#fiveheartbeats , The Five Heartbeats is a 1991 musical drama directed by Robert Townsend, who co-wrote the script with Keenen Ivory Wayans. The film, produced by 20th Century Fox, stars Townsend, Michael Wright, Leon Robinson, Harry J. Lennix, Tico Wells, Harold Nicholas, and Diahann Carroll. Loosely based on the lives of artists like The Dells and The Temptations, it follows the rise and fall of the fictional R&B group The Five Heartbeats over three decades, focusing on member Donald "Duck" Matthews.❤️🖤🎥Released on March 29, 1991, in North America, the film was later released on DVD worldwide in 2002 and 2006. Critics gave it mixed reviews.Five friends, Duck, Choirboy, J.T., Dresser, and Eddie, form The Heartbeats and gain attention in a Battle of the Bands. Managed by Jimmy Potter, they struggle with competition, racism, and internal conflicts. Success leads them to sign with corrupt producer Big Red, who eventually has Jimmy killed. Eddie''s substance abuse and a betrayal within the group lead to their breakup.By the early 1990s, the group members have moved on: Eddie is sober and managing a choir, Duck reconciles with his brother J.T., and the former Heartbeats reunite joyfully at a family gathering.