A basketball player's father must try to convince him to go to a college so he can get a shorter prison sentence.
Acting
Denzel's most underrated performance—desperate, manipulative, heartbreaking.
Direction
Spike's floating basketball montages are pure cinematic ecstasy.
Score
Aaron Copland meets Public Enemy shouldn't work. It absolutely does.
Director
Spike Lee
Denzel Washington
Jake Shuttlesworth
Ray Allen
Jesus Shuttlesworth
Rosario Dawson
Lala Bonilla
Milla Jovovich
Dakota Burns
Hill Harper
Coleman "Booger" Sykes
Ned Beatty
Warden Wyatt
Jim Brown
Spivey
Joseph Lyle Taylor
Crudup
Bill Nunn
Uncle Bubba
Michele Shay
Aunt Sally
John Turturro
Billy Sunday
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Jill Kelly
Suzie
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ray Allen's nickname in the film, 'Jesus,' was his real childhood nickname from growing up in South Carolina.
Spike Lee filmed real 1998 NBA All-Star Weekend footage and got actual college coaches to play themselves—Rick Pitino's cameo hits different post-scandal.
US
