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The Six Triple Eight
The Six Triple Eight is a 2024 American war drama film written and directed by Tyler Perry, on the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-black, all-female battalion, in World War II.[3] It is based on the article "Fighting a Two-Front War" by Kevin M. Hymel. The film features an ensemble cast, including Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Shanice Shantay, Sarah Jeffery, Pepi Sonuga, Gregg Sulkin, Susan Sarandon, Dean Norris, Sam Waterston, Kylie Jefferson, Moriah Brown and Oprah Winfrey. The Six Triple Eight was released in select cinemas on December 6, 2024. The film's featured song, "The Journey" was nominated for Best Original Song at the 97th Academy Awards. PlotA West Virginian mother waits daily for news from her two sons serving overseas. Meanwhile, childhood friends Lena and Abram face the difficulty of their budding romance (Lena is black, and Abram is Jewish) in 1940s' Philadelphia as he prepares to deploy. Since Abram dies shortly after becoming an officer pilot, the heartbroken Lena vows to enlist upon graduation. On the train to Georgia's basic training, Lena meets other enlistees, who will become her friends. Captain Charity Adams and Lieutenant Noel Campbell train them. Despite being well-trained, the battalion is not given orders. One day, the West Virginia mother convinces Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House that, across the country, no one is receiving mail from the war. President Roosevelt meets with two high-ranking officers, Mrs. Roosevelt, and Mary MacLeod Bethune to discuss it. The general explains that delivery of supplies has been prioritized over mail. As a consequence, millions of letters and packages have piled up in hangars in Britain. Clearing the backlog has become a logistical nightmare that several units had been unable to resolve, including a white women's unit. Bethune maintains, however, that the Black Women's Army Corps can do it, so Captain Adams' unit is finally given orders. The battalion has to cross a stormy Atlantic in the ocean liner Île de France without naval escort. When it arrives in Glasgow, it faces the racist commanding officer General Halt. He forces it to march through the city immediately upon landing to a disused, rat-infested, unheated boarding school, which is to become its base. The newly-promoted Major Adams and Captain Campbell, are given six months to turn the school into a post office and barracks and clear a two-year backlog of undelivered mail. The deadline is intended to ensure their failure. Once the battalion has toiled to create liveable quarters, a pristine mess hall, and a well-organized mail sorting hall, the work can begin. One day, Lena loses her composure upon seeing nonchalant handling of dog tags found in damaged letters. She breaks down to her friends and reveals her connection to Abram and how she never received any letters from him, which makes her know first-hand how important their job is. Her friends promise to watch for any letter addressed to her and Major Adams tells Lena that her story has also made her realize the importance of their work. Along with a notification that their first two months of sorted mail was undeliverable, the battalion is asked to host black soldiers to boost morale. Lena sees Hugh there, who she had met previously. They start to dance, but she soon leaves upon hearing a song she associates with Abram. So they decide to be friends. When it is discovered that an occasional letter is opened, the battalion members point out various difficulties and challenges they face, these include multiple cases of identical names, multiple locator cards for soldiers as their units move, rats damaging addresses and their contents, mold. After President Roosevelt's death, a white chaplain delivers a sermon that undermines Adams' qualifications and morals. Then, finding his extremely negative report on her, she literally sends him packing. The same day that a letter from Abram to Lena is found, two women of their unit die from a bomb en route to the school. After their burial, Lena finally visits his grave, where she reads his letter. In it, he tells her to live a long life and so she finally gets closure. General Halt visits the 6888 and criticizes it harshly. As it works around the clock, the night shift is sleeping when he arrives. Halt is not allowed in the showers in case someone is showering. After he inspects the mail sorting area, he declares Major Adams incompetent and says that he will replace her with a white male. Adams responds "over my dead body" and elaborates eloquently in Halt's face to make it clear that she will not step down. The soldiers who heard the exchange remain standing at attention until she comes down to get them to start work again, when they give her rousing applause. As General Halt is trying to push Major Adams' court martial through, he hears cheers from his unit as their mail finally arrives. The 6888 successfully straightened the backlog of two years of 17 million pieces of mail in just 90 days despite the challenges. They were later sent to Rouen, France, to clear another backlog. Lena later marries Hugh, living a long life. The women of the 6888 were not especially appreciated when they returned to US soil at the time. Much later, Michelle Obama oversees a ceremony honoring the 6888. Also, US Army Base Fort Lee was renamed, partially in Adams' honor. Cast
