Genre: Drama , Sport
Role: Dakota Burns
Director: Spike Lee
Additional Cast: Denzel Washington, Milla Jovovich and Ray Allen
Run Time: 136 min.
Release Date: May 1, 1998

Synopsis

Jesus Shuttleworth (Ray Allen) is the top high school basketball player in the country. His father, Jake (Denzel Washington) is serving a life sentence for murdering Jesus’ mother. Jake is released on parole but with one condition – in one week, he must persuade his son to sign with the governor’s alma mater university, Big State.

He Got Game was produced on an estimated $25 million budget.[citation needed] 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 debuting at #1.It eventually grossed a total of $21,554,585.

The soundtrack for He Got Game was composed of numerous orchestral pieces by Aaron Copland with songs created by Public Enemy. It was released by Def Jam on April 21, 1998.

Production

For the role of Jesus Shuttlesworth, Spike Lee drew up a list of NBA players who could pass for a high school senior. Kobe Bryant was Lee’s original choice, but after Bryant shot several air balls that resulted in a brutal playoff loss to the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Playoffs, he withdrew to begin an extensive workout plan to help maintain his strength throughout the season. Lee found Tracy McGrady too reserved and was not impressed by Allen Iverson’s performance. Management for Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury wanted a guarantee that one or the other would be offered the part. Travis Best, Walter McCarty, and Rick Fox also auditioned, and Lee cast them in supporting roles. Lee approached Ray Allen during halftime of a Bucks-Knicks game, ultimately offering him the role of Jesus. Allen had never acted before, and he trained with an acting coach for eight weeks before filming.[

Filming took place between July and September 1997. Locations included Coney Island, Brooklyn, Cabrini–Green housing projects in Chicago, Illinois, Elon University, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Los Angeles, California.

NBA players Shaquille O’Neal, Reggie Miller, Bill Walton, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, and Charles Barkley, Syracuse University coach Jim Boeheim, NBA coaches Rick Pitino and George Karl and broadcaster Dick Vitale made cameo appearances early in the film. Former football legend Jim Brown also appears as one of Jake’s parole officers, assigned to keep tabs on him while he’s away from the prison.

Critical Response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 80% based on 64 reviews, with an average rating of 6.80/10. The website’s critics consensus reads: “Though not without its flaws, He Got Game finds Spike Lee near the top of his game, combining trenchant commentary with his signature visuals and a strong performance from Denzel Washington.” At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B+” on an A+ to F scale.

Time Out London writing, “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.” 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.

Both Ray Allen and Washington drew praise for their performances, with Roger Ebert writing that Allen “is that rarity, an athlete who can act,” and Slate magazine writing that Washington’s performance was “gorgeously underplayed”.

Bill Simmons’ review for ESPN pointed out factual flaws in the story: “…coaches aren’t allowed to discuss potential recruits until after the signing period. Come on, Spike. (And while we’re at it, players aren’t allowed to visit a college one week before the signing deadline; Jesus couldn’t live alone with his sister without both of them being thrown in a foster home,” and argued “there’s NO WAY IN HELL that Jesus wouldn’t have just turned pro if he was that good and that broke.)”