Product Details

• Actors: Diana Ross, Brandy Norwood, Christine Ebersole, Allen Payne, Brian Stokes Mitchell
• Directors: Robert Allan Ackerman
• Format: PAL
• Language: French (Dolby Surround), German (Dolby Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Surround), Italian (Dolby Surround)
• Subtitles: English, French, German, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Arabic, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, Icelandic, Portuguese, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, Italian
• Region: Region 2 (Read more about DVD formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004S5SP
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #180,387 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Double Platinum [Region 2]" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
A soapy backstage melodrama originally produced for network broadcast, Double Platinum downplays show biz verisimilitude to turn on the tears. With '60s soul queen Diana Ross and '90s pop princess Brandy sharing production credit as well as billing, this formulaic tearjerker focuses on its stars' dramatic chops more than their musical prowess, a choice that won't deter their respective audiences, even as it disappoints less partisan music fans who might have hoped for a stronger musical component.

Olivia King (Ross) is the former St. Louis housewife who abandoned her family for pop stardom, only to return 18 years later determined to meet, and reconcile with, her daughter, Kayla (Brandy), now nurturing her own footlight fantasies. But when the prodigal mom finally does reveal herself to the bright, feisty teen, Kayla is outraged and then hard-boiled. Olivia's offer to help the undeniably talented girl make industry contacts is accepted, with the bitter caveat that the superstar should abandon any hopes of a true maternal bond with her embittered daughter. The usually imperious Olivia meekly accepts those terms, while the secretly yearning Kayla keeps up her tough-cookie cover, but the plot telegraphs its ultimate destination, even as the tears flow.

Both stars acquit themselves well in the story's stormier clashes, and the emotional tug of the story is well engineered to soak hankies. Less credulous viewers will be hampered by the original songs--when Ross steps on-stage, her regal demeanor and flashy (if occasionally silly) gowns support her supposed status as a legend, but the utterly forgettable, generic songs she mouths deflate that image. That said, viewers less interested in the actual music than the glitzy idea of the two characters may well be content to wallow in the waterworks of a story that could as easily have been titled Divas: The Next Generation. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Diana Ross' return to acting, November 24, 2002

By	Ian Phillips (Bolton, Lancashire, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Platinum (DVD)

Despite Soul music legend Diana Ross remaining the most successful female recording artist of all time (a total of eighteen U.S No. 1 hit titles to her credit) her movie career has not quite hit the heights of success it has often deserved though received an oscar nomination for her dynamic and powerful performance as Jazz/Blues legend Billie Holiday in Lady Sings The Blues (1972). Since then shes appeared in the moderatley successful Mahogany (1975), The Wiz (1978) which was a commercial failure and deservedly won wide praise for her harrowing performance as a paranoid schitznophrenic in the acclaimed T.V movie, Out Of Darkness (1993). In Double Palatinum she starred alongside Teen R&B sensation Brandy. The story goes that Olivia (Diana Ross - the character is a mere imitation of the Ross mystique and legendary status) is a struggling lounge singer at a downtown nightclub who abandons her daughter Kayla (Brandy) to pursue her showbiz dreams. Flash foward 18 years later and Olivia is now a massive star to whom Kayla - who is still ignorant of her orgins and is embarking on her own singing career - goes to for advice. When Kayla finds out that Olivia is infact her mother she agrees to let Olivia introduce her to some useful contacts in the business and makes it clear that its purley to further hrown career and not to form a mother-daughter bond as Olivia hopes. Whilst being a predicatable story and the scripts certainly run through a fair few cliches, the film is saved by the dramatic and convincing performance of Diana Ross. Her heart is clearly in the role and she carries the film convincingly proving that she hadn't lost any of that dramatic acting power and dazzling on-screen presence that made Lady Sings The Blues such a success. Brandy also puts in a likeable performance and the two stars enjoy a number of dramtically moving scenes. A tear-jerking movie that has a predictable but lovely ending. Diana Ross and Brandy perform many songs off their current studio albums of the time and Diana Ross' performs the exciting He Lives In You with style and verve, backed by an effective South African orchestra and gospel-influenced backing singers. She also proves shes still a dynamic diva as she performs the rip-roaring dance number, Carry On during the awards ceremony sequences. Both Diana and Brandy perform a touching, sparkling ballad at the climax of the movie, Love Is All That Matters which closes the movie beautifully. This T.V movie often careers along like a soap opera and whilst you could argue that this is purley an old-fashioned tale thats been done countless times before, its such a joy to see Diana Ross back on the screen who makes the most of her role, biting into it with a venegance and displaying a raw, instinctive performance, proving her undoubted wide range of abilities. Fans of these two singers will most certainly be enthralled by both the film and its accompanying soundtrack. Defintley worth a look.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not widescreen, January 14, 2006

By	0 star reviewer (92284) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Platinum (DVD)

Double Platinum was filmed in Widescreen even though it was a made for tv movie. the region 2 PAL dvd in the UK is Widescreen. Re-release this dvd in widescreen

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great movie BAD DVD, May 6, 2005

By	M Felix (A Southern Californian Forced into Washinton state) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Platinum (DVD)

This dvd is full-screen and has been modified from it original version and reforamtted to fit you tv screen. The region 2 PAL dvd from amazon.co.uk is a better buy. it is widescreen but the pitch for the sound is off since PAl format runs 4 percent faster than NTSC. That's my only problem with the uk edition. But it is well worth it to get a widescreen edition. if you have an all region player, buy the dvd from amazon UK.