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 & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Khandi Alexander	...	Simone
Maya Angelou	...	Aunt June
Lloyd Avery II	...	Thug #1
Ché J. Avery	...	Thug #2
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
James Deeth	...	Helicopter Pilot
Norma Donaldson	...	Aunt May

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:

african american | poetry | poet | ghetto | urban setting | 

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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:

Simi Valley Drive-In, Simi Valley, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,728,455, 25 July 1993, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$27,515,786

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, New Deal Productions, Nickel

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tupac Shakur, Lloyd Avery II, and Dedrick D. Gobert would all meet violent deaths after the release of this film.

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Quotes

Lucky: Garth Brooks is just slamming.

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Alternate Versions

In the Australian Free-to-Air vision. The Film had about 20mins cut out of it. Even though it was show at 11:50pm Jan 2001. Just about all swearing and fight sceens were taken out.

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Connections

Referenced in iZombie: Salivation Army (2016)

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Soundtracks

Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer
Written by Stevie Wonder and Syreeta (as Syreeta Wright)
Performed by Stevie Wonder
Courtesy of Motown Record Company LP
By Arrangement with PolyGram Special Markets

User Reviews

Not as bad as some think

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that this is nowhere near as good as Boyz in the Hood, however, it's not as bad as some make it out to be. The acting is somewhat lacking, but the story as a whole is moving. If you're a diehard Singleton fan, or are just in the mood for a pretty decent movie, go for it, you've got nothing to lose.