So, I’m told that Love and Basketball is actually a hot selling poster…
Which kind of shocked me, as I hadn’t even heard of the movie before this was pointed out to me.
hmmm.
The facts:
Cast: Omar Epps, Sanaa Lathan, Alfre Woodard, Dennis Haysbert, Debbi (Deborah) Morgan, Harry J. Lennix, Kyla Pratt, Glenndon Chatman
DIRECTED BY: Gina Prince-Bythewood
WRITTEN BY: Gina Prince-Bythewood
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY: Reynaldo Villalobos
MUSIC BY: Terence Blanchard.
Produced by Spike Lee and Sam Kitt
Review: Childhood friends and high school sweethearts Monica (Lathan) and Quincy (Epps) pursue their dreams of pro basketball careers and try to sort out their feelings for each other over a 12-year period. First-time director Prince-Bythewood avoids the cliches of most sports movies by removing the Big Game climax and replacing it with thoughtful character study and the understanding of the sacrifices athletes make to excel at their chosen profession. Leads Lathan and Epps are impressive.
Roger Ebert called Love and Basketball “…a thoughtful and touching story…” 3 out of 4 stars
