Poetic Justice (1993)

In this film, we see the world through the eyes of main character Justice, a young African-American poet. A mail carrier invites a few friends along for a long overnight delivery run.

Director:

John Singleton

Writer:

John Singleton

Stars:

Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Regina King

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Janet Jackson	...	Justice
Tupac Shakur	...	Lucky
Khandi Alexander	...	Simone
Ché J. Avery	...	Thug #2
Maya Angelou	...	Aunt June
Lloyd Avery II	...	Thug #1
Kimberly Brooks	...	Kim
Rico Bueno	...	Ticket Taker
Maia Campbell	...	Shante
Jeff Cantrel	...	Policeman #4
Michael Colyar	...	Panhandler
Kina Cosper	...	Female Cousin (as Kina V. Cosper)
John Cothran Jr.	...	Uncle Earl
Dina D.	...	Dina
Joe Dalu	...	Policeman #7

Storyline

After witnessing the murder of her first and only boyfriend, young Justice decides to forget about college and become a South Central Los Angeles hairdresser. Avoiding friends, the only way for her to cope with her depression is by composing beautiful poetry. On her way to a convention in Oakland, she is forced to ride with an independent-minded postal worker whom she has not gotten along with in the past. After various arguments between them and their friends, they start to discover that their thoughts on violence, socially and domestically, are the same. Justice may finally feel that she is not as alone as before.

---

Plot Keywords:

poetry | mail carrier | south central los angeles | violence | depression | 

---

Taglines:

Fate brought them together. Anger kept them apart. But for both of them, the road ahead was the only way to leave the pain behind.

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive strong language, and for violence and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 July 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fugir do Bairro

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$27,515,786 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, New Deal Productions, Nickel

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The poetry that Justice writes was actually written by Maya Angelou. 'Maya Angelo' makes a cameo appearance as Aunt June.

---

Quotes

Lucky: Garth Brooks is just slamming.

---

Connections

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

---

Soundtracks

"Backstabbers"
Written by Leon Huff, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead
Performed by The O'Jays (as O'Jays)
Courtesy of Sony Music
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

A John Singleton movie that's a lot better than reviews would suggest.

Poetic Justice is the type of film that will sneak up on you. Some parts of the movie are a little slow, but as a whole the movie is very good. Director Singleton is able to bring a certain mood to this film; wavering between dark, funny and compassionate. Justice (Janet Jackson) is a directionless and lost female who expresses her wants and sorrows through poetry. Because of deaths in her family she is alone.

She reluctantly agrees to go on a mail trip with a friend (Regina King) and her male comrads. Little does she know that she would find her diamond in the rough in Lucky (Shakur). Although Lucky has a very hard exterior, Justice; through many trails and tribulations locates the good in him. It turns out that they (Justice and Lucky) are just what each other needs. Some may not be able to relate to this film, but if you can chances are you will really like the movie. This movie was not really made for mainstream audiences, just for certain people. I am one who was taken in by it, and it is one of my favorites. Great movie which probably appeals more to demographically urban viewers. Regina King and Joe Torry do a good job of providing support to the lead actors throughout.