Little Man (film)
Encyclopedia
Little Man is a 2006 American comedy film
, directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans
. It stars Marlon Wayans
, Shawn Wayans, Kerry Washington
, and Tracy Morgan
. Little Man was released on DVD
on November 7, 2006.
) is an extremely short man who is a convict and a thief. With the help of his cohort Percy (Tracy Morgan
), Calvin plots a museum robbery to steal one of the world's largest diamonds. After the successful robbery, the duo is almost arrested, but not before Calvin manages to stash the diamond in a handbag. The thieves follow the handbag's owner to her home. There, they discover a couple, Darryl (Shawn Wayans) and Vanessa (Kerry Washington
), who are eager to have a child.
Calvin and Percy hatch a plot to pass Calvin as a baby left on the couple's doorstep. Darryl and Venessa, wanting a child, immediately adopt the baby as their own. However, Vanessa's dad Pops (John Witherspoon
) has a bad feeling about Calvin. A local goon, Walken (Chazz Palminteri
), discovers the deception and demands the diamond from Percy. Percy sells out Darryl and now Calvin, in a series of comedic maneuvers, manages to rescue Darryl and have Walken arrested. They are given a substantial reward for the recovery of the diamond.
Before he leaves, Calvin thanks Darryl for taking care of him even though he wasn't really a baby. Calvin is about to be out of Darryl's life for good, as Darryl watches him leave. Calvin is crying hysterically, so Darryl decides to let Calvin stay around and from that point on, the two men become the best of friends. The film ends with Calvin and Pops playing with Darryl and Vanessa's new baby, who looks exactly like Darryl (Shawn Wayans's face on a baby's body).
to the Wayans Brothers 2004 film White Chicks
.
Filming began in the Vancouver
area on October 17, 2005 and finished on March 1, 2006.
The scenes with Calvin Sims were played twice: once by nine-year-old 75 cm (2 ft 6 in) tall dwarf
actor Linden Porco
together with the other actors, and once by Marlon Wayans
alone, using a "bluescreen" technique with a green background and green clothes. In post-production, Porco's head on the images was replaced by that of Marlon. Porco's body was painted brown in order to match Marlon's face. Shawn Wayans's face was also superimposed in one scene.
gave the film an aggregate rating of 13% based on 86 reviews. The critical consensus is "Another gimmicky comedy from the Wayans brothers, Little Man comes with the requisite raunchiness, but forgot to bring the laughs".
It was nominated for seven 2006 Golden Raspberry Awards
: Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Marlon Wayans
& Shawn Wayans), Worst Actor (Rob Schneider
, also nominated for his performance in The Benchwarmers
), Worst Director (Keenen Ivory Wayans
), Worst Screen Couple (Shawn Wayans & EITHER Kerry Washington
OR Marlon Wayans
), Worst Screenplay and Worst Remake or Rip-off (of the 1954 Bugs Bunny
cartoon Baby Buggy Bunny
). It later won three of the awards, Worst Actor, Worst Screen Couple and Worst Remake or Rip-off.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Keenen Ivory Wayans is an American actor, comedian, director and writer known as the host and creator of the FOX sketch comedy series In Living Color, which also starred Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, brothers Damon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans, sister Kim Wayans, David Alan Grier, Tommy...
. It stars Marlon Wayans
Marlon Wayans
Marlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
, Shawn Wayans, Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...
, and Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
. Little Man was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on November 7, 2006.
Plot
Calvin (Marlon WayansMarlon Wayans
Marlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
) is an extremely short man who is a convict and a thief. With the help of his cohort Percy (Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
), Calvin plots a museum robbery to steal one of the world's largest diamonds. After the successful robbery, the duo is almost arrested, but not before Calvin manages to stash the diamond in a handbag. The thieves follow the handbag's owner to her home. There, they discover a couple, Darryl (Shawn Wayans) and Vanessa (Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...
), who are eager to have a child.
Calvin and Percy hatch a plot to pass Calvin as a baby left on the couple's doorstep. Darryl and Venessa, wanting a child, immediately adopt the baby as their own. However, Vanessa's dad Pops (John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon (actor)
John Witherspoon is an American comedian and actor who has had roles in over 28 movies and 20 television shows. Mostly known for the "Friday" series, he has been acting for over three decades and starred in shows such as Hollywood Shuffle , Boomerang...
) has a bad feeling about Calvin. A local goon, Walken (Chazz Palminteri
Chazz Palminteri
Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri is an American actor and writer, best known for his performances in The Usual Suspects, A Bronx Tale, and his Academy Award nominated role for Best Supporting Actor in Bullets Over Broadway....
), discovers the deception and demands the diamond from Percy. Percy sells out Darryl and now Calvin, in a series of comedic maneuvers, manages to rescue Darryl and have Walken arrested. They are given a substantial reward for the recovery of the diamond.
