''The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete'' is a 2013 American
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
directed by
George Tillman Jr.
George Tillman Jr. (born January 26, 1969) is an American filmmaker.
Tillman is most notable for directing the films ''Soul Food'' (1997) and ''Men of Honor'' (2000). He is also the producer of '' Soul Food: The Series'' on television and the ...
and written by
Michael Starrbury. The film stars
Anthony Mackie
Anthony Dwane Mackie (born September 23, 1978) is an American actor. Mackie made his acting debut starring in the semi-biographical drama film '' 8 Mile'' (2002). He was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor for his per ...
,
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (, ; born 22 August 1967) is an English actor, director, and former fashion model known for his roles as Lock-Nah in ''The Mummy Returns'', Nykwana Wombosi in '' The Bourne Identity'', Heavy Duty in '' G.I. Joe: The R ...
,
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...
,
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...
and
Jeffrey Wright
Jeffrey Wright (born December 7, 1965) is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Belize in the Broadway production of ''Angels in America'', for which he would win a Tony Award, and its HBO miniseries adaptation, for which he would ...
. It is a coming-of-age story about two inner-city youths, who are left to fend for themselves over the summer after their mothers are taken away by the authorities.
Skylan Brooks
Skylan Brooks (born February 12, 1999) is an American actor, best known for playing Mister in ''The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete''.
Early life
Brooks was born in Torrance, California.
Career
In 2013, Brooks played the titular role of ...
and
Ethan Dizon
Ethan C. Dizon is an American actor, best known for playing Pete in ''The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete''. His most recent role was the character Brian "Tiny" McKeever, Peter Parker's classmate in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films '' Spider ...
star in the title roles as Mister and Pete, respectively.
Plot
During a sweltering summer in New York City, 13-year-old Mister's (
Skylan Brooks
Skylan Brooks (born February 12, 1999) is an American actor, best known for playing Mister in ''The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete''.
Early life
Brooks was born in Torrance, California.
Career
In 2013, Brooks played the titular role of ...
) hard-living mother (Hudson) is apprehended by the police, leaving the boy and nine-year-old Pete (Dizon) alone to forage for food while dodging police and various hostile residents while awaiting a child actor casting call. Faced with more than any child can be expected to bear, the resourceful Mister nevertheless feels he is an unstoppable force against seemingly immovable obstacles. But what really keeps the pair in the survival game is Mister's intelligence and perseverance.
Cast
*
Skylan Brooks
Skylan Brooks (born February 12, 1999) is an American actor, best known for playing Mister in ''The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete''.
Early life
Brooks was born in Torrance, California.
Career
In 2013, Brooks played the titular role of ...
as Mister
*
Ethan Dizon
Ethan C. Dizon is an American actor, best known for playing Pete in ''The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete''. His most recent role was the character Brian "Tiny" McKeever, Peter Parker's classmate in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films '' Spider ...
as Pete
*
Anthony Mackie
Anthony Dwane Mackie (born September 23, 1978) is an American actor. Mackie made his acting debut starring in the semi-biographical drama film '' 8 Mile'' (2002). He was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor for his per ...
as Kris
*
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (, ; born 22 August 1967) is an English actor, director, and former fashion model known for his roles as Lock-Nah in ''The Mummy Returns'', Nykwana Wombosi in '' The Bourne Identity'', Heavy Duty in '' G.I. Joe: The R ...
as Pike
*
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...
as Gloria
*
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...
as Alice
*
Jeffrey Wright
Jeffrey Wright (born December 7, 1965) is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Belize in the Broadway production of ''Angels in America'', for which he would win a Tony Award, and its HBO miniseries adaptation, for which he would ...
as Henry
* Julito McCullum as Dip Stick
* Adam Trese as Alice's Boyfriend
* Michael Chmiel as Clerk
*
Chandler Frantz as Paul Finch-Audition Boy
*
Marcus Carl Franklin
Marcus Carl Franklin (born February 24, 1993) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying an incarnation of Bob Dylan, who calls himself "Woody Guthrie", in the Bob Dylan biopic ''I'm Not There'', written and directed by Todd Haynes; for ...
as College Kid
Production
In July 2012
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...
and
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...
joined the cast.
In May 2013
CodeBlack Entertainment
Codeblack Films is an American entertainment company. Codeblack focuses on films targeting African-American audiences.
History
Codeblack Enterprises was founded by Jeff Clanagan in 2005, who became CEO of the company. Originally focused on dire ...
acquired the US rights for the distribution of the film.
Release
On August 1, 2013
Lionsgate
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
announced the limited release date October 11, 2013 for the film.
Reception
Box office
In its opening weekend, the film opened in 147 theaters in the United States and Canada and grossed $254,279, ranking #24 at the box office. Mister & Pete was in release for 3 weeks and has grossed $494,608 domestically.
Critical
On
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film holds an approval rating of 86% based on 37 reviews, with an average rating of 6.85/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "''The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete'' uses its compelling streetwise setting -- and powerful performances from its young leads -- to offer a refreshing twist on the coming-of-age formula." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film has a
weighted average
The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
score of 61 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Accolades
See also
*
List of hood films
This is a list of hood films – films focusing on the culture and life of African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, and/or in some cases, Asian Americans living in segregated, low-income urban communities, as well as comparably deprived and crime-ri ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Inevitable Defeat Of Mister and Pete, The
2013 films
Films shot in New York City
Films set in Brooklyn
Lionsgate films
Films directed by George Tillman Jr.
Films produced by Robert Teitel
Films about heroin addiction
Films about child abuse
American buddy drama films
Films scored by Mark Isham
Hood films
2010s gang films
2013 drama films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films