Get on the Bus

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Get on the Bus

R,

1996,

2h 0m,

Drama/

LGBTQ+

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Watchlist

Watchlist

88%

41 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A disparate group of African-American men climb on a bus bound for the Million-Man March in Washington, D.C. -- among them, Evan Sr. (Thomas Jefferson Byrd) and his son, Smooth (De'aundre Bonds), who have been shackled together as a condition of Smooth's temporary probation. Although the group begins the trip as strangers, their shared stories and experiences unite them as their discourse builds a portrait of what it means to be black in America.

Critics Consensus

Get on the Bus finds Spike Lee pulling a page from history with fervor and flair, offering a strong, stirring fact-based drama further elevated by an array of solid performances.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Feb 26, 2018

The wonder of this funky, heartfelt film is that its humanity easily eclipses its didacticism. Working fast and cheap, Lee seems revitalized by the urgency of the endeavor.

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Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Oct 18, 2008

It's a simple, appealing premise and filmmaker Spike Lee uses it to full comic advantage.

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

Sep 24, 2008

A vital regeneration of a filmmaker's talent as well as a bracing and often very funny dramatization of urgent sociopolitical themes...

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Keith Boykin

The Advocate

Apr 5, 2022

Lee's movie should be credited for portraying what no other black feature film (including John Singleton's Higher Learning, Forest Whitaker's Exhale, and Lee's own previous films) has shown before: three-dimensional black gay characters.

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Andrea Beach

Common Sense Media

Jul 29, 2020

4/5

Absorbing tale of unique moment in history; strong language.

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Aaron Neuwirth

We Live Entertainment

Jun 18, 2020

9/10

The issues presented are the same as they were in years past, as well as fitting for today.

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Spike Lee

Director

Richard Belzer

Rick

De'aundre Bonds

Junior, aka 'Smooth'

Andre Braugher

Flip

Thomas Jefferson Byrd

Evan Thomas Sr.

Gabriel Casseus

Jamal

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Synopsis

A disparate group of African-American men climb on a bus bound for the Million-Man March in Washington, D.C. -- among them, Evan Sr. (Thomas Jefferson Byrd) and his son, Smooth (De'aundre Bonds), who have been shackled together as a condition of Smooth's temporary probation. Although the group begins the trip as strangers, their shared stories and experiences unite them as their discourse builds a portrait of what it means to be black in America.

Director: Spike Lee
Producer: Barry Rosenbush, Reuben Cannon, Bill Borden
Screenwriter: Reggie Rock Bythewood
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures
Production Co: 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.7M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Surround

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