Love Jones (1997)

Darius Lovehall is a young black poet in Chicago who starts dating Nina Mosley, a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they've got a "love thing" or are just "... See full summary »

Director:

Theodore Witcher

Writer:

Theodore Witcher

Stars:

Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Isaiah Washington

2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Larenz Tate	...	Darius Lovehall
Nia Long	...	Nina Mosley
Isaiah Washington	...	Savon Garrison
Lisa Nicole Carson	...	Josie Nichols
Bill Bellamy	...	Hollywood
Leonard Roberts	...	Eddie Coles
Bernadette Speakes	...	Sheila Downes (as Bernadette L. Clarke)
Khalil Kain	...	Marvin Cox
Cerall Duncan	...	Troy Garrison
David Nisbet	...	Publisher
Simon James	...	Roger Lievsey
Oona Hart	...	Model (Lievsey Studio)
Jaqueline Fleming	...	Lisa Martin
Manao DeMuth	...	Nina's Assistant
Marie-Françoise Theodore	...	Tracey Powell

Storyline

Darius Lovehall is a young black poet in Chicago who starts dating Nina Mosley, a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they've got a "love thing" or are just "kicking it," they hang out with their friend, talking about love and sex. Then Nina tests the strength of Darius' feelings and sets a chain of romantic complications into motion.

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Plot Keywords:

sex | cult film | ex boyfriend | african american | middle class | 

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Taglines:

Get Together. Fall Apart. Start Over.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 March 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Absolut kärlek

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,908,725, 16 March 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$12,514,138, 17 August 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Addis Wechsler Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is Theodore Witcher's only feature film as a writer and director.

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Goofs

Nina's hair changes when talking to Darius after their first date.

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Quotes

Eddie Coles: Poetry is the possibility of language.

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Connections

Featured in The History of Comedy: The Comedy of Real Life (2017)

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Soundtracks

Blues and Pants
Written by James Brown and Fred Wesley
Performed by James Brown
Courtesy of Polydor Records
By Arrangement with Polygram Film and TV Licensing

User Reviews

Love, Chicago Style

Darius Lovehall is a young black poet in Chicago who starts dating Nina Moseley, a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they've got a "love thing" or are just "kicking it," they hang out with their friend, talking about love and sex. Then Nina tests the strength of Darius' feelings and sets a chain of romantic complications into motion.

While the film received favorable critical reviews, the film was not a financial success but it remains a cult following because of its realistic characters and unorthodox take on the romance genre. It is also Theodore Witcher's only directorial work to date (2016). The producers of the film said that they wanted to make a modern film about African-American life that did not use violence and recreational drugs as elements in the story.

I am not big on romantic stories, and I am not big on many so-called "black movies". But I think the folks behind this one did everything right. The idea to avoid drugs and violence was smart, because why should every movie featuring African-Americans reinforce the stereotype of the ghetto or criminal behavior? This just sets a bad example.

However, "Love Jones" avoids that trap and makes it a deeper story about love, dating, and the difference between casual and serious relationships. On a personal note, I love the Chicago setting. As a midwesterner, very few movies are set in my area. Chicago is about as close as they ever come... so it is nice to see somewhere outside of LA and New York.