Jason's Lyric (1994)

Director:

Doug McHenry

Writer (WGA):

Bobby Smith Jr. (written by)

Release Date:

28 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Love is courage.

Plot:

The story of a young man who must confront his own fears about love as well as his relationships with family and friends...

Plot Keywords:

Mother Son Relationship | Houston Texas | Apostrophe In Title | Carjacking | Alcohol

Cast

Allen Payne	...	Jason Alexander
Jada Pinkett Smith	...	Lyric (as Jada Pinkett)
Bokeem Woodbine	...	Joshua Alexander
Anthony 'Treach' Criss	...	Alonzo
Eddie Griffin	...	Rat
Suzzanne Douglas	...	Gloria
Lisa Nicole Carson	...	Marti
Lahmard J. Tate	...	Ron
Forest Whitaker	...	Maddog
Asheamu Earl Randle	...	Teddy
Clarence Whitmore	...	Elmo
Rushion McDonald	...	Fast Freddy
Curtis von Burrell	...	Darryl
Bebe Drake	...	Ms. Murphy
Kenneth Randle	...	Leroy

Runtime:

Australia:120 min | UK:119 min | USA:119 min | USA:120 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:Unrated (laserdisc rating) | USA:Unrated (VHS rating) | New Zealand:R18 | Australia:R | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Houston, Texas, USA

Company:

Jackson/McHenry Company,The

Trivia:

The abandoned railroad crossing where Lyric is alone is located east of Montrose/Studemont Blvd. in the Houston area. Sadly, the railroad crossing was demolished in early 2000. A majority of the film takes place in Houston's Third, Fourth, and Fifth Ward. These neighborhoods were named after voter precincts when the City of Houston was founded in 1856.

Goofs:

Continuity: With his right hand, Jason retrieves the flowers he bought for Lyric from the truck and hides them behind his back. When he hands them to her, he pulls them from under his left arm.

Quotes:

Marti: I know you think Alonzo isn't perfect, but I'm going to hold on to him... cause he's all I got. The wards ain't full of Jasons. What you found was quiet... in a world full of thunder. I ain't got no choice but to listen to it. You do.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)

Nothing short of exquisite

One endeavor in filmmaking that quite frequently doesn't turn out well is mixing genres. "Jason's Lyric" combines crime drama, love story, and ghetto film-and does it surprisingly beautifully. The acting is remarkable, the script is remarkable, and the emotion is remarkable. This movie could have turned out very pretentious and very cheesy. Apparently, the directors, writers, and producers completely acknowledged this, and refused to let that happen. The characters are very well developed and, while the movie doesn't justify Josh's actions, it does convey compassion for him. It also provides new insight on what it's really like to live in a ghetto. If you can find this movie (after all, I saw it on Showtime and haven't the video in any stores) totally see it!!!!