He Got Game is a 1998 drama-sports film directed by Spike Lee starring Denzel Washington and Ray Allen as a father and son trying to reconcile on the eve of the son's graduation from a Coney Island high school, and under pressure to decide which college basketball scholarship offer he will accept. Image File history File links source: http://www. ... This section has been identified as trivia. ... This section has been identified as trivia. ... Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. ... Walter Ray Allen (born July 20, 1975) is an American professional basketball player for the NBAs Boston Celtics, for whom he plays shooting guard. ... Milla (Militza) Jovovich (Serbian: Милица Јововић/Milica Jovović, Ukrainian: Мілла Йовович/Mіlla Jovovič; born December 17, 1975) is an American supermodel, actress, musician, singer, and fashion designer. ... John Nicodemus Turturro (born February 28, 1957) is an Emmy Award winning American actor noted for his performances in To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), The Color of Money (1986), Five Corners (1987), Do The Right Thing (1989), Barton Fink (1991), Men of Respect (1991), The Big Lebowski... Rosario Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress and occasional singer known for her roles in films such as Sin City, Rent, Clerks II, Alexander, and Grindhouse. ... Touchstone Pictures (also known as Touchstone Films in its early years) is one of several alternate film labels of The Walt Disney Company, established in 1984. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... // February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... This section has been identified as trivia. ... Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. ... Walter Ray Allen (born July 20, 1975) is an American professional basketball player for the NBAs Boston Celtics, for whom he plays shooting guard. ... For other uses, see Coney Island (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... College basketball most often refers to the American basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA. Game between Illinois State Redbirds & Ball State Cardinals, February 17, 2007 in an ESPN Bracketbuster contest. ...

Plot summary

Allen's character, named Jesus Shuttlesworth, is an extremely talented basketball player being pursued by the top college programs in the nation. Washington's character is a convicted felon serving time at Attica State Prison for accidentally killing his wife (his son's mother) by pushing her while arguing with his son. The father is therefore temporarily released by the governor, an influential alum of one of the colleges Jesus is considering, so that he might direct his son to sign with the governor's college. Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by throwing a ball through a 10-foot high hoop (the basket) under organized rules. ... The Attica Correctional Facility is one of the most well known prisons in the United States, second possibly to Alcatraz. ...

He Got Game offers emotional looks into the varied topics of basketball (including urban dreams of professional success), the dynamics of the father-son relationship, the effects on young black men of growing up with absent fathers or parents, and the moral dilemma of choosing between material gain and the 'right' thing to do.

The film features cameos by several well-known basketball players, coaches, and announcers. It opened to mixed reviews. Due to the dark and brooding undertone of the film, it often isn't included in praise with other "softer" portrayals of urban basketball such as "Coach Carter". Coach Carter is a 2005 film, directed by Thomas Carter. ...

The film includes several of Spike Lee's signature touches, including a monologue on social issues in the Black community and brief and graphic depictions of sex and violence.

Critical Response

Time Out London, in an otherwise generally favourable review, summed up with, "Most scenes play too long, with a surplus of ideas, textures, tones and characters, and after 134 minutes it's clear Lee's problem with closure hasn't gone away." [1] The distinctive Time Out logo, seen on all its publications Time Out is a publishing company based in London, England. ...

Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half-stars, and called it Lee's best film since Malcolm X. He was particularly encouraged by Lee's determination not to adhere to typical conventions. [2] Roger Joseph Ebert (June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Notes

The soundtrack for He Got Game was a hybrid, composed of numerous orchestral pieces by Aaron Copland with songs created by the political rap group Public Enemy. It was released by Def Jam on April 21, 1998. Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (November 14, 1900 – December 2, 1990) was an American composer of concert and film music. ... Public Enemy, also known as PE, is a hip hop group from Long Island, New York, known for their politically charged lyrics, criticism of the media, and active interest in the concerns of the African American community. ... Def Jam Recordings is an American based hip-hop record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Music Group. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

Further information: He Got Game (soundtrack)

The school used in the movie is Abraham Lincoln High School located near Coney Island. He Got Game is an album by Public Enemy and the soundtrack to the Spike Lee film He Got Game. ... Abraham Lincoln High School is a public high school located at 2800 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, New York, and educates grades 9 through 12. ...

