# Identify that film - within the last 15yrs - black female lead - music executive character **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-that-film-within-the-last-15yrs-black-female-lead-music-executive-character/745109 "2016-02-04T01:13:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-that-film-within-the-last-15yrs-black-female-lead-music-executive-character/745109/1 "2016-02-04T01:13:47Z")
I’ve seen these “Identify that film” Threads get some pretty amazing results considering the lack of details some of the OPs start with. This one’s been bugging me for a long time. I hope someone can identify it. Having a black female lead should narrow it down a bit, I’d think. It was an American film. It was from the past 15 years but definitely no newer than the past 5 years, _probably_ not newer than the past 10 years. I’d say my best guess would place it from about 2003 or 2004. It was definitely a limited release that played in “art house” type cinemas. The lead character was a music executive. The plot that I remember was, I’m pretty sure, the “B Plot” (I think the “A Plot” had to do with her personal life). The record company that she worked for had on their roster an R&B vocal boy band that was aging out of the boy band genre. The main character was tasked with figuring out how to get them back to the top of the charts after a string of recent failures. In the end, she has the idea that the vocal group should record a cover of “Try a Little Tenderness”. The group records the song, it’s a huge hit, and the main character’s bosses are very happy with her… and she probably gets a promotion and finds love or something. I don’t even remember if I liked the film (I think I thought it was o.k.). The reason why it bugs me so much is because I think of it _every time_ I hear the song “Try a Little Tenderness” and it drives me nuts that I can’t remember the movie. Any help? ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-that-film-within-the-last-15yrs-black-female-lead-music-executive-character/745109/2 "2016-02-04T01:26:16Z")
You might see if it’s listed here: [http://www.imdb.com/search/text?realm=title&field=soundtracks&q=try+a+little+tenderness](http://www.imdb.com/search/text?realm=title&field=soundtracks&q=try+a+little+tenderness) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-that-film-within-the-last-15yrs-black-female-lead-music-executive-character/745109/3 "2016-02-04T01:26:47Z")
_ **"Why Do Fools Fall In Love"** _? It’s from 1998 with Halle Barry and Vivica A. Fox ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-that-film-within-the-last-15yrs-black-female-lead-music-executive-character/745109/4 "2016-02-04T01:28:06Z")
_Why do Fools Fall in Love_ with Halle Berry? ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-that-film-within-the-last-15yrs-black-female-lead-music-executive-character/745109/5 "2016-02-04T04:13:36Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > You might see if it’s listed here: > > [http://www.imdb.com/search/text?realm=title&field=soundtracks&q=try+a+little+tenderness](http://www.imdb.com/search/text?realm=title&field=soundtracks&q=try+a+little+tenderness) That was a pretty good idea for how to look for it but, alas, none of the listed films is the one I’m looking for. > [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > _ **“Why Do Fools Fall In Love”** _? > It’s from 1998 with Halle Barry and Vivica A. Fox > [@faithfool](#): > > _Why do Fools Fall in Love_ with Halle Berry? Nope. The plot definitely had nothing to do with Frankie Lymon nor anything to do with settling an estate. It was a 30s-ish woman balancing her career with her personal life, that kind of story. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-that-film-within-the-last-15yrs-black-female-lead-music-executive-character/745109/6 "2016-02-04T04:28:37Z")
“Try A Little Tenderness” was famously used in _The Commitments_, so maybe you’re confusing two movies. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-that-film-within-the-last-15yrs-black-female-lead-music-executive-character/745109/7 "2016-02-05T15:59:32Z")
Gonna use my one bump privilege here. I honestly believe the SDMB is skilled at handling this kind of task far better than has thus far been evidenced in this thread. C’mon, people! I believe in you!!! ---
**Author:** ![bovine\_3.14159](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@bovine\_3.14159](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bovine_3.14159)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-that-film-within-the-last-15yrs-black-female-lead-music-executive-character/745109/8 "2016-02-05T23:24:02Z")
Perhaps it’s [I Like it Like That](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110091/)?