What's Love Got to Do with It (film)

Born and raised in Nutbush, Tennessee, Anna Mae Bullock grows up in an unhappy family with her parents leaving and abandoning her at a young age.

Following her grandmother's death, Anna Mae relocates to St. Louis, reuniting with her mother and close sister Alline. Anna Mae pursues a chance to be a professional singer, after seeing charismatic bandleader Ike Turner perform one night. Later, she wins her spot in Turner's band after singing onstage, and he begins mentoring her. In time, an unexpected romance develops between the two, after she moves into Ike's home. Shortly afterwards, they marry and begin having musical success together as Ike & Tina Turner.

The marriage quickly turns violent when Ike starts physically dominating Tina, leaving her no chance to escape. In public, Tina rises from local St. Louis phenomenon into an R&B superstar, with Ike growing increasingly jealous of the attention given to her. Ike turns to drugs as his behavior worsens while Tina seeks to find solace in her chaotic life. Her friend turns her on to Buddhism, eventually convincing her that reciting the Lotus Sutra and chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo will help "change her life." Tina grows increasingly confident afterwards and, in a final fight with Ike, finally musters the courage to defend herself; eventually leaving Ike after they arrive at a hotel.

Winning the right to retain her stage name after their divorce, Tina continues working to pay bills. Tina gets a break after meeting Roger Davies, who eventually helps her realize her dreams of rock stardom. Despite Ike's attempts to win her back, Tina eventually prevails and finds solo success, accomplishing her dreams without Ike. The film concludes with real life concert footage of Tina in the 1980s.

Angela Bassett, nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Tina Turner

Halle Berry, Robin Givens, Pam Grier, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Vanessa L. Williams were all considered for the role of Tina Turner.[2] Whitney Houston was actually offered the role, but had to decline due to imminent maternity. Jenifer Lewis also originally auditioned to play Tina Turner but was cast instead as Tina's mother despite being only a year older than Bassett.

Angela Bassett auditioned for the role in October 1992 and was chosen only a month before production began in December. During that time she had to learn not only how to talk like Turner but to dance and move like her. She would have been willing to try to do the singing as well, but ''not in the time we had,'' she said. ''I did think about it for a second, though.'' Instead, she lip syncs to soundtracks recorded by Tina Turner and Fishburne. Bassett worked with Tina Turner, but only ''a little bit.'' Turner helped most with the re-creations of her famed dance routines.[3] Bassett was injured while filming the first spousal abuse sequence. She fell off the back of a high-rise sofa, put her hands out to reduce the impact, and suffered a hairline fracture of her right hand. She only tried the stunt fall once, and footage leading up to the mishap appears in the film.

Actress Vanessa Bell Calloway, who plays the fictional character Jackie, was leery of voicing the Buddhist chant because of her strong Christian faith. Director Brian Gibson allowed her to form the words with her lips silently during filming and added the words with a voice double in post-production.

All the Ike & Tina Turner songs used in the film were newly re-recorded versions by Tina Turner. On "Proud Mary" and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", Laurence Fishburne sings Ike Turner's parts. For Tina Turner's solo recordings, the original masters were used, including the Phil Spector-produced "River Deep - Mountain High."

Laurence Fishburne was offered the role of Ike Turner five times and turned it down each time.[2][4] "It was pretty one-sided," said Fishburne, who turned down the project based on the script he first read. Ike, Fishburne added, was "obviously the villain of the piece, but there was no explanation as to why he behaved the way he behaved - why she was with him for 16 to 20 years, what made her stay."[3] The writers made some changes and though Ike is still shown as a pretty despicable sort, the film offers at least some insight into him - most notably a scene in which Ike recalls watching, at age 6, his father's death from wounds suffered in a fight over a woman. The changes helped persuade Fishburne to do the role, but he says that Bassett's casting as Tina "was the deciding factor."[3][4]

Fishburne did not have Ike Turner around as a role model as much as he would have liked. He met him once during production of the film. "He was not particularly welcome on this project," Fishburne says.[2] The actor's only meeting was a brief introduction when Ike showed up at the Turners' former home in View Park during a location shoot. Ike signed some autographs and showed Fishburne his walk. "It was nice to meet him," says Fishburne. "Regardless of his actions, he was so much a part of Tina's life. The movie is about him just as much as her. It's unfortunate that he wasn't welcomed, that both of them weren't around more."[2] Director Brian Gibson had no contact with Ike. "I never spoke to him," says Gibson. "I was not allowed to. Disney felt that it would not be a good idea."[2]

Screenwriter Kate Lanier omitted much of the brutality Tina Turner said she endured in her book.[5] Her character was also sanitized, most notably her relationship with saxophonist Raymond Hill and the birth of their son was excluded from the film.[6] Lanier admitted that Tina Turner was not happy with certain aspects of the film because some parts were fictionalized.[5] Tina Turner tried to talk to the Disney filmmakers about the script. In 1993, she told Vanity Fair that they saw "a deep need" to make a film about "a woman who was a victim to a con man. How weak! How shallow! How dare you think that was what I was? I was in control every minute there. I was there because I wanted to be, because I had promised." She added, "O.K. so if I was a victim, fine. Maybe I was a victim for a short while. But give me credit for thinking the whole time I was there. See, I do have pride."[7]

Though most of the scenes from the film were somehow depicted from Tina Turner's autobiography I, Tina, some other elements were "fictionalized for dramatic purposes."[2]

