Love and Basketball (2000)
93%RT Audience Score: 95%
Awards & Nominations: 13 wins & 15 nominations
Confident directing and acting deliver an insightful look at young athletes.
Love & Basketball is a slam dunk of a movie! Gina Prince-Bythewood’s debut as a writer and director is nothing short of impressive. The chemistry between Monica and Quincy is electric, making it the perfect date night flick. And let’s not forget about the basketball scenes – they’re so good, you’ll feel like you’re courtside. Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps are a dream team, bringing their A-game to both the court and the screen. This movie is a must-watch for anyone who loves a good romance or a good game of hoops.
Production Company(ies)
Mosfilm Vtoroe Tvorcheskoe Obedinenie
Distributor
New Line Cinema
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sexuality and language
Year of Release
2000
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital SDDS DTS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 4m
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Language(s):English, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 21, 2000 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 10, 2000
Genre(s)
Romance
Keyword(s)
starring Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Alfre Woodard, Dennis Haysbert, Debbi Morgan, Harry Lennix, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, written by Gina Prince-Bythewood, produced by Sam Kitt, Spike Lee, genre: Romance, box office performance: $27.4M, budget: unknown, reviewed by Eric Harrison, Jami Bernard, Ann Hornaday, Simran Hans, Anne Thompson, Lisa Alspector, Jeffrey M Anderson, Eleanor O’Sullivan, Marshall Fine, Joanna Connors, Ward Triplett III, MPAA rating: PG-13, basketball, childhood friends, professional basketball players, Los Angeles Clippers, competitiveness, gender roles, career versus love, female ambition, sound mix: Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR, aspect ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
Worldwide gross: $27,743,596
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $48,118,931
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,349
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 5,247,430
US/Canada gross: $27,475,093
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $47,653,235
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,095
US/Canada opening weekend: $8,139,180
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $14,116,722
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 821
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $20,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $34,688,315
Production budget ranking: 1,065
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $18,679,658
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$5,249,043
ROI to date (est.): -10%
ROI ranking: 1,449
Omar Epps – Quincy McCall
Alfre Woodard – Camille Wright
Dennis Haysbert – Zeke McCall
Debbi Morgan – Nona McCall
Harry Lennix – Nathan Wright
Director(s)
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Writer(s)
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Producer(s)
Sam Kitt, Spike Lee
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
13 wins & 15 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (111) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (95) | Rotten (16)
This is Prince-Bythewood’s first feature film as both a writer and director, and she shows admirable command of her craft.
March 9, 2022
Eric Harrison
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
he relationship between Monica and Quincy is a treat, making this a great date movie.
March 9, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jami Bernard
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Gina Prince-Bythewood has taken the conventional coming-of-age romance genre and invigorated it with such vivid characters and such alertness to the culture she’s representing, that she makes what might have been derivative into something brand new.
March 9, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Ann Hornaday
Baltimore Sun
TOP CRITIC
Too often dismissed as a soppy chick flick, the film is a drama that is clear-eyed and serious about female ambition and gender roles.
November 19, 2020
Simran Hans
New Statesman
TOP CRITIC
[It] wrestles with complicated issues of love and friendship, competitiveness and gender identity…
March 31, 2020
Anne Thompson
indieWire
TOP CRITIC
Told largely from the point of view of the woman, this career-versus-love story still develops the perspective of the man persuasively, as Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps reveal their characters’ motives with nuances of expression that transcend the dialogue.
March 26, 2007
Lisa Alspector
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
An exceptional feature writing and directing debut by Gina Prince-Bythewood.
March 28, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Prince-Bythewood’s right to avoid the raucous, high-decibel quality of most male-driven sports movies. She’s out to give us character studies and she succeeds wonderfully in her writing and her direction of a skillful, emotionally engaging cast.
March 9, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Eleanor O’Sullivan
Asbury Park Press (NJ)
[Prince-Bythewood] draws strong performances from an attractive pair of leads in Epps and Lathan, both of whom have the acting chops and the athletic ability to be convincing in their roles.
March 9, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Marshall Fine
Journal News (Westchester, NY)
he two stars are immensely appealing (Epps possesses the most liquid, soulful eyes of any actor since Omar Sharif) and create a real chemistry together.
March 9, 2022
Joanna Connors
Cleveland Plain Dealer
[Epps and Lathan] have expressive eyes and faces that sell their basketball and romantic ups and downs about as well as Prince Bythewood’s extremely earnest script does.
March 9, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
Ward Triplett III
Kansas City Star
While full of great jump shots and on-court action, this “love story in four quarters” is first and foremost a romance.
January 15, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Betsy Bozdech
DVDJournal.com…
Plot
In 1981 in L.A., Monica moves in next door to Quincy. They’re 11, and both want to play in the NBA, just like Quincy’s dad. Their love-hate relationship lasts into high school, with Monica’s edge and Quincy’s top-dog attitude separating them, except when Quincy’s parents argue and he climbs through Monica’s window to sleep on the floor. As high school ends, they come together as a couple, but within a year, with both of them playing ball at USC, Quincy’s relationship with his father takes an ugly turn, and it leads to a break up with Monica. Some years later, their pro careers at a crossroads, they meet again. It’s time for a final game of one-on-one with high stakes.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
“Epps possesses the most liquid, soulful eyes of any actor since Omar Sharif.” – Marshall Fine, Journal News (Westchester, NY)
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