Do the Right Thing

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Do the Right Thing

R

1989

2h 0m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

150 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Salvatore "Sal" Fragione (Danny Aiello) is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito), becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.

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Critics Consensus

Smart, vibrant, and urgent without being didactic, Do the Right Thing is one of Spike Lee's most fully realized efforts -- and one of the most important films of the 1980s.

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Eleanor Ringel Cater

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mar 21

Spike, baby, you're beautiful when you're angry.

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Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

Mar 21

[Do the Right Thing] uses its abundant energy simply to knock down bridges that have been built and raise the wall of the ghetto mentality a row or two higher.

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Derek Malcolm

Guardian

Mar 21

...Do the Right Thing is a welcome return to Spike Lee's best form after the disappointment of School Daze...

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 22

4/4

An out-and-out masterpiece, Spike Lee's best movie also remains the most penetrating film ever made about race relations in these United States.

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Peter Keough

Boston Phoenix

Apr 1

In Do the Right Thing Lee has progressed beyond tour de force and experiment; he’s succeeded in wedding subject and form in an aesthetic whole.

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Stephen Hunter

Baltimore Sun

Mar 21

3.5/4

..."Do the Right Thing" is like a prism: You beam your own hot glare of racial animosity onto it, and it refracts it into a rainbow spray of understanding. It tells you why you hate, which may be the way to stop hating.

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anthony j

Feb 27

so good. still relevant as ever.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Jan 27

I'm not a Spike Lee fan, and I haven't seen many of his movies, but I think this is a really good one by him. It's really vibrant and unique style wise.

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Noah H

@Noah85 Jan 10

It's a good movie with a good message but there's a LOT of swearing. Definitely DON'T watch it with any kids around.

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Michael H

@Mixhael Dec 8

Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing is the most poignant, disturbing and frighteningly real film about race relations ever made by a black America

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Chris M

@RT42095019 Aug 23

Amateurish writing with overacting that was typical of the 80s. Good strong message though that needed to be heard.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Aug 23

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Spike Lee

Director

Danny Aiello

Sal

Ossie Davis

Da Mayor

Ruby Dee

Mother Sister

Richard Edson

Vito

Giancarlo Esposito

Buggin Out

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Da Mayor & Mother Sister

1:38

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Fight the Power

3:00

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Your Jordans Are F***ed Up!

2:23

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - No Nasty

3:17

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Destroying Sal's

2:59

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - 20 "D" Batteries

1:15

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - LOVE and HATE

1:51

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Racist Stereotypes

3:04

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Boycott Sal's!

3:00

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Today's Forecast

1:24

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Do the Right Thing: Do The Right Thing's Best Scenes

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Synopsis

Salvatore "Sal" Fragione (Danny Aiello) is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito), becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.

Director: Spike Lee
Producer: Spike Lee
Screenwriter: Spike Lee
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 30, 1989, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jun 28, 2019
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 30, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.0M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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