Box office

He Got Game was produced on an estimated $25,000,000 budget. In the opening weekend of its release, it was shown on 1,319 screens, and took in $7,610,663 at the U.S. box offices. It would eventually gross a total of $21,554,585.

Cast

Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. ... Walter Ray Allen (born July 20, 1975) is an American professional basketball player for the NBAs Boston Celtics, for whom he plays shooting guard. ... Milla (Militza) Jovovich (Serbian: Милица Јововић/Milica Jovović, Ukrainian: Мілла Йовович/Mіlla Jovovič; born December 17, 1975) is an American supermodel, actress, musician, singer, and fashion designer. ... Rosario Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress and occasional singer known for her roles in films such as Sin City, Rent, Clerks II, Alexander, and Grindhouse. ... Hill Harper (born Frank Hill Harper on May 17, 1966) is an American film, television and stage actor. ... Rick Fox Ulrich Alexander (Rick) Fox (born July 24, 1969 in Toronto, Canada) is an actor and former professional basketball player. ... Travis Eric Best (born 12 July 1972 in Springfield, Massachusetts) is a professional basketball player in the NBA. After a college career at Georgia Institute of Technology, he was drafted 23rd overall in the 1995 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. ... Walter Lee McCarty (born February 1, 1974) is an American basketball player who has played for the NBAs New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers. ... Big John Wallace was a bassist and backup singer with Harry Chapin starting in 1971. ... Jennifer Esposito (born April 11, 1973) is an American actress and dancer. ... Ned Thomas Beatty (born July 6, 1937) is an Academy Award-nominated American character actor. ... Jim Brown (born February 17, 1936) is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor and social activist. ... Bill Nunn (born October 20, 1953) is an African American actor. ... John Nicodemus Turturro (born February 28, 1957) is an Emmy Award winning American actor noted for his performances in To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), The Color of Money (1986), Five Corners (1987), Do The Right Thing (1989), Barton Fink (1991), Men of Respect (1991), The Big Lebowski... Lonette McKee (born July 22, 1954 in Detroit, Michigan) is an African-American television and film actress. ... Zelda Harris (born February 17, 1985) is an American actress. ... Arthur J. Nascarella is an American character actor who has appeared in dozens of films, most often playing mobsters and cops. ... Chasey Lain (born Tiffany Jones on December 7, 1971 in Newport, North Carolina) is an American pornographic actress. ... Adrianne Diane Moore (born on February 1, 1971 in Pomona, California, USA), best known by her stage name Jill Kelly, is an American pornographic actress, TR director, and producer. ...

Awards & nominations

1999 Acapulco Black Film Festival The American Black Film Festival (formerly known as the Acapulco Black Film Festival) is an annual awards festival that recognizes achievements in independent Black cinema. ...

• Best Actor — Denzel Washington (nominated)
• Best Director — Spike Lee (nominated)
• Best Screenplay — Spike Lee (nominated)
• Best Film (nominated)
• Best Soundtrack (nominated)

1999 NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Award is an award presented annually by the NAACP to honor the top African-Americans in film, television, music and literature. ...

• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture — Denzel Washington (nominated)
• Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress — Zelda Harris (nominated)
• Outstanding Motion Picture (nominated)

1999 MTV Movie Awards Zelda Harris (born February 17, 1985) is an American actress. ... The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV (Music Television). ...

• MTV Movie Award Best Breakthrough Male Performance — Ray Allen (nominated)

External links

• He Got Game at the Internet Movie Database
• He Got Game at Rotten Tomatoes
• He Got Game at Box Office Mojo