Love Jones (film)
| Love Jones | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Theodore Witcher |
| Produced by | Amy Henkels Helena Echegoyen James Giovannetti Jr. Jay Stern Jeremiah Samuels Julia Chasman Michael Caldwell Nick Wechsler |
| Written by | Theodore Witcher |
| Starring | Larenz Tate Nia Long Bill Bellamy Isaiah Washington Lisa Nicole Carson |
| Music by | Darryl Jones Wyclef Jean |
| Cinematography | Ernest Holzman |
| Editing by | Maysie Hoy |
| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
| Release date(s) | March 14, 1997 |
| Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10,000,000 (approximately) |
| Box office | $12,782,749 (Worldwide) [1] |
Love Jones is a 1997 American romantic drama film written and directed by Theodore Witcher, in his feature film debut. It stars Larenz Tate and Nia Long. Isaiah Washington, Bill Bellamy, and Lisa Nicole Carson lead the supporting cast. It is considered a classic work in African-American cinema.[2]
"What do you do after love at first sight?" That's the question posed in this story set in Chicago. The independent film puts a modern spin on Modern Romance portraying two “confused lovebirds” that learn not to underestimate the powers of "a Love Jones". The story calls to question the powers of attraction and fate, as well as the possibilities of love at first sight. Moreover, it questions the roles of romance and love in contemporary society.
Two of the poems recited by Nia Long's character, Nina, were written by Sonia Sanchez and are included in her book Like the Singing Coming Off the Drums: Love Poems.[3]
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[edit] Synopsis
In Chicago, Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) is a poet who is giving a reading at the Sanctuary, an upscale nightclub presenting jazz and poetry to a bohemian clientele. Shortly before his set, he meets Nina Mosley (Nia Long), a gifted photographer who recently lost her job. They exchange small talk, and Darius makes his interest clear when he retitles his love poem "A Blues For Nina". A mutual attraction is sparked between them, and Darius invites himself back to her place to persistently ask her out. They have sex on the first date, but neither Darius or Nina are sure where to go next after this promising start. Nina has just gotten out of a relationship and isn't sure if she still cares for her old boyfriend or not, while at the same time Darius' buddies read him the riot act for wanting to give up his freedom so early on in the game. From then on, their relation and everything else change for both of them.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| 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 L. Clarke | Sheila Downes |
| 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 |
[edit] Origin of title
Urbandictionary.com describes the term ‘Love Jones’ as “an overwhelming desire or attraction for someone”.[4] In the film, the character Darius Lovehall describes it as a “gravitational pull, rendering one helpless to its power”. A Love Jones is equivalent to being hit by cupid's arrow or love at first sight. It calls forth the idea that fate or divinity is responsible for bringing two people together.
[edit] Reception
Love Jones received positive reviews from critics and is considered a cult classic. It currently holds a 67% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Roger Ebert awarded the film 3 out of 4 stars, and expressed "There is also a bow to the unconventional in the ending of his film. Many love stories contrive to get their characters together at the end. This one contrives, not to keep them apart, but to bring them to a bittersweet awareness that is above simple love. Some audience members would probably prefer a romantic embrace in the sunset, as the music swells. But Love Jones is too smart for that". He also noted on the acting that "It's hard to believe that Tate--so smooth, literate and attractive here--played the savage killer O-Dog in Menace II Society. Nia Long was Brandi, one of the girl friends, in Boyz N the Hood. Love Jones extends their range, to put it mildly".[5]
James Berardinelli also awarded the film 3 out of 4 stars for ReelReviews, and he determined that "There are several reasons why this film works better than the common, garden-variety love story. To begin with, the setting and texture are much different than that of most mainstream romances. The culture, in which post-college African Americans mingle while pursuing careers and relationships, represents a significant change from what we're used to. The Sanctuary, the intimate Chicago nightclub where Darius and Nina meet, is rich in its eclectic, bluesy atmosphere. And Love Jones's dialogue is rarely trite. When the characters open their mouths, it usually is because they have something intelligent to say, not because they're trying to fill up dead air with meaningless words".[6]
[edit] Themes
- Black Renaissance Revival: The film depicts Black culture through the lens of a 90's revival of the Black Renaissance. Photographer Nina and writer Darius connect through the muses of poetry and music. When they first meet at the poetry club, Darius retitles a poem for her and several scenes take place in the same club. Moreover, Darius often plays the jazz records of Charlie Parker and John Coltrane for Nina in order to express his feelings for her. The African-American characters are often depicted smoking in jazz or poetry clubs, contemplating deep issues.
- Smoking: While smoking is depicted in the movie as a bad habit, it also comes to represent the unhealthy yet addicting power of love. In one the first scenes, Nina, who has just sworn herself off of love, tells lovestruck Darius that he should stop smoking. However, as the two fall in love, scenes depict Nina taking the cigarette from Darius’s mouth and smoking it herself.
[edit] Influence
- The success of Love Jones is partially responsible for an increased interest in poetry slams and the spoken word art form as a whole in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2002, HBO began airing Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry, hosted by actor/rapper Mos Def.[7]
- Internationally renowned former bodybuilder Flex Wheeler counts Love Jones as one of his favorite films. He named his son Darius after Larenz Tate's character, and his daughter Nia after actress Nia Long. (Muscle & Fitness magazine, September 2000)
- Singer Ashanti has had the two stars Nia Long and Larenz Tate in two of her music videos.
[edit] See also
- Love Jones (soundtrack) — soundtrack to the film.
[edit] References
- ^ "Love Jones". Box Office Mojo. http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lovejones.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
- ^ http://verysmartbrothas.com/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-love-jones/
- ^ http://projectblaq.com/blog/2011/04/01/black-classic-flashback-love-jones-for-national-poetry-month/
- ^ http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=love%20jones
- ^ http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970314/REVIEWS/703140302
- ^ http://www.reelviews.net/movies/l/love_jones.html
- ^ http://projectblaq.com/blog/?s=love+jones&submit=Search
