He Got Game (1998)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Spike Lee

Writer:

Spike Lee (written by)

Release Date:

1 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

The father, the son and the holy game.

Plot:

A basketball player's father must try to convince him to go to a college so he can get a shorter sentence.

Plot Keywords:

Jesus | Basketball | Prison | High School | University

Awards:

9 nominations

Cast

Denzel Washington	...	Jake Shuttlesworth
Ray Allen	...	Jesus Shuttlesworth
Milla Jovovich	...	Dakota Burns
Rosario Dawson	...	Lala Bonilla
Hill Harper	...	Coleman 'Booger' Sykes
Zelda Harris	...	Mary Shuttlesworth
Ned Beatty	...	Warden Wyatt
Jim Brown	...	Spivey
Joseph Lyle Taylor	...	Crudup
Bill Nunn	...	Uncle Bubba
Michele Shay	...	Aunt Sally
Thomas Jefferson Byrd	...	Sweetness
Roger Guenveur Smith	...	Big Time Willie
John Turturro	...	Coach Billy Sunday
Lonette McKee	...	Martha Shuttlesworth
Arthur J. Nascarella	...	Coach Cincotta
Travis Best	...	Sip
Walter McCarty	...	Mance
John Wallace	...	Lonnie
Rick Fox	...	Chick Deagan
Al Palagonia	...	Dom Pagnotti
Leonard Roberts	...	D'Andre Mackey
Saul Stein	...	Prison Guard Books
Ron C. Jones	...	Prison Guard Burwell (as Ron Cephas Jones)
Jade Yorker	...	Jesus Shuttleshworth (Age 12)
Shortee Red	...	Booger (Age 12)
Quinn Harris	...	Mary Shuttlesworth (Age 6)
Dean Smith	...	Himself
Lute Olson	...	Himself
John Chaney	...	Himself
John Thompson	...	Himself
Roy Williams	...	Himself
Nolan Richardson	...	Himself
Denny Crum	...	Himself
Tom Davis	...	Himself
Clem Haskins	...	Himself
George Karl	...	Himself
Jim Boeheim	...	Himself
Rick Pitino	...	Himself (as Richard Pitino)
Bobby Cremins	...	Himself (as Robert 'Bobby' Cremins)
Dick Vitale	...	Himself
Bill Walton	...	Himself
Shaquille O'Neal	...	Himself
Reggie Miller	...	Himself
Charles Barkley	...	Himself
Scottie Pippen	...	Himself
Michael Jordan	...	Himself
Robin Roberts	...	Herself
Gus Johnson	...	PSAL Announcer
Stuart Scott	...	TV Announcer
Ray Clay	...	Tech U Announcer
J.C. MacKenzie	...	Doctor Cone
Coati Mundi	...	Clerk In Motel
Avery Glymph	...	Sneaker Clerk
Ciara A. Shields	...	Mary's Friend
Linque Ayoung	...	'I Love You' Leech
Angela Meryl	...	'I Love You' Leech
Dionne Phillips	...	'I Love You' Leech (as Dionne D. Phillips)
Gary Frith	...	'I Love You' Leech
Jamie Hector	...	'I Love You' Leech
Harry Philippe	...	'I Love You' Leech
Kelli-Lin McMillan	...	'I Love You' Leech
Lamar Tookes	...	'I Love You' Leech
Mark Breland	...	Man With Gat
Heather Hunter	...	Female In Sex Montage
Christopher Wynkoop	...	The John
Alonzo Scales	...	Goose
Lori Rom	...	June
Kim Director	...	Lynn
Felicia Finley	...	Molly
Chasey Lain	...	Buffy (as Tiffany Jones)
Jill Kelly	...	Suzie
Jennifer Esposito	...	Ms. Janus
Anthony T. Paige	...	Correctional Officer (as Tony Paige)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arthur Agee	...	Basketball Player in Opening Montage (uncredited)
Daphna Cardinale	...	Agent's Daughter (uncredited)
William Gates	...	Himself - Basketball Player in Opening Montage (uncredited)

Directed by
Spike Lee

Writing credits
Spike Lee		(written by)

Produced by
Sonya Burres	....	supervising producer
Jon Kilik	....	producer
Spike Lee	....	producer

