Black Movie Month Day 10: "He Got Game"

Now today's Black Movie Month spotlight is an interesting pick. I remember watching this movie like it was yesterday. What is it you ask...Spike Lee's 1998 sports-drama film He Got Game. Starring Denzel Washington, Milla Jovovich, John Turturo, Jim Brown, and a young, budding NBA star Ray Allen. It definitely has a powerful message behind it with a great supporting cast. It's an interesting pick because I am a huge fan of just about every single movie that Denzel Washington is in, but this one is definitely not one of my favorites. However, a special request was put in so I wanted to make sure I give the fans what they want!!

Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen), an extremely talented high school basketball player from Brooklyn, New York is being pursued by the top college programs in the nation. His father, Jake (Denzel Washington), is a convicted felon serving time at Attica Correctional Facility for accidentally killing his wife (Jesus's mother) by pushing her while arguing with Jesus at the age of 12. The father is temporarily released by the governor, an influential alum of "Big State", one of the colleges Jesus is considering, so that he might direct his son to sign with the governor's college in return for an early release.

Here is a film that truly has a voice with regards to making the right choice. In particular I think this movie speaks to every father-son relationship and every black male in the sport of basketball. All can appreciate the message that Lee is trying to convey especially now with increased amount of athletes making that huge transition from high school to NBA. He Got Game had the huge promise of showcasing the intersections of patriarchy, economic injustice, and racism, that was one of the things that I wish Lee had developed just a little more!!

If nothing else is gained from this film its that  in real life, there is a bigger benefit to forgiving, and sometimes just being able to let go and release.