He Got Game

The story of the up and coming basketball star and the media buzz surrounding him. The very bad movie, Blue Chips, addressed every cliche possible for such a story. Spike Lee tries to elevate the stale subject. The filmmaking is noted by almost lyrical editing and colorful textures in the cinematography. The story deals with the pain of an accidental murder that killed a mother and imprisoned a father. The son has to come to grips with the hatred he has for his father and be able to deal with the pressure situation of taking on a full fledged basketball career. The story is poignant because it makes a fantastic situation ring true in the relationship of a father and son, but Lee's filmmaking is most noteworthy. He has a fluid imagination in mixing basketball play with the media coverage that involves staged commercials and ESPN coverage.