He Got Game

Sports, commercialism, and family drama come together in He Got Game, one of Lee’s richest films.

Denzel Washington delivers a remarkable performance, playing against type as a felon seeking to reconnect with his son, a high school basketball standout who’s pursued by college recruiters—and ripe for exploitation. NBA star Ray Allen, as the young player, shows he can score on screen as well as on the court. “The neon colors and blazing daylight of its Coney Island setting burst into life on the screen,” according to the New York Times, as the story unfolds in “an explosion of spectacular gambits.“ With music by Public Enemy—and Aaron Copeland. (136 mins., 35mm)

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