Love and Basketball
| Love & Basketball | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Gina Prince-Bythewood |
| Produced by | Andrew Z. Davis Cynthia Guidry Spike Lee Jay Stern Sam Kitt |
| Written by | Gina Prince-Bythewood |
| Starring |
Sanaa Lathan Omar Epps Dennis Haysbert Debbi Morgan Alfre Woodard |
| Music by | Terence Blanchard |
| Cinematography | Reynaldo Villalobos |
| Edited by | Terilyn A. Shropshire |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
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Release date
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April 21, 2000 |
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Running time
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124 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Box office | $27 million |
Love & Basketball is a 2000 American romantic drama film starring Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps. The film tells the story of Quincy McCall (Epps) and Monica Wright (Lathan), two next-door neighbors in Los Angeles, California who are pursuing their basketball careers before eventually falling for each other. The film was produced by 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, and marks the directorial debut of screenwriter Gina Prince-Bythewood.
Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) have wanted to be professional basketball stars since they were kids. Monica wanted to play for the Los Angeles Lakers and wear Magic Johnson's number 32, and Quincy wanted to be like his father and play for the Clippers, wearing number 22. However, Monica has to work hard to establish herself, while Quincy was born with natural star potential. As the two struggle to reach their goals of playing professionally, they must also deal with their emotions for each other.
The film spans roughly thirteen years of friendship between childhood sweethearts Monica Wright and Quincy McCall. The first quarter of the story begins in 1981, when Monica (played as a youth by Kyla Pratt) and her family moved to Los Angeles in 1981 from Atlanta, Georgia, and quickly became acquainted with their new neighbors the McCalls, a wealthy family due to the success of Quincy's father Zeke, the star shooting guard for the Los Angeles Clippers. Quincy and Monica are drawn to each other instantly, sharing a love of the game: basketball. Quincy (played as a youth by Glendon Chattman) is shocked that a girl could ever love basketball as much as he did, and he is even more shocked when Monica plays so well. Although their first interaction results in Quincy angrily knocking her down during game point and accidentally scarring her face, they share their first kiss on the first day of school and end the "first quarter" of the story fighting in the grass.
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