superb debut performance by diana ross a billie holiday be absolutely the only reason to see this dreary biopic . play fast and loose with the fact and a anybody who have actually read holiday autobiography know . shockingly mediocre support cast and include an extremely hammy richard pryor and help make this film a real snore between ross or holiday musical number and heroin addiction scene . if you want the real billie and try pbs american master documentary of a few year back . ross do not exactly sing like holiday and only get a few of her famous vocal nuance in and but they be some of her most passionate performance catch on film . she also doesn not exactly resemble holiday and who be rather plump early on and but she just so command the screen . amaze how few film she have ultimately make and though the specter of dorothy dandridge loom large .