Life

"Share it with someone you love."

1999 1h 48m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

🥫

53%

ROTTEN

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.8

IMDB

★6.7TMDB · 915🥫53%Rotten Tomatoes●63Metacritic★6.8IMDB · 59,656

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two men in 1930s Mississippi become friends after being sentenced to life in prison together for a crime they did not commit.

“Share it with someone you love.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

StarzSubscription

ALLBLK Apple TV channelSubscription

Starz Apple TV channelSubscription

ALLBLK Amazon channel Subscription

Starz Roku Premium ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Eddie Murphy
Rayford Gibson
Martin Lawrence
Claude Banks
Obba Babatundé
Willie Long
Nick Cassavetes
Sergeant Dillard
Anthony Anderson
Cookie
Barry Shabaka Henley
Pokerface
Brent Jennings
Hoppin' Bob
Bernie Mac
Jangle Leg

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ted Demme
Writers: Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $80M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 92% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ted Demme, shot by Geoffrey Simpson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Wyclef Jean. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jeffrey Wolf shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence and Obba Babatundé carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Share it with someone you love.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ted Demme directs. Geoffrey Simpson behind the camera. Wyclef Jean scores. Jeffrey Wolf cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $80M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Earned back only 92% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
327 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Ted Demme, shot by Geoffrey Simpson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Wyclef Jean. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Jeffrey Wolf shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence and Obba Babatundé carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Share it with someone you love.".
9IMDB entry: tt0123964 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 12 themes, including "mississippi river", "racist", "bootlegging", "criminal".
11Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Geoffrey Simpson
Original score: Wyclef Jean
Editing: Jeffrey Wolf
Production design: Dan Bishop
Makeup / hair: Bill Corso
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $80,000,000
Box office: $73,500,000
Return: 92% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Life (1999)
Rotten Tomatoes: 53% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 63/100
IMDB rating: 6.8/10 · 59,656 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 1 win & 6 nominations total

Also by

Ted Demme

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Andre Gonzales2023-07-10
★ 8/10
Really funny, messed up and kind of sad. Back in like the 1930's getting charged for a murder they didn't commit. They get life, and spend life trying to figure out how to get out.

Production companies