Dreamgirls (2006)

Backstage at an amateur talent show at the Detroit Theater in 1962, Cadillac salesman Curtis Taylor, Jr. meets a girl group known as “The Dreamettes”: lead singer Effie White, and back-up singers Deena Jones, and Lorell Robinson. Curtis presents himself as the Dreamettes’ new manager and arranges for the Dreamettes to become backup singers for local R&B star James “Thunder” Early.

With ambitions of making black singers mainstream successes among white audiences, Curtis starts his own record label, Rainbow Records, out of his Detroit car dealership, and appoints Effie’s brother C.C. as his head songwriter. However, when their first single fails after a white pop group releases a cover version, Curtis, C.C., and their producer Wayne turn to payola to make Jimmy and the Dreamettes pop stars. Offstage, Effie becomes infatuated with the slick-talking Curtis, while the married Jimmy begins an affair with Lorrell. Jimmy’s manager Marty grows weary of Curtis’ plans to make his client more pop-friendly and walks out. However, when Jimmy bombs in front of a mostly white Miami Beach audience, Curtis sends Jimmy out on the road alone, keeping the Dreamettes behind to headline in his place. Feeling that Effie’s large figure and voice will not attract white audiences, Curtis appoints the slimmer Deena lead singer and renames the group “The Dreams”.