She's Gotta Have It (1986)

Story of a woman and her three lovers.

Director:

Spike Lee

Writer:

Spike Lee

Stars:

Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tracy Camilla Johns	...	Nola Darling
Tommy Redmond Hicks	...	Jamie Overstreet
John Canada Terrell	...	Greer Childs
Spike Lee	...	Mars Blackmon
Raye Dowell	...	Opal Gilstrap
Joie Lee	...	Clorinda Bradford
S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Doctor Jamison (as Epatha Merkinson)
Bill Lee	...	Sonny Darling
Cheryl Burr	...	Ava
Aaron Dugger	...	Noble
Stephanie Covington	...	Keva
Renata Cobbs	...	Shawn
Cheryl Singleton	...	Toby
Monty Ross	...	Dog 1
Tiziano Cortini	...	Dog 2 (as Lewis Jordan)

Storyline

The story of Nola Darling's simultaneous sexual relationships with three different men is told by her and by her partners and other friends. All three men wanted her to commit solely to them; Nola resists being "owned" by a single partner.

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Plot Keywords:

human relationship | black independent film | lesbian | infidelity | black & white to color | 

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Taglines:

A Seriously Sexy Comedy

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 August 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nola Darling

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$7,137,502 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min 88 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Spike Lee wanted to cast Eriq La Salle in the role of Greer Childs, but La Salle thought the role was too shallow, and had joined the Screen Actors Guild, making him ineligible for the part.

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Quotes

Mars Blackmon: [begging Nola not to dump him] Please baby, pleasebaby, please baby, baby baby please!

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Crazy Credits

"There are no jericurls and no drugs in this movie!"

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Connections

Referenced in The O'Reilly Factor: Episode dated 20 June 2008 (2008)

User Reviews

Fine First Effort

Spike Lee's fist, and in many ways his best work. Simple, elemental, insightful, and funny. Beautifully shot in black and white the film is a true "New York/Brooklyn" movie that makes the most of the City, it's streets, and landmarks; with a wonderful soundtrack by his Dad, Jazz legend, Stan Lee. You have to remember that this was a small budget Indy film from a director who would later enjoy big budget successes.

When this movie first came out it had everyone buzzing about it and him; and it earned him the accolade: the up and coming Black Woody Allen in the New York press. (a statement that implied a unique "New York" perspective on the world, his intellect, his talent, and his humor; hopefully not also a parallel to the two men being rather short in physical stature....