Poetic Justice (1993)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

John Singleton

Writer (WGA):

John Singleton (written by)

Release Date:

23 July 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

1 Woman. 1 Man. 1 Journey 2 Love.

Plot:

In this film, we see the world through the eyes of main character Justice, a young African-American poet. A mail carrier invites a few friends along for a long overnight delivery run.

Plot Keywords:

Postal Worker | Murder | Depression | Mail Carrier | Hairdresser

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Khandi Alexander	...	Simone
Maya Angelou	...	Aunt June
Ché J. Avery	...	Thug #2
Lloyd Avery II	...	Thug #1
Kimberly Brooks	...	Kim
Rico Bueno	...	Ticket Taker
Maia Campbell	...	Shante
Jeff Cantrel	...	Policeman #4
Michael Colyar	...	Panhandler
Kina Cosper	...	Female Cousin (as Kina V. Cosper)
John Cothran Jr.	...	Uncle Earl
Dina D.	...	Dina
Joe Dalu	...	Policeman #7
James Deeth	...	Helicopter Pilot
Norma Donaldson	...	Aunt May

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:K-14 | Denmark:11 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | USA:R (certificate #31740) | Australia:MA | Germany:12 | Iceland:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Janet Jackson requested that Tupac Shakur have an AIDS test before his kissing scene with her. He refused.

Quotes:

Lucky: [to Justice] Why are you mad all the time?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Killing Floor (2007)

Soundtrack:

One in a Million

An overlooked, intelligently produced and directed film.

I applaud John Singleton for being brave enough to film "Poetic Justice" -- it's a real triumph in presenting a story that looks beyond Hollywood's usual stereotypes of urban youth. If you are looking for a typical gang-bangin' shoot em up angry urban film...look elsewhere, because that genre is miles away from Singleton's storytelling. This film has precisely what black audiences say they are looking for - depth, real characters with a number of real layers....and yet people say they cannot get into this film. I say watch it and simply feel the messages being conveyed through the hearts of the characters. Tupac Shakur's performance saddens my heart....because he had so much potential as an actor as proven with his performance here. I was fortunate enough to actually meet and compliment him on this performance, which is at turns skillful and all his own. He had that quality that film actors envy in that the camera loved him. Janet Jackson gives a skilled performance as well, and the two have a natural chemistry that works here. This film is worth watching...it's one of my favorites.