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The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Movie
2021
2h 11m
R
English
Music, Drama, History
User Score: 
6.5
Critic Score: 
54
The United States vs Billie Holiday' Poster
Billie Holiday spent much of her career being adored by fans. In the 1940s, the government targeted Holiday in a growing effort to racialize the war on drugs, ultimately aiming to stop her from singing her controversial ballad, "Strange Fruit."
The United States vs Billie Holiday Poster

The United States vs. Billie Holiday

R
Movie
2021
2h 11m
English
Music, Drama, History
Billie Holiday spent much of her career being adored by fans. In the 1940s, the government targeted Holiday in a growing effort to racialize the war on drugs, ultimately aiming to stop her from singing her controversial ballad, "Strange Fruit."
Rating
WATCHMODE
6.5
IMDB
The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) on IMDb
CRITIC SCORE
54

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Andra Day
Billie Holiday
Trevante Rhodes
Jimmy Fletcher
Garrett Hedlund
Harry Anslinger
Leslie Jordan
Reginald Lord Devine
Miss Lawrence
Miss Freddy
Adriane Lenox
Mrs. Fletcher
Natasha Lyonne
Tallulah Bankhead
Rob Morgan
Louis McKay
Evan Ross
Agent Williams
Tyler James Williams
Lester 'Prez' Young
Tone Bell
John Levy
Blake DeLong
Agent Carter
Erik LaRay Harvey
James Monroe
Ray Shell
Carl The Drummer
Dusan Dukic
Joe Glaser
Kate MacLellan
Working Class Woman
Kwasi Songui
Working Class Man
Orville Thompson
Auditioning Sax Player
Jeff Corbett
Congressman JP Thomas
Directed By: Lee Daniels
Written By: Suzan-Lori Parks (Screenplay)

Featured Comments/Tips

Lee Brown Barrow Furness says...
3 years ago
The true life story is a sad and emotive one but the film fails to deliver on that. There are moments of power, sometimes because of the great lead performance, but its overlong and a little messy. Disappointing then, but if you don't know the story, it is still worth catching. Wait for the coda at the end of the film too. It shows the US government still have a long way to go when it comes to racial justice...shocking!
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  100
JeanEats says...
3 years ago
It didn’t come across as a feature film to me... more like a made for TV movie. With that said, I only knew the bare minimum about her life before this movie so I enjoyed the glimpse I got. Her life was tragically sad but she was a strong force of nature in her own right. :pound_symbol:strangefruit
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  101
johniixx says...
3 years ago
Is this a biofilm or is this a mexican soap opera? Too much drama here!
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  000
SpiritBreaker says...
3 years ago
The movie was not appropriately edited, as it seems to bounce around Billie Holidays too often, and motives as to why Billie did what she did were not explored. Stoy threads are left dangling as to what happens to some of the people. However, there are some excellent elements they got right the songs and acting they nailed. Other than those two elements, you should skip this one and hope someone will revisit Billie Holidays with a better movie someday.
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  000

Featured User Reviews

Saint Pauly
6/10  3 years ago
>I swear I won’t call no copper
>If I’m beat up by my poppa
>Ain’t nobody’s business if I do

This complex and very problematic lyric is the essence of Billie Holiday and what was missing from _The United States vs. Billie Holiday_.

Which is not Andra Day’s fault. Her port More
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  000
msbreviews
3 years ago
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @
https://www.msbreviews.com

Even though I love listening to jazz, I've never been to a concert or a club specific to this type of music. Following this train of thought, I didn't know anything about Billie Holiday's real-life s More
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  000
Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots
3 years ago
Jazz musician Billie Holiday is a legend; one of the greatest musicians of all time. Most music fans can name their favorite Holiday tune, but none caused more controversy than her song about black lynching, “Strange Fruit.” Screenwriter Suzan-Lori Parks builds her story (based on the novel by J More
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  000
JPRetana
2 years ago
In a scene from The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Billie (Andra Day) is about to sing “Strange Fruit” in concert, which Harry J. Anslinger (Garrett Hedlund), the first commissioner of the US Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics, had forbidden her to do. Behind the audience is a More
Like  -  Dislike  -  Comment  -  000

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