Set It Off (film)

''Set It Off'' is a 1996 American crime action heist film directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Kate Lanier and Takashi Bufford. The film stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise (in her film debut). It follows four close friends in Los Angeles, California, who plan to execute a bank robbery—each doing so for different reasons—to achieve better for themselves and their families.

''Set It Off'' was a box office success, grossing over $41 million against a budget of $9 million. The film earned positive reviews from critics, who praised the characters, music and performances of the cast (particularly that of Pinkett and Latifah, as well as the chemistry of the four leading actresses). The soundtrack was a commercial success, peaking at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Additionally, the singles "Set It Off", " Don't Let Go (Love)", "Days of Our Livez", "Angel", " Come On", " Let It Go" and " Missing You" each charted.

Plot

Francesca "Frankie" Sutton (Fox) is a Los Angeles bank teller who is fired after a robbery, because she recognized one of the robbers, although she did not personally know him. Frankie goes to work at Luther's Janitorial Services with her three best friends, Lida "Stony" Newsom (Pinkett), Cleopatra "Cleo" Sims (Latifah), and Tisean "T.T." Williams (Elise). The owner, Luther, treats them with disrespect and pays them paltry wages.

Tired of working a low-paying job, Cleo explains that they should rob a bank themselves. Frankie agrees, but Stony and T.T. are reluctant. However, after Stony's younger brother is gunned down by the police in a case of mistaken identity and T.T.'s son is taken away from her by Child Protective Services, they too now have the motivation to join the robbery.

While casing a bank with T.T., Stony meets bank manager Keith Weston, whom she starts dating. The four women embark on a series of successful bank robberies, due to Frankie's inside knowledge of bank protocol with money and security. An investigation by LAPD Detective Strode ensues. Strode suspects that Cleo (because of her prior convictions), Frankie (because of her inadvertent connection to the earlier robbery and subsequent firing) and Stony (because of her brother's death) are involved. But his superior refuses to allow him to bring them in for questioning because he doesn't feel the evidence is sufficient.

Concerned with the safety of their money, the four women stash the money in an air vent at one of their work sites. However, when Cleo, Frankie, and T.T. show up for work one day and find a new boss in charge, they quickly realize that Luther has discovered the money and fled with it. While Stony attends a banking event with Keith, the three women track Luther to a motel, where he is sleeping with a prostitute.

The women demand the return of their money, but Luther refuses to give it up and pulls a gun on Cleo, forcing T.T. to shoot him dead in self-defense. Stony is disappointed with Frankie and T.T. about the missing money and Luther's death. Frankie and Cleo persuade T.T. and Stony that they need to rob another bank and leave town the next day.

The women decide to rob the Downtown Federal bank, where Keith works. Concerned for Keith's safety and not wanting him to know she's a bank robber, Stony calls Keith and tells him to meet her at a cafe, far from the bank's location. The four women quickly execute the robbery, but Cleo demands that T.T. grab more money, which gives Strode enough time to arrive.

Strode and his partner try to talk them into surrendering. As T.T. and Stony begin to put down their weapons, a bank security guard shoots T.T. A shootout ensues as Stony shoots the guard, and an enraged Cleo opens fire on the detectives. The women eventually drive away, though T.T. succumbs to her wounds and dies in Stony's arms. The three remaining women attempt to outrun the police in vain. Cleo tells Stony and Frankie that they have to split up and to take her share of the money with them.

The police find Cleo who proceeds to lead them on a high speed chase until she is cornered. She drives through a police barricade, which causes the police to shoot at her car and blow out her tires. Refusing to surrender, she leaps from her car firing her gun, and is killed by the police. Frankie is found a short time later, and Strode attempts to get Frankie to surrender. After defiantly sticking a gun in Strode's face and reminding him of how he got her fired to begin with, Frankie attempts to run, but one of the officers shoots her in the back, killing her. Stony, who managed to blend in with a tourist group heading to Mexico, tearfully watches this from a passing charter bus. Strode sees her from a distance but lets her go, realizing the part he played in driving the women to crime.

In Mexico, Stony mourns the losses of her friends and brother, and cuts off her hair. She then calls Keith to assure him that she is alright and thanks him before smiling. After hanging up, she is seen driving through the mountains with her share of the money from the last robbery beside her.

Cast

* Jada Pinkett as Lida "Stony" Newsome
* Queen Latifah as Cleopatra "Cleo" Sims
* Vivica A. Fox as Francesca "Frankie" Sutton
* Kimberly Elise as Tisean "T.T." Williams
* John C. McGinley as Detective Strode
* Blair Underwood as Keith Weston
* Ella Joyce as Detective Waller
* Chaz Lamar Shepherd as Stevie Newsome
* Thomas Jefferson Byrd as Luther
* Charlie Robinson as Nate Andrews
* Samuel Monroe Jr. as Lorenz
* Dr. Dre as Black Sam
* WC as Darnell
* Vincent Baum as Jajuan
* Jeris Lee Poindexter as Pete Rodney
* Samantha MacLachlan as Ursula

Production

Takashi Bufford said that he wrote the script with Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah in mind even though he had not yet met them. The script was offered to New Line three times before finally being accepted, and the studio filled in more about why the female leads turn to bank robbery in a way that wasn't in the original script. Later Vivica A. Fox said: “Originally, with the script, we were throwing out pages daily. Like, “No.” But that’s what you do when you have a good director who knows what he has to turn in. We were given the freedom with him to create things, and dialogue that would make sense. Everyone; once it started making sense, we came up with little moments, and it really was a team effort, to make that movie so successful.

Reception

Box office

On a budget of $9 million and R-rated, ''Set It Off'' grossed $36,461,139 in the U.S. and Canada, $5,129,747 internationally, and total of $41,590,886 worldwide. ''Tribute'' magazine stated that it is New Line Cinema's highest-grossing film of 1996. Director F. Gary Gray won an Acapulco Black Film Festival award for Best Director, in 1997, and the Special Jury Prize at the Cognac Film Festival

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