Love and Basketball

Theatrical Release Date: 2000 04 21 (USA)

UPC: 794043506420

Studio: New Line Home Video

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Adult Situations, Adult Language, Suitable for Teens]

Summary: A young African-American couple navigates the tricky paths of romance and athletics in this drama. Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) and Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) grew up in the same neighborhood and have known each other since childhood. As they grow into adulthood, they fall in love, but they also share another all-consuming passion: basketball. They've followed the game all their lives and have no small amount of talent on the court. As Quincy and Monica struggle to make their relationship work, they follow separate career paths though high school and college basketball and, they hope, into stardom in big-league professional ball. Love and Basketball was the first feature film for writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood, who previously helmed several comedy specials for Dave Chappelle. Spike Lee co-produced. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best First Feature – Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay – Independent Spirit Awards Best Actress – Independent Spirit Awards

Features: Widescreen version of the film
5.1 Surround Sound
2.0 Stereo Surround
English subtitles and closed captions
Feature-length commentary by writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood and actor Sanaa Lathan
5.1 isolated score with commentary by composer Terence Blanchard, editor Terilyn A. Shropshire, and Gina Prince-Bythewood
Deleted scenes
Blooper reel
Audition tapes featuring Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan
Animated storyboards of basketball sequences
Music video: Lucy Pearl "Dance Tonight"
Theatrical trailer
Original documentary: " Breaking the Glass Ceiling: The Rise and Acceptance of Women Competitors"
Script-to-screen screenplay
Original theatrical web site on the DVD

Love and Basketball

Format: DVD

Release Date: 10/10/2000

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, 2 PCM stereo

Runtime: 127 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Scene Selections
0. Scene Selections
1. Two on Two [5:35]
2. The New Neighbors [:53]
3. Five Seconds [1:08]
4. #32 [1:50]
5. #22 [:12]
6. A Ride Home [2:20]
7. Late Night Spat [:11]
8. A Date for Monica [3:48]
9. Championship [3:01]
10. Spring Dance [:21]
11. After the Dance [2:33]
12. At USC [3:17]
13. Locker Talk [1:44]
14. One on One [3:56]
15. The Season Starts [1:31]
16. Zeke's Problem [2:41]
17. Quincy Takes It Hard [2:54]
18. Ups and Downs [1:23]
19. Party Problems [4:14]
20. Part of the Game [2:57]
21. Crossroads [3:02]
22. Barcelona [2:55]
23. Quincy's Fall [3:17]
24. Hospital Visit [:02]
25. A Talk with Mom [1:21]
26. Back at Home [1:19]
27. Monica's Challenge [5:14]
28. One on One Rematch [2:40]
29. Return of #32 [4:47]
30. End Credits [3:21]

Rachel Deahl

To call director Gina Prince-Bythewood's debut feature refreshing would be an understatement. This touching tale of two aspiring professional basketball players, who also happen to be childhood best friends and on-again-off-again lovers, deftly weaves the paths of its dueling stars into a warm and smart love story. In portraying the heartbreaking realities of a love affair threatened by competition and ambition (think A Star Is Born for basketball), Prince-Bythewood focuses more closely on the trajectory of her female lead (Sanaa Latham in a star-making performance), broadening the scope of her love story to include an examination of the role of women in sports. With stand-out performances from both Omar Epps and Latham as the athletic couple, Love & Basketball serves as a somber reminder of how few films exist (much less love stories, much less ones that focus on the female perspective) about multi-dimensional African-American characters outside the ghetto. ~ Rachel Deahl, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Terence Blanchard  Composer (Music Score) 
Spike Lee  Producer 
Andrew Z. Davis  Executive Producer 
Jay Stern  Executive Producer 
Sam Kitt  Producer 
Cynthia Guidry  Executive Producer 
Gina Prince-Bythewood  Director 
Gina Prince-Bythewood  Screenwriter 
Sanaa Lathan  Actor 
Omar Epps  Actor 
Alfre Woodard  Actor 
Dennis Haysbert  Actor 
Debbi Morgan  Actor 
Harry J. Lennix  Actor 
Kyla Pratt  Actor 
Glenndon Chatman  Actor 
Gabrielle Union  Actor 
Monica Calhoun  Actor 
Boris Kodjoe  Actor 

Country: USA