Product Details

• Actors: T.I., Lauren London, Evan Ross, Greg Andrews, Monica Arnold
• Directors: Chris Robinson
• Writers: Antwone Fisher, Tina Gordon Chism
• Producers: Dallas Austin, James Lassiter, Jody Gerson, Timothy M. Bourne, Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: July 18, 2006
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000GX57Z4
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,937 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "ATL (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If you've grown weary of gangsta thrillers and violent depictions of thug life, ATL will hit you like a breath of fresh air. Based on a story by Antwone Fisher (writer and subject of the 2003 film that bears his name) and written by Tina Gordon Chism, it's essentially a contemporary African-American riff on American Graffiti, focusing on a group of teenagers on the cusp of adulthood, learning valuable life lessons as they strive to make a better future for themselves and their loved ones. The title refers to the airport designation for Atlanta, and that's where orphaned 17-year-old Rashad (Tip Harris, aka rapper T.I.) lives with his younger brother Anton (Evan Ross) and uncle George (Mykelti Williamson). They're poor like most Southside families, but they're making ends meet, caring for each other and forging life-long friendships with guys like the smart, ambitious Esquire (Jackie Long), transplanted New Yorker Brooklyn (Albert Daniels), and likable homeboy Teddy (Jason Weaver). On Sunday nights they hang at the Cascade roller rink, trying to impress the girls with their latest moves, and director Chris Robinson (veteran of many music videos) captures it all with casual momentum and genuine affection for his characters. A little too casual perhaps (the pacing sometimes lags), but with a lively mix of color and music, ATL manages to be positive and hopeful without sanitizing the harsher realities (including drugs and violence) of modern urban America. There are threats and obstacles to overcome, but ATL is all about potential, striving for goals and accepting responsibility for one's own actions. Between this and Get Rich or Die Tryin', which example would you prefer to follow? --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Sometimes 17-year-old Rashad and his pals hang out at the Waffle House, trying to figure out what's next after they graduate. But on Sunday nights, they know what's coming. They'll be at the Cascade roller rink: laying down moves, chillin' with friends...and for a few hours leaving what's outside outside. ATL is a Sunday night fever of laughs, drama and crunk sounds. Video director Chris Robinson makes his feature debut, guiding an ensemble that includes astonishingly natural movie newcomers Tip Harris (aka rapper T.I.), Lauren London and Antwan Andre Patton (aka Big Boi of the duo OutKast).

DVD Features:
Deleted Scenes
Featurette:In the Rink- A Director's Journey. Follow Chris Robinson, the director of ATL, as we watch his feature film debut take place before your eyes, along with the excitement of the growing Atlanta music scene with hip hop rapper T.I., roller skaters , and the many diverse areas of ATL
Music Video:T.I.'s hit MTV music video "What You Know"
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Enjoyable & Refreshing Change--Not The Typical Urban Drama!!, July 12, 2006

By	MUZIK4THAPEOPLE!! (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ATL (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

For those who expected this movie to be T.I.'s
version of "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'" or "8 Mile"...
You will be sadly disappointed!
It never promised to be that.
For those of you who went to the movie theatre
with an open mind, just wanting to be entertained
and to see what ATL was about, then you probably
"got it" and understood that this was not
meant to be "Menace II Society" Part 26!!
It is a refreshing change of pace from all
that ignorance and displays the human side of
the ghetto and the people who live there!
Everybody from the hood is not bustin their
guns in the air, gettin' high, robbin' and
actin' a damn fool!--Puh-leeze!

I think T.I. did well on his first time out
as an actor!...My god, the boy isn't Denzel
or Morgan Freeman!
And this movie wasn't "Glory" by any means!
Some folks need to get a grip on reality!
This movie has a good storyline, all of the cast
did a good job at carrying their characters and
making them believable.
Big Boi was very good as the villain,
young Evan Ross, who played T.I.'s little
brother was also good!
I left the theatre feeling like I got
my money's worth of entertainment value
and couldn't wait to add this DVD to my collection
and most "thinking" people will feel the same!---Buy It!!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this film on DVD, July 18, 2006

By	Dorrie Wheeler - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: ATL (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

ATL, the movie which stars rapper T.I. (Tip Harris) arrives in stores on July 18th. First of all, dispel any preconceived notions that you might have about ATL the movie if you haven't seen it. Although some may consider T.I. a "gangster rapper," the movie ATL is a coming of age story that young adults and older adults will be able to relate to.

