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IMDbPro

Rankkaa peliä

Original title: He Got Game
  • 19981998
  • SS
  • 2h 16m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
49K
YOUR RATING
Denzel Washington in Rankkaa peliä (1998)
Watch Trailer
Play trailer2:11
3 Videos
88 Photos
DramaSport

A basketball player's father must try to convince him to go to a college so he can get a shorter sentence.A basketball player's father must try to convince him to go to a college so he can get a shorter sentence.A basketball player's father must try to convince him to go to a college so he can get a shorter sentence.

IMDb RATING
6.9/10
49K
YOUR RATING
    • Spike Lee
    • Spike Lee
  • Stars
    • Denzel Washington
    • Milla Jovovich
    • Ray Allen
    • Spike Lee
    • Spike Lee
  • Stars
    • Denzel Washington
    • Milla Jovovich
    • Ray Allen
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 143User reviews
    • 58Critic reviews
    • 64Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos3

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:11
    Watch Trailer
    He Got Game
    Clip 1:20
    Watch He Got Game
    He Got Game
    Clip 0:56
    Watch He Got Game

    Photos88

    Denzel Washington and Ray Allen in Rankkaa peliä (1998)
    Denzel Washington and Ray Allen in Rankkaa peliä (1998)
    Ray Allen in Rankkaa peliä (1998)
    Denzel Washington and Ray Allen in Rankkaa peliä (1998)
    Denzel Washington in Rankkaa peliä (1998)
    Milla Jovovich, Denzel Washington, and Ray Allen in Rankkaa peliä (1998)
    Denzel Washington and Ray Allen in Rankkaa peliä (1998)
    Denzel Washington and Ray Allen in Rankkaa peliä (1998)
    Ray Allen in Rankkaa peliä (1998)
    Rankkaa peliä (1998)
    Ned Beatty in Rankkaa peliä (1998)
    Denzel Washington in Rankkaa peliä (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Denzel Washington
    Denzel Washington
    • Jake Shuttlesworth
    Milla Jovovich
    Milla Jovovich
    • Dakota Burns
    Ray Allen
    Ray Allen
    • Jesus Shuttlesworth
    Rosario Dawson
    Rosario Dawson
    • Lala Bonilla
    Hill Harper
    Hill Harper
    • Coleman 'Booger' Sykes
    Zelda Harris
    Zelda Harris
    • Mary Shuttlesworth
    Ned Beatty
    Ned Beatty
    • Warden Wyatt
    Jim Brown
    Jim Brown
    • Spivey
    Joseph Lyle Taylor
    Joseph Lyle Taylor
    • Crudup
    Bill Nunn
    Bill Nunn
    • Uncle Bubba
    Michele Shay
    • Aunt Sally
    Thomas Jefferson Byrd
    Thomas Jefferson Byrd
    • Sweetness
    Roger Guenveur Smith
    Roger Guenveur Smith
    • Big Time Willie
    John Turturro
    John Turturro
    • Coach Billy Sunday
    Lonette McKee
    Lonette McKee
    • Martha Shuttlesworth
    Arthur J. Nascarella
    Arthur J. Nascarella
    • Coach Cincotta
    Travis Best
    • Sip
    Walter McCarty
    • Mance
      • Spike Lee
      • Spike Lee
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Spike Lee originally wanted Kobe Bryant to play the part of Jesus Shuttlesworth. While Kobe liked the script, and the idea of working with Spike, he had just finished his rookie year in the NBA (the 1996-97), and had shot several airballs in a brutal playoff loss by the Lakers to the Utah Jazz, and planned a workout program that would help him maintain his strength through the longer NBA seasons (a major adjustment, as Kobe went straight from high school to the pros). So he told Spike the summer of 1997 was too important to spend time making the film, and Spike promptly sought out Ray Allen, who quickly accepted the lead role.
    • Quotes

      Jesus Shuttlesworth: Basketball is like poetry in motion, cross the guy to the left, take him back to the right, he's fallin' back, then just J right in his face. Then you look at him and say, "What?"

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Object of My Affection/Paulie/Nightwatch/Suicide Kings/Wild Man Blues/Chinese Box (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      John Henry
      Performed by London Symphony Orchestra

      Aaron Copland, Conductor

      Written by Aaron Copland

      The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., Copyright Owner

      Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., Solo Publisher

      Courtesy of Sony Classical

    User reviews143

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Who's wiser, the player or the father?
    He got game is an exceptional story about a basketball player who quarrels with family issues and strives towards his dream. Directed by Spike Lee, this movie takes an in depth look at exactly how many variables are involved when being the MVP, and how a man can grow up and assess these circumstances.

    Ray Allen plays a character who's name is Jesus Shuttlesworth. At a young age, his father pressed him dramatically to be the best he could be. However by mistake kills Jesus's mother and is sent to prison. The troubled child eventually grows up to become one for the best players in the nation. Now the drama builds up. When the decision to go pro or join a college team is just around the corner, Jesus's father (played by Denzel Washington) is let out of jail to convert his son to a specific school or else the father is returned to jail, it leaves Jesus with a daunting task. The reconcile between the father and son is what eventually allows Jesus to become a real man and face his problems.

    The idea that a boy cannot live without his father plays a defined role in this movie. Jesus grows up with the responsibilities of taking care of his sister, who is several years younger than he is. While it appears that Jesus has all of the support in the world, Spike Lee does a terrific job of accentuating how they are really leeches. All the people want are money, fame, and fortune; which is all possible through Jesus. The reason the father plays such a key role is because although he needs Jesus's help, he isn't interested in that. He really loves his son.

    Although Spike Lee did some amazing work with this movie especially with the inner city sequences, as well as the use of colors and poetry to his advantage for getting his ideas across to the audience, several scenes were unneeded which seemed overly explicit. Although these are truly issues that can ruin a famous person, they seemed almost too graphic to be seen by a general audience. What Spike does so well is keeping the real connections with the street, and enabling the audience to see exactly what the character is going through by using several techniques.

    Colors in the movie such as red, green, and black symbolize power, pain, and respect between different characters. While Jesus hates his name, his father named him that through a basketball player that was how he put it, "the truth." This movie proves that in real life, you can benefit more by forgiving, and not forgetting.

    Overall I would recommend this film to anyone who wants to see a unique, intellectual film that will make you think about your present situation, as well as allowing you to know the difficulties that come with fame.
    helpful•26
    8
    • nforgione08
    • Dec 13, 2004

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    FAQ2

    • What high school are the basketball scenes shot in?
    • Where is the Abraham Lincoln High School located?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 1, 1998 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Cabrini-Green Public Housing Projects, Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • Production companies
      • Touchstone Pictures
      • 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 2 hours 16 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS

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