A REVIEW By Kyle Trull

 Love and Basketball 2000 Gina Prince-Bythewood is a classic story about two neighbors and their love for the game. My Dad had recommended it to me and I finally had time to watch it. I did not disappoint at all. 

  Omar Epps did an amazing job playing Quincy McCall, the high school prodigy. Quincy was Mr. Popular in school because of basketball and Epps was able to bring that confident side out. Even though he wasn’t the tallest on the court, his personality was the biggest.

  Sanaa Lathan played Monica, and displayed great character development throughout the movie. The depth of her character kept me invested in the movie and her story.

  I loved the theme of the movie as well. Even though both Quincy and Monica were very invested in their basketball careers, they were able to find happiness outside the court. To their luck, it was because of each other. It was a great way to show that even though you can strive for happiness in something, it might be in front of you the whole time. 

  Not only that, but the chemistry both Quincy and Monica had wasn’t just one of those soap opera-like lovey-dovey relationships. In the opening scene, Quincy is furious with Monica over a game of basketball. Later in the movie, he talks to her again and asks her to be his girlfriend. He saw the love for the sport and someone to push him in Monica. As they grow up they bounce so well off each other, it seems like it is a match made in heaven. It's a cute scene and does a great job of foreshadowing the themes early on. 

  Quincy was a very relatable character to most people. He appears to be great on the outside but isn't as great as he may seem on the inside. When finding out his father had cheated on his mother, he decided to change his life. He dumped Monica and declared for the up-and-coming draft both these two things that he will regret. It tore me apart when he became so naive and cut his nose to spite his face. It was a great but nail-biting scene that was packed with emotion.

  The ending was one of the most satisfying I have seen in a long time. Monica decided to challenge Quincy to a one-on-one game to marry him. The reason she is proposing this idea is that Quincy is already engaged. At the beginning of the game, both of them are putting all of themselves on the court. After a little while, Quincy comes to the realization that Monica is the one he has loved this one time, resulting in him losing the match. 

  Love and Basketball took a different approach to the classic basketball movie and taught their viewers a lesson. I am glad I finally watched this movie and It definitely surpassed my expectations.