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	...	Uncle Earl (as John Cothran Jr.)
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.

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Plot Keywords:

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

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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.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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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

In one scene, Justice, played by Janet Jackson, is listening to the Stevie Wonder song "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer". Sixteen years later, Wonder would perform that song at the memorial for Janet's brother, Michael Jackson.

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Quotes

Justice: [as Iesha vomits on the side on the road after having drunk too much alcohol] Look at you.
Iesha: [dazed] What's up, J? What's the problem, girl?
Justice: [grabbing wine bottle out of Iesha's hand] *This* is the fucking *problem!*
[smashes bottle on the ground]
Justice: I'm *sick* of this shit! That's all you do. You act like some alcoholic bitch!
Iesha: Why are you calling me a bitch?
Justice: [grabbing Iesha tightly by the neck of her shirt] All you do is get drunk all the time. That's why I never go any place with you, because you're ...
[...]

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Connections

Edited into Tupac: Resurrection (2003)

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Soundtracks

"I Wanna Be Your Man"
Written by Chaka Demus (as John Taylor), Pliers (as Everton Bonner), Lowell 'Sly' Dunbar (as Sly Dunbar),
Robbie Shakespeare (as Robbie Shakespear) and Lloyd Willis
Produced by Sly & Robbie (as Sly and Robbie)
Performed by Chaka Demus & Pliers
Courtesy of Mango/Island Records, Inc.

User Reviews

An overlooked, intelligently produced and directed film.

I applaud John Singleton for being brave enough to film "Poetic Justice" -- it's a real triumph in presenting a story that looks beyond Hollywood's usual stereotypes of urban youth. If you are looking for a typical gang-bangin' shoot em up angry urban film...look elsewhere, because that genre is miles away from Singleton's storytelling. This film has precisely what black audiences say they are looking for - depth, real characters with a number of real layers....and yet people say they cannot get into this film. I say watch it and simply feel the messages being conveyed through the hearts of the characters. Tupac Shakur's performance saddens my heart....because he had so much potential as an actor as proven with his performance here. I was fortunate enough to actually meet and compliment him on this performance, which is at turns skillful and all his own. He had that quality that film actors envy in that the camera loved him. Janet Jackson gives a skilled performance as well, and the two have a natural chemistry that works here. This film is worth watching...it's one of my favorites.