Civil Brand

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Civil Brand

R

Released Aug 22, 2003

1h 35m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

16%

Tomatometer

19 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Things are tough at Whitehead Correctional Institute, a notorious women's prison. The inmates include Lil' Mamma (Lark Voorhies), a pregnant teen, and Nikki (N'Bushe Wright), the queen bee of Whitehead. The inmates are under the supervision of abusive warden Dease (Clifton Powell), who forces them to endure hours of hard labor, from which he profits. Eventually, the women band together and reach out to part-time prison guard Michael (Mos Def), a law student, who helps them fight for reform.

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Elizabeth Weitzman

New York Daily News

It's impossible to ignore the strain of misogyny that taints the movie.

Rated: 1.5/4

Oct 16, 2003

Full Review

V.A. Musetto

New York Post

Barnette, a veteran TV director, means this as an expos of prison abuse and exploitation, but the film is too simplistic and derivative to succeed.

Rated: 1/4

Oct 10, 2003

Full Review

Tom Long

Detroit News

Artistically, its heavy-handed clumsiness undercuts its goals.

Rated: D

Oct 10, 2003

Full Review

Todd Gilchrist

FilmStew.com

Wildly uneven, rife with a virtual checklist of human tragedies that build to easy emotional crescendos but fail to engage the audience well enough to evoke any meaning.

Dec 15, 2003

Full Review

Bob Campbell

Newark Star-Ledger

It's guilty of gross B-movie meltdown, but mitigating circumstances include honest anger and a scattering of vivid scenes.

Oct 13, 2003

Full Review

Jonathan W. Hickman

Entertainment Insiders

This is a film about the abuses of privatization and presents a negative view of what might happen if corporate America gets control of the business of corrections.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 11, 2003

Full Review

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StephenPaul C

The greatest 01 hour: and 35 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Crime kicks a**!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

it's a really awesome movie , i loved it .

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

LLLLOOOVVVEEE IIIITTTT

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

I feel like this if u going do all of this abuse it need to be shut down flat out a captain literally killed someone child

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE ABOUT THE VIOLENCE BEING COMMITTED AGAINST WOMEN IN PRISON, A TRUE SORY

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

may b direct2dvd script & direction, but.had some moments.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

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Neema Barnette

Director

Yasiin Bey

Michael Meadows

N'Bushe Wright

Nikki Barnes

Monica Calhoun

Wet

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Sabrina

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Synopsis

Things are tough at Whitehead Correctional Institute, a notorious women's prison. The inmates include Lil' Mamma (Lark Voorhies), a pregnant teen, and Nikki (N'Bushe Wright), the queen bee of Whitehead. The inmates are under the supervision of abusive warden Dease (Clifton Powell), who forces them to endure hours of hard labor, from which he profits. Eventually, the women band together and reach out to part-time prison guard Michael (Mos Def), a law student, who helps them fight for reform.

Director: Neema Barnette
Producer: Neema Barnette, Carl Petragal
Screenwriter: Joyce Lewis, Joyce Lewis, Preston A. Whitmore II, Preston A. Whitmore II
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Mandalay Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 22, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 7, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $243.3K
Runtime: 1h 35m

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