Steve Pulaski Spike Lee's Get on the Bus is a brash, powerful movie, with an attitude and a creatively charming enigma, due to its vivid characters and wonderfully entertaining dialog. But the dialog isn't just "wonderfully entertaining" as much as it is very prophetic and offers a distinct, surly commentary on race in America. It's easily one of the biggest personal growths Lee has produced on film.The story chronicles a large group of about fifteen black men who board a coach bus to the Million Man March in Washington D.C. in October 1995. Among the men are those from different generations, different upbringings, different philosophies, but most importantly, different approaches to walks of life not their own and dissenting opinions. The bus driver is George, played by Charles S. Dutton, a fun-loving character, with a distinct jolliness to his presence. The black history expert Jeremiah (nicknamed "Pop" and played by Ossie Davis) offers a powerful, wholesome amount of wisdom many young bloods find difficult to grasp. An openly gay man (Harry J. Lennix) who boards with his gay Republican lover (Isaiah Washington), as they are within arms reach of breaking up with each other. Gary (Roger Guenveur Smith), a biracial police officer who is victim to abuse from a narcissistic, misogynist actor named Flip (Andre Braugher), along with a conspiracy theorist (Steve White) and a gangbanger turned Muslim (Gabriel Casseus).At first, the gang is giddy to be a part of history as they eagerly partake in the six day bus ride from Los Angeles to D.C. But as the sun beats down, the miles rack up, and the talks become serious, we see disdain building and we see people's true sides come out. Writer Reggie Rock Bythewood concocts this film not as a potboiler, but more like a drama set on the stove above a low boil with the faint mindset of having things erupt.The beautifully melodic feature that is here in Lee's film and present in Bythewood's writing is that there doesn't seem to be any idea or any element of good vs. bad or heroes and villains. The same element existed in Do the Right Thing, where characters were painted in an unbiased light, so those regardless of skin color or prejudices could look and appreciate them as smart human beings. There are no dumb characters in this film; all of them have their reasons, regardless whether or not I agree with them, and all of them have their own way or reacting under stress and opposition. Like us all.NOTE: I purposely chose to write a concise review of Get on the Bus, fore I feel too much examination, especially with this film, may offer an opinion dictatorship. In other words, you won't be able to let your own view come forth because of all that I have said. The film is terrific entertainment, but also smart entertainment, that isn't something I could label frothy, whimsical, or trite.Starring: Charles S. Dutton, Ossie Davis, Richard Belzer, De'aundre Bonds, Andre Braugher, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Gabriel Casseus, Albert Hall, Hill Harper, Harry J. Lennix, Bernie Mac, Wendell Pierce, Roger Guenveur Smith, Isaiah Washington, and Steve White. Directed by: Spike Lee.

rwirtz Being a white European male I liked this movie very much. As I've read in some of the other comments there are people who think that this movie is berating whites and degrading the black status quo. While this may be true this movie revolves, just like Barbershop, around accountability and self-empowerment. Of course this movie has all the stereotypes, but you have to ask yourself how the stereotype became a stereotype!I think that Spike Lee masterfully adapted this wonderful screenplay into a very good movie, leaving loose ends on purpose: everyone needs to find out for himself/herself what their next step is.The acting was superb, especially Ossie Davis, and the soundtrack was spot on. I give it 4 out 5.

dee.reid I just got done watching Spike Lee's "Get on the Bus" for the first time in about a year. The movie is done in a manner, I can't really describe it, that is very different from previous efforts by Spike Lee. The film follows a bus of about twenty men, all African-American, on a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the Million March that was held there in 1995, about a year before this movie was made. We follow each of the men, including a father and son who have tethered together on a court order; a homophobic actor, who takes an immediate disliking to two homosexual men; a cop whose father was killed in the line of duty; a former gang member who is now a social services worker for troubled kids who he's trying to keep from living a life in gangs; an up and coming film student, who is video taping the event so he can show it to his future children; and an open-hearted elderly man who is going to the Million Man March simply because he wants to."Get on the Bus" is in my opinion, one of Spike Lee's best films. Each of the characters are unique in one a way or another.A film that is not to be missed.

wellesly01 This movie is a modest effort by Spike Lee. He is capable of much more than this movie.Get on the Bus while apparenly anti racist, does nothing but berate whites and degrade the black status quo. The plot of this movie is about a group of black men who travel on a bus to Louis Farrakhan's million man march. The bus has every type of person you could imagine:gay, Muslim, gangbanger and the Uncle Tom(He is thrown off the bus though). There was one only white person on the bus. He was accused of being a racist the minute he got on the bus to drive. Despite him being a jew and the fact that he explained is situation he ended up being a racist and leaving the bus.I hate to say it but films like this need to realize their own hipocracy and rienforcation of steryotypes. This should not be seen as a triumph but a sad disappointment. You may think I am a racist for writing this but I mean well. Better luck next time Spike.