Lackawanna Blues is a 2005 American biographical drama television film directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. It aired on HBO on February 12, 2005. It is based on the play of the same name by Santiago-Hudson. Wolfe had commissioned the stage version.

For her work in the movie, S. Epatha Merkerson won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2006.

Premise Lackawanna Blues is the true story of Ruben Santiago Jr. growing up in Lackawanna, New York. He was raised by his father and mother and the neighborhood boarding house lady known as Rachel "Nanny" Crosby. Ruben was born in 1956 to his Puerto Rican father Ruben Santiago and his African-American mother Alean Hudson. His mother was too mentally unstable to take good care of him; residing in mental hospitals, Alean disappears and reappears throughout Ruben's life. His father stayed at Nanny's boarding house, but he was frequently not around due to working long hours or out looking for work. Nanny more or less took care of Ruben Jr. as a mother figure. The television movie depicts his life growing up there and the diverse characters that he meets during his and their stays at the boarding house.

Cast S. Epatha Merkerson as Rachel "Nanny" Crosby Hill Harper as Ruben Santiago Jr. as an adult Marcus Carl Franklin as Ruben Santiago Jr. as a boy, ages 7–10 Jimmy Smits as Ruben Santiago Sr., Ruben's father Terrence Howard as Bill Crosby, Nanny's much younger husband Mos Def as The Bandleader Carmen Ejogo as Alean Hudson, Ruben's mother Louis Gossett Jr as Ol'lem Taylor, a retired Negro league baseball player Macy Gray as Pauline, a resident and Jimmy's girlfriend Michael K. Williams as Jimmy, a resident and Pauline's boyfriend Ernie Hudson as Dick Barrymore, a cabaret owner Delroy Lindo as Mr. Lucious, a resident Rosie Perez as Bertha, a hairdresser and resident Adina Porter as Ricky, a resident Jeffrey Wright as Small Paul Barry Shabaka Henley as Shakey Winfield, a resident and Nanny's cousin Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Freddie Cobbs, a World War II veteran Saul Williams as Lonnie, a resident and Vietnam War veteran Liev Schreiber as Ulysses Ford, a social worker Julie Benz as Laura, an abused wife Henry Simmons as Jesse, Laura's abusive husband Patricia Wettig as Laura's Mother Ron Kellum as Fish Fry guest Robert Bradley as Otis McClanahan (credited as "Robert A. Bradley" in some sources)

The blind Detroit street singer Robert Bradley from the band Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise appears in the film. He performs on-screen and has three songs featured on the soundtrack (including a duet with Macy Gray).

Production Began shooting March 1, 2004 and completed shooting April 1, 2004.

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movie of the Week Casting John Papsidera and Wendy O'Brien Humanitas Prize 90 Minute or Longer Network or Syndicated Television Ruben Santiago-Hudson Online Film & Television Association Awards Best Motion Picture Made for Television Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Marcus Carl Franklin Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries S. Epatha Merkerson Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Terrence Howard Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Macy Gray Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries George C. Wolfe Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries Ruben Santiago-Hudson Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Best Costume Design in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Best Editing in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Best Lighting in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Best Music in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Meshell Ndegeocello Best Production Design in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Best Sound in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Made for Television Movie Halle Berry, Vincent Cirrincione, Shelby Stone, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and Nellie Nugiel Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie S. Epatha Merkerson Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special George C. Wolfe Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or Special John Papsidera Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Charles Gregory Ross and Fay Kelly Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Non-Prosthetic) Edna Sheen, Denise Pugh-Ruiz, and Karen Westerfield Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie Susumu Tokunow, Rick Ash, and Adam Jenkins Satellite Awards Best Motion Picture Made for Television Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television S. Epatha Merkerson Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials Women's Image Network Awards Actress in Made-for-TV Movie/Miniseries S. Epatha Merkerson AARP Movies for Grownups Awards Best TV Movie American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Non-Commercial Television Brian A. Kates BET Awards Best Actor Terrence Howard Black Reel Awards Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series Halle Berry and Vincent Cirrincione Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Mini-Series George C. Wolfe Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series S. Epatha Merkerson Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series Terrence Howard Jeffrey Wright Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series Carmen Ejogo Rosie Perez Adina Porter Outstanding Screenplay, TV Movie or Mini-Series Ruben Santiago-Hudson Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-Series Susumu Tokunow, Rick Ash, and Adam Jenkins Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Miniseries Hope Hanafin Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television or Miniseries George C. Wolfe Golden Globe Awards Best Miniseries or Television Film Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film S. Epatha Merkerson Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing in Television Long Form – Dialogue and Automated Dialogue Replacement Jon Mete, Michael Hertlein, and Paul Longstaffe Gracie Awards Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries S. Epatha Merkerson Independent Spirit Awards Best First Feature Best Female Lead S. Epatha Merkerson NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Terrence Howard Jeffrey Wright Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Carmen Ejogo Macy Gray S. Epatha Merkerson Rosie Perez Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film/Television Movie George C. Wolfe NAMIC Vision Awards Best Drama Best Dramatic Performance S. Epatha Merkerson National Board of Review Awards Best Film or Mini-Series Made for Cable TV Producers Guild of America Awards David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Halle Berry, Vincent Cirrincione, Shelby Stone, and Nellie Nugiel Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie S. Epatha Merkerson Writers Guild of America Awards Long Form – Adapted Ruben Santiago-Hudson – Based on his play

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