Before he leaves, Calvin thanks Darryl for taking care of him even though he wasn't really a baby. Calvin is about to be out of Darryl's life for good, as Darryl watches him leave. Calvin is crying hysterically, so Darryl decides to let Calvin stay around and from that point on, the two men become the best of friends. The film ends with Calvin and Pops playing with Darryl and Vanessa's new baby, who looks exactly like Darryl (Shawn Wayans's face on a baby's body).
Cast
- Marlon WayansMarlon WayansMarlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
as Calvin Simms - Shawn Wayans as Darryl Edwards
- Kerry WashingtonKerry WashingtonKerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...
as Vanessa Edwards - Tracy MorganTracy MorganTracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
as Percy P - John WitherspoonJohn Witherspoon (actor)John Witherspoon is an American comedian and actor who has had roles in over 28 movies and 20 television shows. Mostly known for the "Friday" series, he has been acting for over three decades and starred in shows such as Hollywood Shuffle , Boomerang...
as Pops - Fred StollerFred StollerFrederick "Fred" Stoller is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist, best known for his frequent guest starring as Gerard on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond...
as Richard - Chazz PalminteriChazz PalminteriCalogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri is an American actor and writer, best known for his performances in The Usual Suspects, A Bronx Tale, and his Academy Award nominated role for Best Supporting Actor in Bullets Over Broadway....
as Walken - Lochlyn MunroLochlyn MunroRichard Laughlain "Lochlyn" Munro is a Canadian actor.-Life and career:Munro was born in Lac La Hache, British Columbia. He started his acting career after a serious sports injury ended his dream of playing professional hockey. While playing music in various clubs around Vancouver, British...
as Greg - Brittany DanielBrittany DanielBrittany Ann Daniel is an American television and film actress. She is the twin sister of actress and photographer Cynthia Daniel...
as Brittany - Alex BorsteinAlex BorsteinAlexandrea "Alex" Borstein is an American actress, singer, voice actress, writer and comedian. She is best known for her long-running role as Lois Griffin on the animated television series Family Guy, and as a cast member on the sketch comedy series MADtv.A native of Highland Park, Illinois,...
as Janet - David Alan GrierDavid Alan GrierDavid Alan Grier , also known as "D.A.G." , is an American actor and comedian known for his work on the sketch comedy television show In Living Color.-Early life:...
as Jimmy - Dave Sheridan as Rosco
- Linden PorcoLinden PorcoLinden Porco is a Canadian dwarf child actor. He is 32 inches talland is best known for his role as a body double in the 2006 American film Little Man. He was born with cartilage-hair hypoplasia, a form of dwarfism that stunts growth, but allows for proportional development.-External links:*...
as Calvin's Body - Molly ShannonMolly ShannonMolly Helen Shannon is an American comic actress best known for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995–2001 and for starring in the films Superstar and Year of the Dog. More recently, she starred in NBC's Kath & Kim from 2008–2009 and on the TBS animated series Neighbors from...
as Soccer Mom (cameo) - Rob SchneiderRob SchneiderRobert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
as D-Rex (uncredited cameo)
Production
Little Man was originally intended to be a sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the Wayans Brothers 2004 film White Chicks
White Chicks
White Chicks is a 2004 American film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and written and produced by Keenen Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans. The film was produced by Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios...
.
Filming began in the Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
area on October 17, 2005 and finished on March 1, 2006.
The scenes with Calvin Sims were played twice: once by nine-year-old 75 cm (2 ft 6 in) tall dwarf
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
actor Linden Porco
Linden Porco
Linden Porco is a Canadian dwarf child actor. He is 32 inches talland is best known for his role as a body double in the 2006 American film Little Man. He was born with cartilage-hair hypoplasia, a form of dwarfism that stunts growth, but allows for proportional development.-External links:*...
together with the other actors, and once by Marlon Wayans
Marlon Wayans
Marlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
alone, using a "bluescreen" technique with a green background and green clothes. In post-production, Porco's head on the images was replaced by that of Marlon. Porco's body was painted brown in order to match Marlon's face. Shawn Wayans's face was also superimposed in one scene.
Soundtrack listing
- "My House" by Lloyd BanksLloyd BanksChristopher Charles Lloyd , better known by his stage name Lloyd Banks, is an American rapper and member of the rap group G-Unit. Raised in South Jamaica, Queens, he dropped out of high school in 1998. G-Unit released two albums, Beg for Mercy in 2003 and T.O.S. in 2008...
and 50 Cent50 CentCurtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by... - "Ridin'Ridin'"Ridin" is the second single from Chamillionaire's album, The Sound of Revenge, and features a guest rap by Krayzie Bone. Its title is often incorrectly assumed to be "Ridin' Dirty" due to the chorus...
" by ChamillionaireChamillionaireHakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire is also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click...
and Krayzie BoneKrayzie BoneAnthony Henderson better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper and is a former member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.-Solo career:Krayzie Bone recorded his solo debut, Thug Mentality 1999, in 1998... - "The Message" by Echo & the BunnymenEcho & the BunnymenEcho & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
- "Movin' on Up" by Jeff Berry and Ja'net Dubois
- "Celebration" by Robert Kool Bell
- "Home Sweet Home/Bittersweet Symphony" by Limp BizkitLimp BizkitLimp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
- "Lifetime" by Muddy WatersMuddy WatersMcKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
- "In This Moment" by Ill NiñoIll NiñoIll Niño is an American six-piece metal band from New Jersey founded in 1998. The band has sold over 3.3 million units worldwide; they have 5 studio albums and 10 music videos.-History:...
- "Purple Haze" by MaxwellMaxwell (musician)Maxwell , is an American R&B, funk and neo soul musician. He played an important role in the development of the soul sub-genre, neo-soul.-Early life:...
- "Buddy (D-Rex Theme Song)" by Dwayne WayansDwayne WayansDwayne Kim Wayans is an American writer and film score composer. He is a member of the Wayans Family.-Early life:Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager. His family was involved in the Jehovah's...
and Eric WillisEric WillisSir Eric Archibald Willis KBE, CMG was an Australian politician, Cabinet Minister and the 34th Premier of New South Wales, serving from 23 January 1976 to 14 May 1976. Born in Murwillumbah in 1922, Willis was educated at Murwillumbah High School and the University of Sydney, where he obtained a... - "Best Friend" by Harry NilssonHarry NilssonHarry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
- "Pump ItPump It"Pump It" is a song by The Black Eyed Peas that heavily incorporates music from the Dick Dale version of the song "Misirlou"...
" by The Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide... - "Happy Birthday to YouHappy Birthday to You"Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as "Happy Birthday", is a song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth...
" by Mildred J. HillMildred J. HillMildred J. Hill was an American songwriter and musicologist, who composed the melody for "Good Morning to All", later used as the melody for "Happy Birthday to You".-Biography:...
and Patty S. Hill - "Praise YouPraise You"Praise You" is a song by English big beat musician Fatboy Slim. It was released as the third single from his second studio album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby, in 1999. It reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1999 and No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States on 11 May 1999....
" by Fatboy SlimFatboy SlimNorman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s... - "Candy ShopCandy Shop"Candy Shop" is the second single by rapper 50 Cent from his second commercial album The Massacre . It features R&B singer Olivia, and was written by 50 Cent....
" (instrumental) by 50 Cent50 CentCurtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
and OliviaOlivia (singer)Olivia Theresa Longott , professionally known as Olivia, is an American R&B singer and rapper.-Early life:Raised in New York City, Longott is of Puerto Rican, and Indian descent....
Reception
Most reviews were negative. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave the film an aggregate rating of 13% based on 86 reviews. The critical consensus is "Another gimmicky comedy from the Wayans brothers, Little Man comes with the requisite raunchiness, but forgot to bring the laughs".
It was nominated for seven 2006 Golden Raspberry Awards
Golden Raspberry Awards
A Golden Raspberry Award, or Razzie for short, is an award presented in recognition of the worst in movies. Founded by American copywriter and publicist John J.B. Wilson in 1981, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day...
: Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Marlon Wayans
Marlon Wayans
Marlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
& Shawn Wayans), Worst Actor (Rob Schneider
Rob Schneider
Robert Michael "Rob" Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films Deuce Bigalow:...
, also nominated for his performance in The Benchwarmers
The Benchwarmers
The Benchwarmers is a 2006 American sports-comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. It stars Rob Schneider, Jon Heder, and David Spade. It is produced by Revolution Studios and Happy Madison Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures.-Plot:...
), Worst Director (Keenen Ivory Wayans
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Keenen Ivory Wayans is an American actor, comedian, director and writer known as the host and creator of the FOX sketch comedy series In Living Color, which also starred Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, brothers Damon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans, sister Kim Wayans, David Alan Grier, Tommy...
), Worst Screen Couple (Shawn Wayans & EITHER Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...
OR Marlon Wayans
Marlon Wayans
Marlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
), Worst Screenplay and Worst Remake or Rip-off (of the 1954 Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
cartoon Baby Buggy Bunny
Baby Buggy Bunny
Baby Buggy Bunny is a Merrie Melodies animated short film directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese in 1954. The story is about a dwarf gangster named "Babyface" Finster who, after a clever bank robbery, loses his ill-gotten gains down Bugs Bunny's rabbit hole, forcing him to don the...
). It later won three of the awards, Worst Actor, Worst Screen Couple and Worst Remake or Rip-off.