The Temptations Tells the Sad But Exhilarating Tale of Motown Legends

One of my favorite movies is That Thing You Do!, the mid-90s Tom Hanks-directed movie about the meteoric rise and fall of a fictional Erie-based band in the 1960s. My friends Libbie and Dan share my hometown pride in that feel-good flick, but when it comes to stories about the ups and downs of life in the music business, there’s a movie they like even better, a movie we sat down to rewatch together when Dan returned to Erie recently for a visit.

The Temptations, a 1998 made-for-TV biopic, chronicles the progression of the Motown giant from its earliest incarnation, a high school doo-wop group led by the ambitious Otis Williams (Charles Malik Whitfield). The two-and-a-half-hour-long movie, directed by Allan Arkush with and written by Robert Johnson and Kevin Arkadie, covers a span of about 35 years, so it’s as drawn-out as That Thing You Do! is lightning-quick. The Temptations is not a summertime dream for Otis and the young men who join him; it’s the backbone of their lives.

The central character of the film is Otis, who serves as narrator and is both the group’s first member and its last. The early part of the movie captures the excitement of youthful singers finding each other, perfecting their sound, impressing the right people, getting into the studios and embarking on tours. At first it’s a little hard to latch onto particular characters, since Otis is more committed to this idea than most of the people he hooks up with, and groupmates, along with group names, come and go. But gradually, the Temptations truly take shape, and we get to know the rest of them, with all their gifts and foibles.

Paul Williams (no relation to Otis) sang lead on many of the early records, and Christian Payton pours a lot of passion into his performances, as well as later scenes depicting the sad derailment of his life due to alcohol. Terron Brooks also does an impressive job as high-voiced Eddie Kendricks, Paul’s closest friend in the group. He doesn’t stand out quite as much to me, but through him, we really see the toll of the group’s eventual fracturing.

Probably the standout performance is Leon Robinson as David Ruffin, the hot-headed singer who elbows his way into the group and tries to take over. David is an erratic character, a brilliant performer with a dangerous temper and an impossible ego. At times, I caught myself feeling sorry for him as he let his poor choices lead him into a downward spiral. Other times, I objected to his abhorrent behavior. And then there’s his big scene, the blowout that occurs when Otis decides he’s had enough of David skipping rehearsals and acting superior and confronts him on it. It’s a tense moment, and yet David is so explosively expressive and just plain in love with himself that I get the giggles just thinking about it. “There is only one David Ruffin,” he retorts, “and without him, the Temps ain’t nothin’ but a group in search of a David Ruffin.”

While David’s volatility makes him fascinating to watch, I’m most drawn to Melvin Franklin (D. B. Woodside), the quiet, even-keeled bass singer whose voice wows teenaged Otis when he hears him singing on a street corner. Otis is the manager and the driving force behind most of the group’s major changes, but in many ways it’s his best friend, who’s been with the Temptations longer than anyone besides Otis himself, who serves as the glue. Otis butts heads with most of the other members from time to time, but Melvin has a way of smoothing things over. A man of few words with an expansive smile but sad eyes, Melvin struggles with physical ailments but rarely complains, and he generally comes across as the most selfless of the Temptations.

Melvin’s strong-willed, protective mother, Mama Rose (Jenifer Lewis), is among the most memorable side characters, particularly in her initial meeting with Otis, which is funny and sweet and marks the beginning of a beautiful friendship. As Otis’s supportive mother Haze, Tina Lifford makes a different kind of impact later in one of the film’s most poignant scenes. On the music end of things, Obba Babatunde makes a slick but enthusiastic Berry Gordy, head of Motown, while Erik Michael Tristan brings a soulful vibe to Smokey Robinson, who wrote several Temptations hits.

One of the hits Smokey penned was My Girl, and for sheer joy, few moments in the film can compare with the scene in which he presents it to them for the first time. “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day. / When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May…” Watching the smiles spread across their faces as they listen is exhilarating; it’s clear that they realize this song is something special. The recreations of musical performances are excellent, with different songs punctuating events in the life of the group. If you’ve enjoyed the music of the Temptations, you should get a kick out of the songs presented here, which include, among others, The Way You Do The Things You Do, Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, I Wish It Would Rain, Ball Of Confusion, Just My Imagination and Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.

This is a long movie, and it’s filled with heartache as the group’s members fall out with each other and succumb to addictions and illnesses. Nonetheless, it’s a fascinating tale offering background on perhaps the greatest group to come out of Motown. If you’ve ever caught yourself singing along with their harmonious hits, I ain’t too proud to beg you to give The Temptations a try.