Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Jackie's Back!

1999 1h 36m Comedy List
Reviews 87% Audience Score 250+ Ratings
A British documentarian (Tim Curry) profiles a washed-up diva (Jenifer Lewis) as she prepares for her comeback concert. Read More Read Less

Critics Reviews

View All (1) Critics Reviews
Chase Burns The Stranger (Seattle, WA) That tension, between the overblown diva and her crew, underlines much of the jokes in Jackie's Back. Dec 9, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (16) audience reviews
Kathy M This is absolutely hilarious! I truly loved seeing so many long gone actors/actresses. Highly recommend for fun entertainment. I will watch again and recommend. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/09/23 Full Review Audience Member In the spirit of classic "mockumentaries" like Spinal Tap and Best In Show, Jenifer Lewis shines as Jackie Washington, a has-been singer trying desperately to make a comeback. As a child, Jackie had a huge hit with her song Yield, but hasn't had a hit since. That doesn't stop her from trying. Sprinkled throughout the film are several of her songs through the decades. With Jenifer Lewis' impeccable comic timing and powerhouse vocals, we see spoofs of many black female singers from Diana Ross to to Patti Labelle.  An accomplished actor who had been under the radar for far too long, here Jenifer Lewis magnificently embraces and embodies the term "diva." (You may have seen her since in Blackish.) The infectious melodies and clever lyrics come from Marc Shaiman (most famously know for Hairspray). Here are lyrics from the song Look at Me, belted out in classic Shirley Bassey style: They say to love somebody else/ You've got to learn to love yourself/ And so I proudly show this face/ Like it's an Oscar on the shelf/ To hell with all false modesty/ If it's perfection you must see/ Look at me! But as Jackie tells it, "Them others.... I'm not gonna name names. But they all stole from me. Aretha. Whitney. Little Brandy. Streisand. Diahann Caroll. And oh, Bea Arthur. They all stole from me." This gem is the funniest film you've never seen. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Funniest movies ever, I see something new every time I watch!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Frances H Funny mockumentary with a hilarious performance by Jenifer Lewis and a wonderful cast of cameos. Good as Spinal Tap and Waiting for Guffman. Tim Curry is great as the narrator of the documentary in a characteristically over-the-top performance. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/31/13 Full Review Audience Member Hilarious!!!! I love Jenifer Lewis!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member If you really want a laugh till your belly hurts film, this is the one. The star studded cameos ( and there are tons of them ) make it even more hilarious. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Jackie's Back!

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A British documentarian (Tim Curry) profiles a washed-up diva (Jenifer Lewis) as she prepares for her comeback concert.
Director
Robert Townsend
Producer
Gideon Amir, Mark Alton Brown, Dee LaDuke, Jenifer Lewis
Screenwriter
Dee LaDuke, Mark Alton Brown
Production Co
Hearst Entertainment Productions, Krost/Chapin Productions
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Mar 19, 2002
Runtime
1h 36m