Love & Basketball

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Love & Basketball
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Directed by	Gina Prince-Bythewood
Produced by	Andrew Z. Davis Cynthia Guidry Spike Lee Jay Stern
Written by	Gina Prince-Bythewood
Starring	Omar Epps Sanaa Lathan
Music by	Terence Blanchard Ralph E. Tresvant
Cinematography	Reynaldo Villalobos
Distributed by	New Line Cinema
Release date(s)	April 16, 2000
Running time	124 min.
Country	US
Language	English Spanish
Budget	$15,000,000
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Love & Basketball is a 2000 romantic drama film, written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. This film stars Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan. It is the story of two next-door neighbors in Los Angeles, California who grew up loving basketball and, eventually, each other.

Tagline: All's Fair in Love and Basketball.

1 Plot summary
2 Cast
3 Reception
- 3.1 Film reviews
- 3.2 Box office
4 DVD release
5 Awards and Nominations
6 See also
7 Notes
8 External links

[edit] Plot summary

Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) have wanted to be professional basketball stars since they were kids. However, Monica has to work hard to establish herself, while Quincy is born with natural star potential. As the two struggle to reach their goals of playing professionally, they must also deal with their emotions for each other.

Monica is a fiercely driven, hot-tempered tomboy who gives her all to basketball. Quincy, the son of an NBA legend, has dreams of his own. Next-door neighbors since they were eleven, they start as rivals and grow into lovers and friends. The romantic complications follow a familiar game plan, but the film throws a fascinating spotlight onto the contrast between men's and women's basketball. While Quincy plays college ball on huge courts to cheering, sold-out crowds, Monica sweats, tears, and endures sheer physical dedication in front of tiny audiences in small gyms and second-rate auditoriums.

The story is set in the late 1980s, years before the establishment of the WNBA, so Monica's prospects for professional basketball lie exclusively in the European leagues, while Quincy steps into the pros at home. Monica's struggle over Quincy's opens eyes to her unique challenges with a sharp, savvy contrast. Years after their split in college, Monica pays a visit to Quincy, who is in the hospital as the result of a torn muscle. There, she meets his fiancée---a flashy and talkative girl who treats Quincy like a child. After her meeting with Quincy, Monica soon realizes that her feelings for him still exist. Still at odds with her mother after years of headbutting, Monica follows her heart. Once Quincy is released from the hospital, he is forced to confess his true feelings for his old girlfriend. Later, Monica challenges him to one final game on the court, but this time the stakes are higher: if he loses, he calls off the wedding and chooses Monica; if not, he marries someone else. Quincy eventually beats her in the game, but gives in to his feelings for her. The film fastforwards 2-3 years later. Quincy is shown, with a little girl in his lap, presumably his daughter, cheering on his wife, Monica Wright-McCall who has finally gone pro.

Alfre Woodard costars as Monica's harping mother (always trying to get her to be more ladylike despite secretly admiring her rebellious attitude) and Dennis Haysbert is Quincy's philandering but regretful father.

[edit] Cast

Sanaa Lathan — Monica Wright
Omar Epps — Quincy McCall
Dennis Haysbert — Zeke McCall
Alfre Woodard — Camille Wright
Regina Hall — Lena Wright
Shar Jackson — Felicia
Monica Calhoun — Kerry
Tyra Banks — Kyra Kessler

Gabrielle Union — Shawnee Easton
Chris Warren Jr. — Kelvin
Kyla Pratt — Young Monica
Debbi Morgan — Nona McCall
Al Foster — Coach Hiserman
Harry J. Lennix — Nathan Wright
Boris Kodjoe — Jason
Erika Ringor — Sidra O'Neal
Domonic Everett - David McCall

[edit] Reception

[edit] Film reviews

Love & Basketball received mixed, but generally favorable reviews for its direction, cast, and storyline. On Metacritic, the film scored a 70 metascore—based on 28 reviews. ^[1] Notable film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, says "The film is not as taut as it could have been, but I prefer its emotional perception to the pumped-up sports clichés I was sort of expecting. It's about the pressures of being a star athlete; the whole life, not the game highlights. I'm not sure I quite believe the final shot, though. I think the girl suits up for the sequel." Ebert gave the film 3 stars. ^[2]

Film critic Desson Howe, of The Washington Post's Entertainment Guide, writes " 'Love and Basketball' had moments of such tenderness and sophistication, complimented by such romantic dreaminess between lead performers Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan. First-time filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood's film joins such films as 'The Best Man' and 'The Wood', which look for the class, not the crass, in African American life." Howe gave the film 3.5 stars. ^[3]

[edit] Box office

Love & Basketball was produced on an estimated $15,000,000 budget. In the opening weekend of its release, it was shown on 1,237 screen, and took in $8,139,180. It would eventually take in a total of $27,441,122 at the box office.

[edit] DVD release

Love & Basketball was released on DVD in Region 1 on October 10, 2000 and in Region 2 on July 2, 2002; it was distributed by New Line Home Video.

DVD features include:

Feature-Length commentary by writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood and actress Sanaa Lathan
5.1 isolated score with commentary by composer Terence Blanchard, editor Terilyn A. Shropshire and Gina Prince-Bythewood
Deleted scenes
Blooper reel
Audition tapes featuring Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan
Animated storyboards of basketball sequences
Music video - Lucy Pearl "Dance Tonight"
Original documentary: Breaking the glass ceiling - The rise and acceptance of women competitors