Newspaper Page Text
Monday, May 4, 1998
THE MAROON TIGER
PAGE 14
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Spike Lee Scores with “He Got Game”
A movie about Jesus! And there are Black people in it!
By Jonathan Howard
A&E Editor
With "He Got Game,"
Morehouse alum Spike Lee
returns to what he did with
"Malcolm X"~ make great,
captivating movies (well,
minus the ending, but what's
a Spike Lee movie without a
trite ending?).
"He Got Game" chronicles
the story of Jesus
Shuttlesworth (Milwaukee
Bucks star, Ray Allen), a high
school basketball phenom.
Every college in America
wants him, and most are
willing to do anything to get
him.
In steps the infamous Big
State University (Get it?
B.S.U.?) and a very influential
alumnus, the governor. What
does this have to do with
anything? Well, the governor
grants pardons, and guess
what? Jesus' father, Jake
(played by Denzel
Washington), just happens to
be serving a 15-year sentence
in Attica.
The governor offers Jake a
shortened sentence if he can
get Jesus to sign with Big State.
Did I mention that Jake is in
jail for murdering his wife
(Jesus' mother)? Conflict!!
Jesus is stuck in a terrible
position. His girlfriend, Lala
(the beautiful and talented
Rosario Dawson), wants her
piece of the pie. Dawson plays
the role of gold-digger (check
out her fingernails) to a T.’
Then there's the coach
who wants to know Jesus'
decision so he can get paid; the
hustler, Big Time Willie, who
wants his cut when it's all
over; and the "other"
university that's going to get
Jesus to sign by any means
neccessary ... any means (that
whole Tech U. thing is
ridiculous ... and true).
Add to the the fact that if
he doesn't sign with Big State,
his father will spend more
years in prison, and it's
enough to make an eighteen-
year old superstar crack (take
that, Kobe Bryant! Should I
take Brandy or Krynesia??
Decisions, decisions!!)
The biblical allusions in
this movie will have your head
spinning (Jesus' sister? Mary.
Jesus' mother? Martha), but
that only gives you a reason to
go watch it again.
Another reason is the
acting. While Allen seems out
of place at times (he is a
basketball player by trade, not
a Julliard-trained thespian), he
still turns in a credible job.
Washington seems to really
enjoy his role as the repentant
father with a week to convince
his son to sign, and Milla
Jovovich ("The Fifth Element,"
"Chaplin"), as the prostitute
Dakota Burns, gives a great
supporting performance.
Thomas Jefferson Byrd (the
handcuffed father from "Get
on the Bus") will have you
rolling as Sweetness, her pimp.
There are hundreds of
well-placed cameos in the
movie (Jim Brown, Michael
Jordan, Travis Best, Rick Fox,
too many coaches to name,
and even Heather Hunter), so
keep your eyes open.
"He Got Game" is Spike's
best in years. He wrote and
directed the movie and does
quite a good job. OK, here
comes the cliche 1 : If you only
see one movie in 1998 ... you
have no life. No, really, go see
"He Got Game!!" At least you
don't already know the ending
(the boat sinks, "Titanic"
fans!).
A SAVIOR ON AND OFF THE COURT: Jesus (Allen, right)
and Jake Shuttlesworth (Washington) grow to understand
and find respect for one another in “He Got Game.”
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