Talk to Me is a 2007 biographical film directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Taraji P. Henson, Cedric the Entertainer, and Mike Epps. It is about Washington, D.C. radio personality Ralph Petey Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist, and Dewey Hughes, his friend and manager. The film spans the time period May 1966 to January 1984, ending with Greene s memorial service.

The film premiered as the opening night film of the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival, on June 22, 2007. It opened in North America in a limited release on July 13, 2007, and nationwide on August 3, 2007.

Cast

• Don Cheadle as Ralph Petey Greene
• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Dewey Hughes
• Taraji P. Henson as Vernell Watson
• Cedric the Entertainer as Nighthawk Bob Terry
• Mike Epps as Milo Hughes
• Martin Sheen as E.G. Sonderling
• Vondie Curtis Hall as Sunny Jim Kelsey
• Richard Chevolleau as Poochie Braxton
• Alison Sealy-Smith as Freda
• Elle Downs as Peaches
• Herbert L. Rawlings, Jr. as James Brown
• Damir Andrei as Frederick de Cordova
• Jim Malmberg as Johnny Carson

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, review aggregator, the film has an approval rating of 82% based on 126 reviews and an average score of 6.95/10. The website s critical consensus reads, A riveting look at the life of legendary DJ Petey Greene, Talk to Me goes beyond the typical biopic with explosive performances from Don Cheadle and Chiwetal Ejiofor. On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 69 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews .

Michael Rechtshaffen of the Associated Press wrote in his review: Again demonstrating why he s one of the most versatile actors around, Don Cheadle gives another prize-worthy performance as Ralph Waldo Petey Greene Jr., the irrepressible radio DJ whose keepin -it-real style made him a trusted voice on the airwaves during the turbulent late 60s and early 70s. Also keeping it real are those rich period touches contributed by production designer Warren Alan Young and costume designer Gersha Phillips, whose fabulous creations for Henson appear to have come directly from the blaxploitation attic.

Greene s surviving family members did not cooperate with the making of the film and criticized it for taking liberties with his portrayal and those around him.

Release

Talk to Me was released on DVD on October 30, 2007, and September 7, 2010, as a wide screen edition. The film was released on Blu-ray on March 22, 2010.

Awards and nominations

• African-American Film Critics Best Director: Kasi Lemmons (Winner) Best Actor: Don Cheadle (Winner) Best Supporting Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Winner)
• Best Director: Kasi Lemmons (Winner)
• Best Actor: Don Cheadle (Winner)
• Best Supporting Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Winner)
• Image Awards Outstanding Motion Picture (Nominated) Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Don Cheadle (Nominated) Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Taraji P. Henson (Nominated) Outstanding Director in a Motion Picture: Kasi Lemmons (Winner) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Nominated) Outstanding Writing for a Motion Picture: Michael Genet & Rick Famuyiwa (Winner)
• Outstanding Motion Picture (Nominated)
• Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Don Cheadle (Nominated)
• Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Taraji P. Henson (Nominated)
• Outstanding Director in a Motion Picture: Kasi Lemmons (Winner)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Nominated)
• Outstanding Writing for a Motion Picture: Michael Genet & Rick Famuyiwa (Winner)
• Independent Spirit Awards Best Male Lead: Don Cheadle (Nominated) Best Supporting Male: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Winner)
• Best Male Lead: Don Cheadle (Nominated)
• Best Supporting Male: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Winner)
• Gotham Awards Best Ensemble (Winner)
• Best Ensemble (Winner)
• Satellite Awards Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy: Don Cheadle (Nominated) Best Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson (Nominated)
• Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy: Don Cheadle (Nominated)
• Best Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson (Nominated)

