Universal Pictures invited ComingSoon.net to the New York premiere of Jordan Peele’s Us, his follow-up to the Oscar-winning Get Out, and now that we’ve seen the film we wanted to give our readers a little NON-SPOILER assist for a major real-life event that informs the film: Hands Across America. What was Hands Across America? Find out below before you see Us this weekend, and check out photos in our special gallery!
The very first scene in Us features a commercial for Hands Across America on a vintage TV circa 1986 when the opening takes place. Since Peele is showing this to us right upfront it stands that it is going to be important to the plot, correct? Well it would certainly help to know what it was in order to understand the reference. Hands Across America was a charitable fundraising event which took place on Sunday, May 25, 1986 in which 6.5 million people held hands for fifteen minutes to form a human chain across the United States. The benefit raised $34 million dollars to fight hunger and homelessness in America, although only $15 million was given out after costs were deducted.
Participants were invited to spend $10 dollars to reserve their place in the line. In more heavily populated areas like major cities the lines were 10-people-deep, whereas in more sparse towns or desert areas there were huge gaps. The event has since become both a fond bit of 80’s nostalgia and occasionally a punchline on sitcoms like The Simpsons, Modern Family, The Goldbergs and the movie Beerfest.
A good many 80’s celebrities participated in Hands Across America to help raise awareness, including President Ronald Reagan, Michael Jackson, Michael J. Fox, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Lewis, Scott Baio, Tony Danza, Brooke Shields, Gregory Hines, Edward James Olmos, Yoko Ono, Jamie Farr, David Copperfield, Kathleen Turner, Kenny Rogers, Bob Seger, George Burns, Dudley Moore, Richard Dreyfuss, Donna Mills, Robin Williams, Don Johnson and -yes- R2-D2, C-3PO and Chewbacca.
RELATED: First Reactions To Jordan Peele’s Us Are Glowing!
Us stars Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther), Winston Duke (Black Panther), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Tim Heidecker (Ant-Man and the Wasp) along with Shahadi Wright Joseph (Hairspray Live!), Evan Alex (Mani), Madison Curry, Cali Sheldon, Noelle Sheldon (Friends) and Duke Nicholson.
Set in present day along the iconic Northern California coastline, Nyong’o stars as Adelaide Wilson, a woman returning to her beachside childhood home with her husband, Gabe (Duke), and their two children (Joseph, Alex) for an idyllic summer getaway. Haunted by an unexplainable and unresolved trauma from her past and compounded by a string of eerie coincidences, Adelaide feels her paranoia elevate to high-alert as she grows increasingly certain that something bad is about to befall her family.
After spending a tense beach day with their friends, the Tylers (Moss, Heidecker, Cali and Noelle Sheldon), Adelaide and her family return to their vacation home to discover the silhouettes of four figures standing in their driveway. Us pits an ordinary American family against a terrifying and uncanny opponent: doppelgängers of themselves.
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Us will be written and directed by Peele and will also produce through his Monkeypaw Productions. The film is being produced by Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum and Monkeypaw’s Ian Cooper with Daniel Lupi to executive produce.
The film will hit theaters wide on March 22.
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Hands Across America
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What Was Hands Across America?
President Ronald Reagan, wife Nancy, daughter Maureen and James Brady participating in Hands Across America outside the White House. (Photo by Diana Walker//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)
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What Was Hands Across America?
President Ronald Reagan , wife Nancy, daughter Maureen (R), and James Brady (3L) participating in Hands Across America outside the White Housel (Photo by Diana Walker//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)
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What Was Hands Across America?
Ben Vereen (2R), Lily Tomlin (R), Helen Hayes (2L),Cleavon Little (L) at Hands Across America charity event. (Photo by Bill Foley/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)
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What Was Hands Across America?
Actress Lily Tomlin at Hands Across America charity event. (Photo by Bill Foley/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)
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What Was Hands Across America?
NEWYORK CITY - MAY 25: Singer Yoko Ono and son Sean Lennon and actress/singer Liza Minnelli attend the "Hands Across America" Publicity Campaign and Benefit Event to Raise Money to Fight Hunger and Homelessness on May 25, 1986 at Battery Park in New York City. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)
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What Was Hands Across America?
UNITED STATES - APRIL 01: Actress Kathleen Turner and others during "Hands Across America" (Photo by Ann Clifford/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)
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What Was Hands Across America?
UNITED STATES - April 1986: Actress Kathleen Turner during 'Hands Across America'. (Photo by The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)
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What Was Hands Across America?
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 18 -- Pictured: (l-r) Danitra Vance as supporter, Nora Dunn as leader, Billy Martin as supporter, Joan Cusack as supporter, Terry Sweeney as supporter during the 'Hands Across America' skit on May 24, 1986 (Photo by Alan Singer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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What Was Hands Across America?
Preview of support of Hands Across America, Congressman Tip O'Neill (2R), gymnast Bart Conner (C), & others on Capitol steps. (Photo by Cynthia Johnson/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)
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What Was Hands Across America?
Musician Kenny Rogers in blue shirt on podium w. unident. people at Farragut Square Park to help sign up people for Hands Across America. (Photo by Terry Ashe/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)
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What Was Hands Across America?
(Original Caption) Anaheim, Calif.: Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse and the president of Walt Disney Productions, Frank G. Wells (R) stand in the "Hands Across America" line in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. With them are Tawny (LC) and Kirk Aguiar, ages 6 and 10.
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What Was Hands Across America?
(Original Caption) Buckeye, Ariz.: Participants stretch their hands in the desert west of Phoenix to help form a human chain from New York to Long Beach, Calif. in Hands Across America.
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What Was Hands Across America?
People join hands at the 'Hands Across America' benefit event helping to raise money for local charities, New York City, USA, 25th May 1986. (Photo by Barbara Alper/Getty Images)
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What Was Hands Across America?
(Original Caption) Washington DC. Mrs. Coretta Scott King, widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., joins hands with others at the reflecting pool near the Lincoln Memorial in the hands across America celebration 5/25. the Washington Monument is in the background.
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What Was Hands Across America?
10-1987 A disabled woman used her crutch to connect the chain in a remote open range area West of Albuquerque, NM on US 40, During hands across America. Credit: Denver Post Photo (Denver Post via Getty Images)
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What Was Hands Across America?
MAY 25 1986, 6-1986 Participants in Hands Across America Streached Along I - 40 About 15 miles West of Albuquerque, NM in a human chain that could be seen for 10 miles. Credit: The Denver Post (Denver Post via Getty Images)
