He Got Game

Jake Shuttlesworth gets an offer in prison: a week out, in exchange for steering his son toward the university the governor wants. His son is the most sought-after high school basketball player in the country. Spike Lee did not look for an actor for the lead. He approached Ray Allen at a Bucks and Knicks game. Allen had no acting experience and worked with an acting coach for eight weeks before shooting. Roger Ebert put the result plainly: Allen is that rarity, an athlete who can act, and he called Washington's work gorgeously underplayed. The boldest decision is the music: orchestral pieces by Aaron Copland set beside songs by Public Enemy, released by Def Jam in April 1998. Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley are among the many NBA figures appearing briefly. Against a 25 million dollar budget it grossed 22.4 million, so it lost money. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 80 percent and CinemaScore audiences gave it a B plus. Who it is for: viewers interested in basketball and in how athletes get used. Who it is not for: anyone who will catch on how Lee writes his female characters. That is where the film draws its heaviest criticism.