• Ike did not sing or play guitar on the record "Rocket 88" as depicted in the film. Ike wrote the song and played piano on the record. His saxophonist Jackie Brenston was the vocalist. The record was released under the alias Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats who were actually Ike's band the Kings of Rhythm.[8]
• The song Anna Mae first performs onstage with Ike, "You Know I Love You", was actually a slower B.B. King blues ballad where King is lamenting over a broken relationship. Ike Turner played piano on King's original record.[9] Tina recorded a song with the title of King's song with similar lyrics she composed with a blues rock composition. Despite this, the record is still credited as written by King on the soundtrack.
• The first recording Anna Mae records, titled "Tina's Wish", in the soundtrack, was actually a 1973 track titled "Make Me Over" recorded and co-written by Tina on the album, Nutbush City Limits.[10] Her first recording is the 1958 song "Boxtop", a calypso-ish rock number featuring Carlson Oliver singing with her and Ike who sings bass-baritone on the track.
• A theater marquee announces a 1960 show starring "Otis Redding, Martha and the Vandellas, Ike and Tina Turner." In reality, Martha and the Vandellas were known as The Del-Phis until 1961. Otis Redding didn't become a solo act until 1962.
• In the film, Anna Mae learns of her name change to Tina Turner after the song is played on a radio in the hospital where a groggy Anna had given birth. In reality, however, Tina said she saw a vinyl copy of the song that showcased the name "Ike & Tina Turner."
• In real life, Ike didn't call her Anna Mae, he called her either Ann or "Bo" (short for Bullock).[8] Even after she received the stage name Tina Turner, family and friends still called her Ann.[11]
• The film insinuates that Tina's firstborn Craig is Ike's biological child. In reality, Craig Turner (1958–2018) was Tina's son with Ike's saxophonist Raymond Hill. Ike later adopted Craig. Tina gave birth to her son Ronnie, fathered by Ike in 1960.[6]
• The film depicts the couple getting married after Ike and his entourage sneak Tina out of the hospital. In reality, Tina wrote in her book I, Tina that Ike was not present for the birth of their son. After Tina checked herself out of the hospital, she discovered the woman Ike hired to substitute as "Tina Turner" while she recuperated was a prostitute using her name to get clients.[12] Tina confronted the woman and they got into a fight. She fired her and then performed a show.[6] Ike wrote in his book Takin' Back My Name that he was unaware the woman was a prostitute. He was out of town to attend a court hearing in St. Louis when Tina gave birth in Los Angeles.[8] They married in 1962, two years after the birth of their son.[8][6]
• Lorraine Taylor, the mother of Ike's sons Ike Jr and Michael, did not drop them off at his home with Tina as depicted in the film. In reality, Ike went to St. Louis and brought his sons to Los Angeles after Lorraine informed him she was going to leave them there. Tina also brought her son Craig to live with them.[8]
• A reenactment clip of an interview with Ike & Tina was featured in 1964, rather than 1971 where the real-life Turners were interviewed backstage at Caesar's Palace in a similar posture: with Tina talking throughout and Ike keeping silent with his back to Tina, smoking a cigarette.
• In a scene dated 1968, Ike and Tina open for The Rolling Stones performing "Proud Mary." In reality, Ike and Tina didn't perform "Proud Mary" until after it was released by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969. The Rolling Stones didn't have any concerts in 1968; Ike and Tina opened for them on their 1966 British Tour and 1969 American Tour.
• The characters Jackie and Frost did not exist in real life. Jackie represents an amalgamation of Ikettes and associates of Tina.
• The infamous "eat the cake Anna Mae" scene was an exaggerated reenactment of a real-life incident that occurred during the early years of the Revue where Tina recalled a waitress giving her a pound cake while they were sitting in a car. Though Tina said she didn't order it, Ike ordered her to eat all of it while he watched.[6]
• The scene where Ike rapes Tina during the recording of "Nutbush City Limits " was exaggerated from what Tina stated in her book. She claimed that sometimes after Ike would hit her, he then would have sex with her.[6] Ike maintained that he never raped Tina.[6] Also, "Nutbush City Limits" was recorded at the Turners' Bolic Sound recording studio, not at their home as depicted in the film.
• The film depicts Tina's suicide attempt in 1974 when it actually occurred six years prior in 1968.
• Ike did not tell Tina "if you don't make it, I'll kill you" as depicted in the ambulance scene. Tina said in her book that after her suicide attempt she joked with a friend that she was so afraid of Ike, he probably threatened her which is why she survived. Tina was unconscious so she didn't know what he actually said. Ike said in his book that he scolded Tina as his way of motivating her to fight for her life.[8]
• During the time Tina is planning her comeback in the early 1980s, a reenactment of an interview features Tina rehearsing her song "I Might Have Been Queen." The song would be recorded for her comeback album, Private Dancer.
• The incident in the Ritz Theatre where Ike fails to scare Tina with his pistol was fabricated. In her book, Tina claimed that Ike tried to send people to threaten to kill her and her associates after she left him. Ike did not threaten Tina in person with a gun as depicted.
• Before performing "What's Love Got to Do with It " at the Ritz in 1983, the emcee announces that it was her "first appearance," but she first performed there in 1981. Her 1983 performance there occurred before the recording of "What's Love Got to Do with It" and led to Capitol Records signing a contract with her.[6]

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