Year	2007
ReleaseDate	2007-08-03
RuntimeMins	118
RuntimeStr	1h 58min
Plot	The story of Washington D.C. radio personality Ralph “Petey” Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in the 1960s.
Awards	Awards, 8 wins & 14 nominations
Directors	Kasi Lemmons
Writers	Michael Genet, Rick Famuyiwa
Stars	Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Bruce McFee
Produced by	Don Cheadle,J. Miles Dale,Joe Fries,Mark Gordon,William Horberg,Sidney Kimmel,Josh McLaughlin,Jill Rachel Morris,Joey Rappa,Bruce Toll
Music by	Terence Blanchard
Cinematography by	Stéphane Fontaine
Film Editing by	Terilyn A. Shropshire
Casting By	Robin D. Cook,Victoria Thomas
Production Design by	Warren Alan Young
Art Direction by	Patrick Banister
Set Decoration by	Patricia Cuccia,Carolyn ‘Cal’ Loucks
Costume Design by	Gersha Phillips
Makeup Department	Mary Aaron,Lydia Bensimmon,Mario Cacioppo,Renee Chan,Rhosael Ciandre,Mary Cooke,Donna Gliddon,Etheline Joseph,Allison Mondesir,Sandra Wheatle,Victoria Wood,Geralyn Wraith,Debi Young,Sherri Bramlett,Ngozi Olandu Young,Janice Tunnell
Production Management	Dennis Chapman,Paulette D. Clark,Katherine Dorrer,Jane Nerlinger Evans,Carol Flaisher,Elizabeth Fox,Aaron Merrell
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director	Bryn Caron,Penny Charter,J. Miles Dale,Tyler Delben,Walter Gasparovic,Rodney ‘Bear’ Jackson,Alison C. Rosa,Charles Zalben,Timothy Blockburger,Anna Kemp,Stephanie Lovell
Art Department	Mark Bentley,Lloyd Brown,Carlos Caneca,Carl Catanese,Jean-Pierre Charbonneau,Greg Chown,Jonathan Davis,Avril Dishaw,Donavon Drummond,Paul Greenberg,Jennifer Heimpel,Jacqui Hemingway,Sam Hudecki,Norman Kelner,Elena Kenney,Kristina Kilpe,Jonathan Kovacs,Kevin Ladson,Sabri Lariani,Scott Lyons,Linda McClelland,Brenda McClennin,Kevin McCullagh,Jeffrey A. Melvin,Melissa Morgan,Derek Noel,H. Nancy Pak,Henry Piersig,Vic Rigler,Mila Rolicz,Stephen G. Shifflette,Douglas Slater,Bob Spore,Zachary Vero
Sound Department	Robert Althoff,Pembrooke Andrews,Jeremy Balko,Steve Bartkowicz,Mike Filippov,Marc Fishman,Alan Freedman,Glen Gauthier,Jim Gilchrist,Dan Guachione,Ivan Hawks,Robert Jackson,Tony Lamberti,Lawrence Loewinger,Paul Longstaffe,Jeff Malham,Matthew McKenzie,Lorenzo Millan,Jay Nierenberg,Todd Niesen,Jason Oliver,Rick Polanco,Troy Porter,Stuart Provine,Adam Ridge,Aaron J. Rudelson,Moshe Saadon,Steve Switzer,Vicki Vandegrift,Bryan Jerden
Special Effects by	John LaForet,David Reaume,Thad Whitley,Skyler Wilson
Visual Effects by	Tanja Boening,Rubina Cokar,Adrian Colbert,Steve Danhieux,Rob Del Ciancio,Anand Dorairaj,Carl Jacobson,Karen McCarthy,Peter Moc,John-John Traoré,Aaron Weintraub,Fiona Campbell Westgate,Dennis Berardi,Cyril Frederick Chu,Zachary J. Gans,Colin Hui,Matt Jones,John J. Miralles,Darcy Reno,David Singer,Colin Walcott,Colin Withers
Stunts	Brad Bunn,Tom Farr,Errol Gee,Howard Green,Curtis Hibbert,Rogue Johnston,Brent Jones,Jamie Jones,Kelly Jones,Cotton Mather,Anthony McRae,Moses Nyarko,Dayo Odesanya,Mac Jeffrey Ong,Daryl Patchett,Edward A. Queffelec,Kevin Rushton,Paul Rutledge,Steve ‘Shack’ Shackleton,Peter Yan,Matt Birman
