun comedy with delightful musical numbers."Roger Ebert was disappointed in the screenplay and ultimately Nava's direction of the film, and wrote "There are several angles this material might have been approached from, and director Gregory Nava tries several without hitting on one that works. By the end of the film, we're not even left with anyone to root for; we realize with a little astonishment, waiting for the court verdict, that we don't care who wins."

Film critic Peter Stack liked the film and believes director Nava smartly juggles a lot of elements in the picture. He wrote "Why Do Fools Fall in Loveis a fresh, enlightening example of how to take a tragic American show-business story and make it funny, warm and terrifically entertaining...[it] brims with joyful spirit and raucous comedy...[and the film] deftly juggles a surprising number of elements, but they all work. "

Accolades

Wins

• ALMA Award:Outstanding Latino Director of a Feature Film, Gregory Nava, 1999
• American Black Film Festival:Black Film Award; Best Actor, Larenz Tate, 1999

Nominations

• ALMA Awards: Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film in a Crossover Role, Miguel A. Núñez Jr.; Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Feature Film, Alexis Cruz, 1999
• American Black Film Festival: Black Film Award; Best Screenplay, Tina Andrews; Best Soundtrack, 1999

Soundtrack

Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Soundtrack albumby Various artists
Released	September 8, 1998
Recorded	1998
Genre	Hip hop,R&B
Label	Elektra/EastWest Records/The Gold Mind, Inc.
Producer	Missy Elliott,Timbaland,Big Baby, Suga Mike, Gerard Thomas, Donald "Lenny" Holmes, Anthony Dent,Brian Alexander Morgan,Kay Gee,Darren Lighty,Keri "K.L." Lewis
SinglesfromWhy Do Fools Fall in Love
"5 Minutes" Released: June 29, 1998 "No Fool, No More" Released: September 22, 1998 "Get on the Bus" Released: September 29, 1998 "I Want You Back" Released: October 13, 1998

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

Two soundtrack albums were released forWhy Do Fools Fall in LovebyWarner Music Group.Why Do Fools Fall in Love: Original Versions from the Movie,released on September 8, 1998 byRhino Records,contained fourteen songs, including five of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' original recordings. Also included are original hits byLittle Richard,The Platters,The Shirelles,Otis Reddingand others.

Why Do Fools Fall in Love: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picturewas released on the same day asOriginal Versions from the Movie,but on Warner'sEast West Recordslabel in conjunction withElektra RecordsandThe Goldmind Inc.Save for one vintage Little Richard song, it features newhip-hopandcontemporary R&Brecordings practically unrelated to the actual film (one track,Gina Thompson's "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", interpolates the Teenagers' hit and is featured over the film's end credits). Produced byMissy ElliottandTimbaland,the soundtrack album features songs by artists such as Elliott,Busta Rhymes,En Vogue,Destiny's Child,CokoofSWV,andMelanie Brown.

It peaked at 55 on theBillboard200and 15 on theTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albumsand spawned the singles "I Want You Back"by Melanie Brown featuring Missy Elliott (which peaked at number-one on theUK Singles Chart),En Vogue's "No Fool No More"(which peaked at 57 on theBillboardHot 100), and Destiny's Child's "Get on the Bus"(which peaked at 15 on the UK Singles Chart). SingerLil' Moalso made her debut with the single and music video for "Five Minutes".

Track listing

Why Do Fools Fall in Love: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture

No.	Title	Performer(s)	Length
1.	"Why Do Fools Fall in Love"	Gina Thompsonfeaturing Mocha	4:09
2.	"Get on the Bus"	Destiny's ChildfeaturingTimbaland	4:46
3.	"He Be Back"	CokofeaturingMissy Elliott	4:53
4.	"No Fool, No More"	En Vogue	4:17
5.	"Get Contact"	Missy Elliott &Busta Rhymes	3:31
6.	"Five Minutes"	Lil' Mofeaturing Missy Elliott	5:25
7.	"I Want You Back"	Melanie Bfeaturing Missy Elliott	3:53
8.	"About You"	Mista	5:13
9.	"Love Is for Fools"	Mint Condition	3:51
10.	"Without You"	Nicole Wray	4:22
11.	"Splash"	Next	5:09
12.	"What the Dealio"	Totalfeaturing Missy Elliott	4:01
13.	"Crazy Love"	Envyi featuring Baby Sham of theFlipmode Squad	4:00
14.	"Keep a Knockin'"	Little Richard	5:33

Why Do Fools Fall in Love: Original Versions from the Movie

No.	Title	Performer(s)	Length
1.	"Why Do Fools Fall in Love"	The Teenagers	2:19
2.	"Tutti Fruitti"	Little Richard	2:24
3.	"The Great Pretender"	The Platters	2:41
4.	"Baby, Baby"	Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers	2:08
5.	"Long Lonely Nights"	Clyde McPhatter	2:27
6.	"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"	The Platters	2:40
7.	"Little Bitty Pretty One"	Frankie Lymon	2:43
8.	"California Dreamin'"	The Mamas and the Papas	2:39
9.	"All Day and All of the Night"	The Kinks	2:24
10.	"The ABC's of Love"	Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers	1:58
11.	"Will You Love Me Tomorrow"	The Shirelles	2:43
12.	"Try a Little Tenderness"	Otis Redding	3:49
13.	"California Dreaming"	Bobby Womack	3:23
14.	"Goody Goody"	Frankie Lymon	2:11

External links

• Why Do Fools Fall in Loveat theAFI Catalog of Feature Films
• Why Do Fools Fall in LoveatIMDb
• Why Do Fools Fall in Loveat theTCM Movie Database
• Why Do Fools Fall in LoveatRotten Tomatoes
• Why Do Fools Fall in Lovefilm traileronYouTube