Favorites : He Got Game (1998)
As a lifelong movie and basketball fan, it’s almost impossible to not be a huge fan of Spike Lee. His talent behind a camera is legendary, and matched only by his fervor and fanaticism for New York Knicks basketball. After a string of successful films throughout the mid 1980s and early 1990s, Lee, turned his narrative focus towards a series of personal projects that seemingly allowed him to work with actors he admired and to focus on stories he was passionate about. After releasing the semi-autobiographical Crooklyn, his next project was a basketball fans dream : the classic and iconic He Got Game.
Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington) is an inmate at Attica, estranged and separated from his son Jesus (Ray Allen) and his daughter Mary (Zelda Harris) after he accidentally killed his wife Martha (Lonette McKee). Jesus, with his senior year of high school nearing completion, is considered a top basketball prospect in the nation, with every college of note chomping at the bit to lock down his commitment. With Jesus feeling pressure from all sides, the sudden arrival of his father only serves to make his decision that much more difficult, as Jake has been given a surprise (and very questionable) release by Warden Marcel Wyatt (Ned Beatty) in hopes of getting Jesus to commit to Big State. If Jake is able to succeed, this would make the governor of New York very happy, which in turn may allow Jake to be released early and have a chance to reconnect with his family. WIth Jesus and Jake’s futures on the line, and a deadline rapidly approaching, pressure builds from all sides as all invested parties wait for Jesus to announce his decision.
There are no punches pulled in regards to Spike Lee and his feelings on how star basketball talent is manipulated and used for the betterment of a ‘system’, with the power and influence reaching higher than many people dare to admit. The premise presented in the film, as drastic and dramatic as it may seem, is not only something that could happen in reality, but probably tame in terms of other ways that people with money and power have tried to influence talented young men in their college decision making process. Lee really and truly immerses us in the world of a prospect’s tough choice, laying it on thick with the high school, media and college visit sequences to show the incredible amounts of pressure these young men face before they’ve even dribbled a basketball at the college level, and how easy it can be to make the wrong decision and lose it all.
Basketball, in this film, is also used as the narrative device to put the father/son dynamic under the microscope in regards to the black man and his obligations, despite his circumstances. While the story does stray a bit as Jake attempts to deny himself of the lustful influences and stay focused on his goal, it is a necessary part of the story, as the temptation of freedom plays heavy against a sense of duty to give his son a better opportunity in life, giving him a rare chance to benefit his family while incarcerated. Jesus faces his own temptations and manipulations, putting his ability to trust on red alert, and the shocking appearance of Jake (especially in light of his reasons for being in prison) only throws things into further doubt. Lee makes sure to take the time to focus on Jake and Mary’s relationship as well, further complicating Jake’s ability to reach his goal due to his sense of responsibility to both of his children.
He Got Game is, first and foremost, a proper love letter to basketball from one of its biggest and most notorious fans. The choice to juxtapose the music of Aaron Copland and Public Enemy for his score and soundtrack mirrors the rustic roots of basketball in parallel to its drastic evolution as kids from the inner-city pushed the game forward. Spike Lee pulls out all of the tools in his kit for this show... the basketball elements are enhanced with his use of different speeds, rhythmic cutting, and portrait-like shots direct to the camera to enhance personality elements... the dramatic elements are enhanced by big camera moves, Lee’s iconic floating dolly shot, and almost to a perfect degree, his ‘show while telling’ tool of cutaways to illustrate expositional story elements. Lee’s signature knack for including movie references is also in full force.
Denzel Washington makes the audience feel his sense of desperation, playing with the ‘back against the wall’ and ‘caged animal’ intangibles on full throttle, but not at the expense of the tender or true moments. Ray Allen is surprisingly solid as the lead in the film... although some of his deliveries are a bit dry, they can be chalked up to youthful nervousness of the character, as his key moments all hit the mark. Rosario Dawson brings the strong woman mentality to her role, but puts her manipulative elements just a step ahead. Jim Brown and Joseph Lyle play the pressure points for Washington, always looming in the shadows. Bill Nunn, Zelda Harris, Hill Harper and Michele Shay play their familial roles well, with Nunn being the only one attempting to take advantage. Thomas Jefferson Byrd and Milla Jovovich slightly derail the momentum of the narrative, but not at the expense of being entertaining. Appearances by Lonette McKee, Roger Guenveur Smith, John Turturro, Ned Beatty, Jennifer Espisito, Kim Director, Jade Yorker, Quinn Harris and Shortee Reed also pop, helping propel our leads towards the resolution. The amount of real life basketball talents and personalities allowed to make cameos in the film is too long to list, but definitely worth checking out for a basketball fan.
Lee turned his lens towards stories that reached a broader audience not long after this film, making He Got Game one of the last films that were part of his defining introductory era. His working relationship with Denzel Washington remained strong over several films... strong enough so that Washington’s son starred in Lee’s most recent film. With the playoffs nearing their completion, He Got Game was heavy on my mind, and I am happy that I took the time to revisit it.