ProductionIt was announced in December 2022 that Tyler Perry would be writing and directing the film Six Triple Eight for Netflix.[4] The film is based on historian Kevin M. Hymel's article, "Fighting a Two-Front War", published in the February 2019 issue of WWII History magazine.[5] In January 2023, the cast, including Kerry Washington, Sam Waterston, Susan Sarandon and Oprah Winfrey was announced, with Washington also joining as an executive producer.[6] Filming began on January 17, 2023, in Atlanta.[7] Production also occurred in Little Germany, Bradford and at Imperial War Museum Duxford in February.[8][9] Filming took place in Cedartown, Georgia on March 28, 2023.[10] The Six Triple Eight has a budget of $70 million, making it Perry's largest scale and most expensive production to date.[11] Music
The film score was composed by Aaron Zigman, who had previously scored 13 Perry films, starting with Why Did I Get Married? (2007), in collaboration with music supervisor Joel C. High, film editor Maysie Hoy, and music editor Johnny Caruso.[12] For The Six Triple Eight, Zigman was influenced by the big band era, as well as composers Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber, with most of his creative process being done at the piano. The first cue written for the film was for the scene where the battalion come off the ship after arriving in Europe.[12] The Six Triple Eight (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film) was released digitally on December 6, 2024, through Netflix Music. "The Journey", the song that plays over the film's end credits, was written by Diane Warren and performed by H.E.R., who also played guitar and piano on the track.[13][14] The ballad was previously used to soundtrack ESPN's coverage of the 2023 NBA Finals.[15] A music video, featuring H.E.R. performing in concert intercut with clips from the film, was released in November 2024.[16] For the 97th Academy Awards, Warren's "The Journey" was nominated in the category of Best Original Song while Zigman's score was shortlisted in the category of Best Original Score.[17][18] All tracks are written by Aaron Zigman.
ReleaseIn February 2024, Six Triple Eight was reported to be part of Netflix's 2024 release calendar, with a specific date yet to be announced.[19][20][21] In August 2024, Netflix announced that the film, now titled The Six Triple Eight, would be released in a limited theatrical release on December 6, 2024, with a streaming release two weeks later on December 20 on Netflix.[22] The Six Triple Eight amassed 52.4 million views over its first four weeks on Netflix becoming Tyler Perry's most watched film on the service to date. The historical drama has also boosted viewership for Perry’s four other Netflix films such as Mea Culpa, 2022’s A Jazzman's Blues, A Madea Homecoming, and 2020’s A Fall from Grace by more than 45% since The Six Triple Eight began streaming on Dec. 20. Plus, the film reached the Top 10 in more than 85 countries, the most of any film he’s made for the streamer.[23] ReceptionCritical receptionOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 50% of 42 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Six Triple Eight recounts an important true story with a steely Kerry Washington at command, but its treacly presentation unfortunately doesn't let these inspiring events speak for themselves."[24] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 51 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[25] Film critic Peter Debruge from Variety gave it a positive review, writing: "The Six Triple Eight gives Perry his best and most substantial feature to date (only 2010's ensemble melodrama For Colored Girls comes close)... The film boasts a large enough cast to launch a dozen or so careers, and yet, one performance stands head and shoulders above the others: That would be Washington's forceful turn as Adams, who holds her own against arrogant white officers."[26] Frank Scheck from The Hollywood Reporter also gave it a positive review, praising Obsidian and Washington's performances.[27] Jesse Hassenger from The Guardian gave it 2/5 stars, writing: "Kerry Washington hams it up in the writer-director's stodgy ode to a battalion of women in the second world war who deserve far better".[28] Accolades
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