Directed by:
Spike LeeCinematography:
Kerwin DeVonishCast:
Michael Jackson (a.f.), Lee Daniels, David Foster, Janet Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Quincy Jones, Gladys Knight, John Legend, L.A. Reid (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
One morning, a television set broke down in a living room in Gary, Indiana, leaving a large family of children with nothing to do—so they started singing. Soon the family was singing at talent shows and winning trophies. Their first four recorded songs would top the charts, and launch the career of one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever known.
Director Spike Lee assembles a wealth of archival footage, interviews with contemporary talents and family members, and Michael's own words and image to create this insightful chronicle of the star's early rise to fame. An in-depth look at a chapter of his career that is rarely examined, Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall allows audiences to travel with Michael as he gets his start at Motown, strikes a new path with CBS records, and forges a relationship with legendary producer Quincy Jones. An illuminated portrait emerges of how an earnest, passionate, hard-working boy would become the "King of Pop."
(Sundance Film Festival)
Cast
Michael Jackson (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Michael Jackson Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour (1992) (concert)
Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory (1995) (video compilation)
Michael Jackson's Vision (2010) (video compilation)
Lee Daniels
USA
Best movies:
Agnes and His Brothers (2004)
Shadowboxer (2005)
David Foster
Canada
Janet Jackson
USA
Best movies:
Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory (1995) (video compilation)
Dangerous: The Short Films (1993) (video compilation)
Michael Jackson: HIStory on Film - Volume II (1997) (video compilation)
Jermaine Jackson
USA
Best movies:
Longshot (2001)
La Toya Jackson
USA
Best movies:
Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory (1995) (video compilation)
The Last Sharknado: It's About Time (2018) (TV movie)
Quincy Jones
USA
Best movies:
The Wiz (1978)
Sandy Wexler (2017)
Gladys Knight
USA
Best movies:
The Butler (2013) - a.f.
Ally McBeal (1997) (series)
Hollywood Homicide (2003)
John Legend
USA
Best movies:
Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour Live (2015) (concert)
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
La La Land (2016)
L.A. Reid
USA
Mark Ronson
UK
Best movies:
Spies in Disguise (2019)
Death of a Dynasty (2003)
Zoolander (2001)
Pharrell Williams
USA
Best movies:
Sing 2 (2021)
The Big Short (2015) - a.f.
The College Dropout Video Anthology (2005) (video compilation)
Stevie Wonder
USA
Best movies:
Live 8 (2005) (concert)
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial (2009) (concert)
Bikini Beach (1964)
Questlove
USA
Best movies:
Soul (2020)
Popstar (2016)
Bamboozled (2000)
The Weeknd
Canada
Best movies:
Uncut Gems (2019)
Verdine White
USA
Misty Copeland
USA
Best movies:
Sidney Lumet (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)