With He Got Game, director and New York Knicks courtside clown Spike Lee has attempted an amazing shot at the buzzer, only to have it hit nothing but air. This is especially disappointing for those who are both hoops fans and admirers of Lee's finer work (such as Do the Right Thing). This isn't a bad film; just one that doesn't live up to it's potential.
Who better than a dedicated basketball fan like Lee to film the story of Jesus Shuttlesworth, the most desirable high school prospect in America? Everyone wants a piece of him: college recruiters, old coaches, NBA teams, his relatives, the press, his girl friend and even his Dad. Seems his old man accidentally killed his mother, so is serving time in the State Pen. Jake Shuttlesworth (ever-dependable Denzel Washington) is offered early release if he can convince his kid to go to the Governor's Alma Mater. It's a long shot, though, because Jesus despises his dad and wants nothing to do with him.
Despite the far-fetched concept, Denzel Washington does his best to portray a complex individual who has been beaten down by the system while trying to hold on to his pride and his past. Jesus, played by Milwaukee Bucks point guard Ray Allen, doesn't fare as well. Allan does an admirable job for a non-actor, but he's weak in several key scenes that suffer from a lack of dramatic tension.
He Got Game is a film of highs and lows, from beautiful on-court scenes to pointlessly gratuitous scenes like the one in which a pair of balloon-chested babes offer sex to Jesus. There are moments of great passion that are followed by scenes that are terribly juvenile or over-sentimental. And the use of Aaron Copland's 'inspirational' music sends some scenes over the edge. Spike would have fared better to stick with Public Enemy.
