The Temptations poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Obba Babatundé, Leon, Tina Lifford, Alan Rosenberg, Charles Malik Whitfield ... see more see more... , D.B. Woodside , Terron Brooks , Christian Payton , Jenifer Lewis

This biographical TV miniseries tracks members of the famed Motown group, The Temptations, faithfully following their rise to fame and the subsequent downhill race in a chronological coverage spanning... read more read more... 40 years. In 1958, when Detroit high-schoolers harmonize on street corners to meet girls, Otis Williams (Charles Malik Whitfield) finds his mom Haze (Tina Lifford) supports his singing but not his stepfather Edgar (Harold Surratt). When Williams brings together his group The Siberians -- with Franklin (D.B. Woodside) and Al Bryant (Chaz Lamar Shepherd) -- producer Johnnie Mae Matthews (Vanessa Bell Calloway) records the group as Otis Williams and the Distants. They perform with The Primes, including Kendricks (Terron Brooks) and Paul Williams (Christian Payton), and The Primettes (later The Supremes). When group members merge as The Elgins, Berry Gordy (Obba Babatunde) begins grooming the group. The name is changed to The Temptations, and a 1963 New Year's Eve altercation results in David Ruffin (Leon) replacing Bryant. The Motortown Revue is launched, and Smokey Robinson (Erik Michael Tristan) teams with Norman Whitfield (Mel Jackson) to compose/produce My Girl and Ain't Too Proud to Beg. As Ruffin becomes hooked on coke, Gordy moves to intro The Temptations to white record-buyers. In part two, Dennis Edwards (Charles Ley) replaces Ruffin, and after Paul Williams' suicide and some members leave the group, the act is dropped by Motown, later returning for a reunion tour and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This four-hour miniseries premiered November 1 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Flixster Users

94% liked it

6,726 ratings

Unrated, 2 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Allan Arkush

Release Date: November 1, 1998

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: November 1, 1998

Stats: 611 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

None yet... Got one?

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (611)

  • RemiLogan
    April 25, 2009
    RemiLogan
    Love this movie, love the music, but it's so heartbreaking!
  • NuditysShiver
    December 25, 2009
    NuditysShiver
    One of the best biographies I've seen in a long while. I'm a very big fan of Motown music, so I was thoroughly enjoyed with each hit they included in this film. Before watching this film, I really didn't know that much about how they formed and what they went through to keep thei... read morer group alive. I actually felt each characters pain and loss when showed.

    The top actor for me here was probably Leon who played David Ruffin. His battles with drug addiction and his powerful voice, was in my opinion; The Temptations. All the way down to his demise in the mid 90's. They were a powerful force in Motown and they still shine today for me. This film proves they will forever live on.
  • moviefan10103332
    July 14, 2009
    moviefan10103332
    a great movie, loved the songs love how they acted JUST loved it... it also made m cry ... not for long though
  • beyonderburns
    December 7, 2008
    beyonderburns
    This movie was very, very good especially for one that was made for TV. I think this movie was a tad bit better than the Five Heartbeats and the soundtrack captured the intense scenes of the failures as well as the fame of one of the best musical groups.
  • ladyj061370
    June 11, 2008
    ladyj061370
    David Ruffin: Ain't nobody comin' to see you, Otis! You wish you could work it the way I do, but you can't! Because there is only one David Ruffin. And without him, the Temps ain't nothin' but a group in SEARCH of a David Ruffin. Matter of fact, I been thinkin'. We should call th... read moree group David Ruffin And The Temptations. Yeah, that sound good to me. Y'all beggin' me not to leave you.
  • gumnerf
    February 16, 2008
    gumnerf
    Like all of these kinds of movies, one has to remember that they're MOVIES. Not strictly factual and this one plays particularly loose with the timeline, but it is a very good film and I thinl exceptionally edited and directed.
  • FreChrMat
    August 3, 2007
    FreChrMat
    If music is your fancy (and most people feel that way), then the history of music should intrigue you! The history of Motown should make any music fan salivate! Otis Williams (the only surving original member), and Patricia Romanowski team up to tell the tale of one of Motowns ... read moremost successful groups. This well told tv adaptation takes you back to mid/late fifties Detriot, where the auto assembly lines (like the steel mills) were the hope for many black families out of the south (I know that from experience, as my father and mother migrated to Gary, Indiana from the south). Young Otis and his friend Al (Al Bryant, soon to be an original Temptation), are enthralled by the sound and moves of the fifties group The Cadillacs at Detriots famed Fox Theater. But as the story progresses from there, the tragedies of sucess began to befall one of not just Motowns, but the music industries most exciting group. Egos, drugs, alcohol, woman nearly destroyed these musical icons. But this movie brings home that information expertly. You will leave wondering why, and why not. But the Temptations sound, their choreography, their look is forever etched in the stone of American music history. If you love music as I do, this movie for you. You will laugh, cry, and you will surely sing. Guest appearance by the legendary Smokey Robinson, who was tantemont in the Temps early sucess. He recreates the scene, and song he performed at Melvin Franklins funeral. It tears your heart out. Highly recomended for any music historian. Also get the book. It covers some things not shown in the movie.
  • angeldoll09
    July 11, 2007
    angeldoll09
    I love this movie very much! I thank the directors for making this because when I watched this, I was in so much love with it that it made me want to find out a lot about the REAL Temptations and from there on out I was in love with Motown and everyone that had something to do wi... read moreth it!!! :)
  • Robinsonreg
    June 10, 2007
    Robinsonreg
    The Temptations just touched me so... because it is about real people, real struggles, real victories and triumphs...I can watch this over and over!!
  • manman021505
    May 30, 2007
    manman021505
    Don't too many young heads know or are interested in this kind of stuff. You have to know a little something to appreciate this movie.

View All The Temptations Reviews

Critic Reviews

Dan Jardine
January 1, 2000
Dan Jardine, Apollo Guide

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Jacksons: An American Dream
    The Jacksons: An American Dream (100%)
  • The Five Heartbeats
    The Five Heartbeats (96%)

More Movies like The Temptations

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Temptations : Watch Free on TV

The Temptations Trivia

  • The Temptations Sung 'My Girl' For which Movie?  Answer »
  • who has been in these movies: Pink Panther, The Fighting Temptations, Goldmember Austin Powers, and DreamGirls?  Answer »
  • Who sang My Girl from The Big Chill & My Girl soundtracks?   Answer »
  • Which Actress starred in Dreamgirls, The Pink Panther, Fade To Black, The Fighting Temptations, and Austin Powers in Goldmember?  Answer »
More The Temptations Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add The Temptations to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?