Love and Basketball

Love and Basketball Film Review Love and Basketball has been loved and adored by many people of all ethnicities old and young since it made its first appearance fifteen years ago. Till this day this classic love story it will never get old. This film was written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. 40 Aces, and Mule film works produced Love and Basketball in the year 2000. The major actors who starred in this film are Sanaa Lathan, and Omar Epps. Their performance throughout the whole movie was simply impeccable. A love story that any person growing up can relate to. The storyline was great and very much believable, almost like you forgot you were watching a film. In chronological order this film shows the first day a preteen girl named Monica Wright played by Sanaa Lathan and her family moving to her new home in a Los Angeles, California neighborhood in 1981. Her family is quickly acquainted with her neighbor Quincy McCall and his family; Quincy is played by Omar Epps. The two quickly develop a love hate relationship from the day they first meet. Monica and Quincy relationship goes through the motions like any one else throughout the years. Quincy and Monica both shared a passionate love for basketball in high school keeping them focusing on one thing, going to college and hopefully ending up playing pro-Ball one day. Growing up they attend the same middle school and high school. One night after prom their senior year in high school their romance blossoms. The two stay together for a while and attend the same college but they separate while in college Quincy goes through a difficult time with his father. Monica and Quincy break up and years later a tragedy brings them together once again. Although Quincy has moved on and is in a new relationship, Monica still feels the same for him and is destined to fight for his love. When I first watched the movie Love and Basketball I was a young girl around the age of thirteen and I was immediately drawn to the love story. Although, I didn’t see it in theater because I was young way too young when it came out in the year 2000, I watched it years later. To me watching it in the comfort of my own home was just as good as watching it in the movie theater. This just goes to show that even though it’s an old movie the quality of the film was still great and it doesn’t look like it was produced many years ago. This film is often played on television networks such as BET. The dialect used in the movie has always been understandable and relatable. Now that I’m older can more grasp the concept of the whole film I can more understand some scenes that I probably didn’t understand when I was younger. Since I’m older and more mature I can see how difficult it may be to be with someone you want to be with but cant because of various reasons. I also understand the fighting for what you want and the concept of the quote “ If you love something let it go and if it comes back then you know” I think that quote basically fits the moral of the film. When I think about this film I just automatically think about love and how much one can love another person, it shows me that true love never dies. This classic love story just has the perfect old school touch. The sound track in this film went perfectly with each scene. Just listening to it simply takes people back to those times in the 1990’s even watching it today and who doesn’t love a good flashback? It just seems like the director couldn’t have chosen better songs to fit each scene. Most of the actors in the film were African American. Race did play a big role in the film because it contributed to the culture and concept of the movie. The music, the clothes, hairstyles, and the language for example, slang and old terms that were used in those times were common in the African American community. In the movie through gender the film showed that not only men could be successful in sports, and especially in a male dominated field. Everything about this movie was well put together. The actors did and amazing job, the whole script just came natural to them not just Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps but all the other actors as well. Every scene was nicely depicted with appropriate songs, not to mention this movie had one the best sound tracks I’ve ever heard in movie. The ending was suspenseful and surprising. This film didn’t have one dull moment from start to finish, it is a must see and I would recommend this film to any one any day.