Cinematography by
Ellen Kuras
Malik Hassan Sayeed

Film Editing by
Barry Alexander Brown

Casting by
Aisha Coley

Production Design by
Wynn Thomas

Art Direction by
David Stein

Set Decoration by
Carolyn Cartwright

Costume Design by
Sandra Hernandez

Production Management
Jon Kilik	....	unit production manager
Mike Phillips	....	production supervisor
Karen L. Thorson	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Ellis	....	first assistant director
Sarah Gyllenstierna	....	second second assistant director
Tracey Hinds	....	second assistant director
Laurie Jackson	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Gillian V. Albinski	....	key property assistant: North Carolina
Anthony Baldasare	....	key propman
Lauren Doner	....	scenic artist
Rochelle Edelson	....	camera scenic artist
Jeffrey L. Glave	....	scenic artist
Jonathan Graham	....	key construction grip
Erik Knight	....	art department coordinator
Byron K. Lovelace	....	set dresser
Nick Miller	....	construction coordinator
Joan Winters	....	graphic designer
Douglas G. Young	....	props assistant: North Carolina
Rosalie Russino	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alek Bromke	....	adr recording assistant: Toronto
Allan Byer	....	production sound mixer
Richard Calistan	....	adr mixer: Toronto
Tim J. Carroll	....	consultant: Dolby Digital
Benjamin Cheah	....	supervising foley editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Mark DeSimone	....	adr engineer
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer: TV version
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jeff Formosa	....	sound editor (airline and TV version)
Annette Kudrak	....	adr editor
Kevin Lee	....	supervising sound editor
Blake Leyh	....	sound effects editor
Kimberly R. McCord	....	first assistant sound editor
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Mathew Price	....	production sound mixer
Mathew Price	....	sound
Jennifer Ralston	....	foley editor
Jay Peck	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Randall Balsmeyer	....	visual effects supervisor
Daniel Leung	....	digital artist
Matt McDonald	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Lisa France	....	stunt double: Lonette McKee
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator
Jeff Ward	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert M. Andres	....	key grip
Michael Burke	....	gaffer: New York
Steve Calalang	....	additional second assistant camera
Matt Chubet	....	grip
Xiomara Comrie	....	assistant camera
Lamont Crawford	....	key dolly grip
Sean Fairburn	....	camera operator
Ben D. Griffith Jr.	....	key grip: second unit
Edward 'Gooch' Gutierrez	....	key grip: Los Angeles
Rick Marroquin	....	grip
Geary McLeod	....	camera operator
John Merrick	....	key grip: North Carolina
Jim Miller	....	key rigging grip
David Norris	....	aerial director of photography
Phil Oetiker	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Phil Oetiker	....	director of photography: second unit
Reinhart 'Rayteam' Peschke	....	gaffer
Leigh Rathner	....	second assistant camera
Jonas Steadman	....	Steadicam focus puller
Arthur Szefer	....	assistant camera
Jeffery J. Tufano	....	director of photography: second unit
Craig Vaccaro	....	best boy rigging grip
Susanna Virtanen	....	co-first assistant camera

Casting Department
Winsome Sinclair	....	extras casting
Theron Smith	....	extras casting associate
Alpha Tyler	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandi Figueroa	....	wardrobe supervisor
David F. Zambrana	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Miles Ferguson	....	post-production coordinator
Allyson C. Johnson	....	assistant editor
Arthur Schlenger	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Scott Hardkiss	....	composer: additional music
Kathy Nelson	....	executive in charge of music: Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group
Alex Steyermark	....	music supervisor
Maisie Weissman	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Neil Castles Jr.	....	driver
Mike Easter	....	transportation co-captain
Bobby Marsh	....	driver
John Rice Sr.	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Cynthia Abrams	....	script supervisor: second unit
Stephen Andrzejewski	....	location manager: Chicago
David Bausch	....	production secretary
Amy Carter	....	first assistant production accountant
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Paulette D. Clark	....	pre-production coordinator
Cliff Duane Cochran	....	production assistant
Colin Cumberbatch	....	assistant production coordinator
Charlynne J. Hopson	....	location scout
Alan Jones	....	production assistant
Jason Lampkin	....	staff: 40 Acres
Cinqué Lee	....	video archivist
Jennifer Martinez	....	production assistant: edit room
Keegan Martin	....	production assistant
LeRoy McCarthy	....	intern
Earl Monroe	....	technical advisor
Rafael Osorio	....	set production assistant
Kelley Pate	....	assistant: Mr. Sayeed
Mike Phillips	....	production accountant
Michael A. Pinckney	....	production assistant
Michael K. Reynolds	....	assistant chef
Carmen Rodríguez	....	accounting assistant
Vernon Rodriquez	....	parking assistant
Gregory Routt	....	assistant location manager
Monica Ruiz-Ziegler	....	location production assistant
Geoffrey Ryan	....	location manager: North Carolina second unit
Evelyn Santana	....	publicist
Beth Tyler	....	script supervisor
Al Valentine	....	location manager
Sammy Verni	....	location assistant
Ithiell Yisrael	....	production assistant
Peter Kelley	....	dialogue coach: Rick Fox (uncredited)
Coati Mundi	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Nelson Pereyra	....	production assistant (uncredited)
John Verni	....	location assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
• Touchstone Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (USA)
• Cine Video Corporation (CVC) S.r.l.
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (Germany)
• Klock Worx Company, The
• Opening Distribution (France)

Other Companies

• Def Jam Recordings  soundtrack
• Sony Classical  score album

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language, strong sexuality, some drug content and violence.

Runtime:

136 min | Argentina:137 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:S | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:L | USA:R (certificate #35973) | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | France:U | Germany:12 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:12 (video premiere) | New Zealand:R16 | Peru:14 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Cabrini-Green Public Housing Projects, Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

Trivia:

Spike Lee's first film to open at #1 at the US box office.

Quotes:

Jake Shuttlesworth: [when the clerk sees his ankle monitor] It's arthritis, you know. I got that arthritis thing happenin'.
Sneaker Clerk: Yeah?
Jake Shuttlesworth: Yeah!
Sneaker Clerk: My brother's got the same arthritic condition
Jake Shuttlesworth: Really?
Sneaker Clerk: Only it's on his left ankle. It's goin' around here in Coney Island.
Jake Shuttlesworth: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's contagious!
Sneaker Clerk: Yeah!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Kenan & Kel: He Got Job (#3.18)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Letter from Home

Fantastic performance by Washington in film that doesn't quite support him

I had to remind myself several times Denzel Washington was an actor and that he was playing a character named Jake Shuttlesworth--his performance is that good. I'd give him the Academy Award for Best Actor. I'm serious--he's amazing. In terms of the film, it isn't quite good enough to support his performance. (We are expected to believe there's no one looking out for Jesus [everyone in the film has an ulterior motive], and Jesus himself is too much of a saint.) Definitely worth watching, though--any Spike Lee film usually is. But I'm annoyed at Lee: he's too good a director to insert the MTV-style shots in this film. Unlike so many who have tried to cover basketball before, however, Lee knows the game. This gives (the all-white) Hoosiers a run for its money as the best basketball film… of course, there isn't much competition.