Camera and Electrical Department	Jeff Daniel Adams,Kevin Alanthwaite,Mark Beauchamp,Andy Bell,John Billeci,Sarah Brandes,Carlo Campana,Murdoch Campbell,Morgan Carpenter,John Clifford,Gilles Corbeil,Sean Dawes,Heather Donald,Mark Dufour,Tony Eldridge,Steve Ferrier,Ron Forward,Rusty Gardner,Michael Gibson,John Glasser,William J. Gray,Carl Hamilton,R.L. Hannah,Kenny Harris,Brian Heller,Tim Hennessy,Eric Holmes,Dave Insley,William T. Iversen,Alec Jarnagin,John D. Kennedy,John Thomas Kennedy,John Kimmer,Brian T. Leach,Jason Lenoury,Mark Lewandowski,Desiree Lidon,Gus Limberis,Clay Liversidge,William Louthe,Andris Matiss,Tim Metivier,Joseph Micomonaco,Kenneth Morton,Tom Nichols,Anthony Nocera,John O’Boyle,Michael O’Connor,David Pamplin,Douglas Pellegrino,Matthew Pill,Brent Robinson,Ronald Schlueter,Blackford ‘Boots’ Shelton,Stuart Stein,Davidson Tate,Blain Thrush,Greg Williams,Jelani Atu Wilson,Mike Yoder
Casting Department	Luisa Cabbidu,Barbara Harris,Zameret Kleiman,Hollie Lee,Millie Tom,Melissa Braun,Robyn Owen Silvestri
Costume and Wardrobe Department	Tanya Batanau-Chuiko,Maria Belperio,Keia Bounds,Suzette Daigle,Catharine Fletcher Incaprera,Renee Fontana,Wayne Godfrey,Whitney Kyles,Karen Lee,Susan MacLeod,Trelawnie Mead,Kimberly Memory Stanley,Ahmad Zargaran
Editorial Department	Marisa Clayton,Joe Finley,Nicholas Hasson,Kenneth Marsten,Joi McMillon,Bryan Park,Angela Rentzelos,Pat Repola,Felicia D. Moore,Jim Passon
Location Management	J. Chan Claggett,Joseph A. Dewar,Christopher Dunn,Christopher Geair,Chris Glover,Chris Martin,David McIlroy,Matthew Dillon Noonan
Music Department	Vincent Bennett,Jim Black,Terence Blanchard,Todd Bozung,Robin Burgess,Barry Cole,J. Miles Dale,Howard Drossin,Josh Evans,Christy Gerhart,Bonnie Greenberg,Derrick Hodge,Sam Hofstedt,Robert Huff,Simon James,Jef Lee Johnson,Michael Kutchman,Robert Puff,Reed Ruddy,Carl Sealove,Oscar Seaton,Del Spiva,Brice Winston,Frank Wolf,Greg Hayes
Script and Continuity Department	Bosede Williams
Transportation Department	John Brown,William F. Doyle,Norman Foster,Lorne Frederick,Danielle Fredrickson,Glenn Hughes,Jacqueline L. Hurd,Gordon Ionson,Shaun Magee,Hugh McCallum,Roland McGrath,Bruce McLean,Dave Mead,Brian O’Hara,Steve Russell,Maurice Tremblay,Gilbert Young,John R. Dove
Additional Crew	Kevin Alakas,Gerry Alfonso,Richard Baker,Vikas Bandhu,Cassandra Barbour,Paul Becker,Allison Brandin,Stephan Burle,Clinton Cameron,Elio Campbell,Jennifer Chovancek,Rob Craine,Morgan Davidoff,Dennis Davidson,Joshua Deighton,Carlo Denuzzo,Julio Ferrario,Charlotte Fleck,Ginny Galloway,Wayne Godfrey,Pamela B. Green,John Hamilton,Michael J. Harker,Tova Harrison,Edwin Hawkeswood,Dewey Hughes,Lieve Jansen,Nicole Jefferson,Richie Kawamoto,Ashley Kravitz,Vicky Lambert,Hollie Lee,Mark R. Lindsay,Michael J. Linowes,Jeannette Linton,Roxanne Mayweather,Chris Mikolovich,Khanya Mkhize,Althea Morgan-Taylor,Rick Parker,Yan Regis,Laura Sevier,Suzanne Shelton,Alan Sutton,Candace Tempelmeyer,Elaine Thurston,Karen Tyrell,Jarik Van Sluijs,Uma Venkataramaiah,Adrain Washington,Alison Waxman,Bosede Williams,Gaytra Arnold,Douglas M. Jones,Steven Lafferty,Dylan Matlock,Jane Sakowski Bell,Daniel Villagomez
Thanks	Jeff Sotzing
Genres	Biography, Drama, History
Companies	Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Mark Gordon Productions, Pelagius Films
Countries	USA
Languages	English
ContentRating	R
ImDbRating	7.3
ImDbRatingVotes	9846
MetacriticRating	69
Keywords	cigarette smoking,male nudity,based on true story,radio host,radio show