T.I. stars in the film as Rashad. Rashad is finishing his senior year of high school. He lives with his uncle and his younger brother Antwone, who they call Ant. Their parents died in an automobile accident years prior. On the weekend, all the kids hand out at Cascade, a local roller skating rink where bragging rights mean everything. Rashad soon meets a young woman named New New. She appears to be a regular girl from the neighborhood but everything with New New isn't what it seems. Ant is feeling the pressure of not having the bling bling. Working part time as a janitor with his brother and his uncle just isn't enough money for him. Soon Ant turns to the streets to make easy cash.

Rashad does his best to rescue his brother from a life as a street hustler while trying to balance a new relationship with New New. Rashad's friend Esquire also has a significant storyline in the movie. Esquire doesn't attend the same high school as the rest of the crew, he attends a school in a nice neighborhood and has dreams of attending an Ivy League college--if he can get the letter of reference that he needs.

ATL is a really great movie. The soundtrack is very good also. The film is also packed with cameos from Atlanta hip-hop stars. Evon Ross and T.I. prove that they are excellent up and coming actors in this coming of age drama.

The ATL DVD includes the music video for the T.I. song "What You Know" among other special features.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "ATL" - ain't what I thought it would be, May 19, 2007

By	The Fancy One "blackprincess" (Westchester County, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: ATL (Full Screen Edition) (DVD)

I came across this movie on cable recently and I was surprized - I really enjoyed it. I remember this movie came out last year about the same time as "Akeelah and the Bee" - another excellent film - but based on what I saw on the commercials for it, I said, "Oh please, not ANOTHER hood movie with black kids shooting each other up" and passed on it. I went to see "Akeelah" instead because it was being promoted as a movie with positive black characters, which we need more of. I enjoyed it but now after seeing "ATL", I realized seeing either one of those movies would have been a wise choice. "ATL" was definitely marketed the wrong way and fooled a lot of people, like it did me.

Produced by Will Smith's production company, Overbrook Entertainment and based a story written by Antwone Fisher (who was himself the subject of a movie directed by Denzel Washington a few years back), "ATL" is far from being your typical black film about coming of age in the hood. It does show some instances of drug dealing and violence, but very few, and that is not the central focus of the story anyway. This is an urban tale with a message that is powerful - striving and working hard to achieve the better things in life in an honest fashion, and having some fun along the way. That includes Sunday nights at the Cascade - a popular roller rink on the southside of Atlanta, where all of the kids love to hang out and have a good time. The focal point of "ATL" is on the lives and the camaraderie of four friends who ponder their futures as they approach graduation.

Because I am not really into today's rap music, I was not too familiar with T.I., other than from his song that was a big hit last year, "What You Know". But I thought he showed wonderful potential in the starring role of Rashad, a poor, 17 year old high school kid who has a gift for art and lives with his janitor uncle because both of his parents were killed in an auto accident. He is extremely protective of his little brother, Ant (Evan Ross, Diana's son). Ant's only goal is to make big money and sport bling-bling, since he feels this is the only way he can gain some respect and attention. He decides to get on the fast track to obtain what he wants, but he's not quite ready to deal with the consequences.

The supporting cast, which includes veteran actors Keith David, Lonette McKee, Mykelti Williamson (his poetic reading later in the film blew me away) and Jason Weaver as a high school super senior, was perfectly chosen. Lauren London, who plays New New, does a great job as a sassy, ghetto-fabulous diva with a secret. She and Rashad begin dating and their relationship is a mutual one until a chance event causes the truth to unfold. Also to take note of is the intelligent, proud and driven Esquire (Jackie Long) who has dreams of going to an Ivy League college but fears because of his parents' income and his background, his opportunities will be extremely limited. Big Boi from the hip-hop duo OutKast and singer Monica also appear in the film, although Big Boi's role is way more pivotal to the storyline, while Monica simply makes a cameo appearance.

Think of this as sort of an updated, African-American version of "American Graffiti" - but one I can definitely relate to much more, with various intertwined stories of everyday life in the Georgia hood. Overall, this film speaks of dreams and aspirations - realized, potential, and yes, unachieved. "ATL" is inspirational in its own way - a humorous, touching and refreshing alternative to the typical films out there about growing up poor and black with the odds stacked against you. No, yall, you don't have to die trying to get rich. There is a better way! A must see.