Love Jones (film)

Infobox Film
name = Love Jones


director = Theodore Witcher
producer = Amy Henkels
Helena Echegoyen
James Giovannetti Jr.
Jay Stern
Jeremiah Samuels
Julia Chasman
Michael Caldwell
Nick Wechsler
writer = Theodore Witcher
starring = Larenz Tate
Nia Long
Bill Bellamy
Isaiah Washington
Lisa Nicole Carson
music = Darryl Jones
Wyclef Jean
cinematography = Ernest Holzman
editing = Maysie Hoy
distributor = New Line Cinema
released = flagicon|US March 14, 1997
runtime = 108 min.
country = U.S.A.
language = English
budget = $10,000,000 (approximately)
amg_id = 1:154547
imdb_id = 0119572

"Love Jones" is a 1997 romantic drama film written and directed by Theodore Witcher. Larenz Tate and Nia Long portray young romantic upward-mobile African Americans navigating through Chicago's club culture.

ynopsis

"What do you do after love at first sight?" That's the question posed in this romantic comedy-drama set in Chicago. Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) is a poet who is giving a reading at the "Sanctuary", an upscale night club presenting jazz and poetry to a bohemian clientele. Shortly before his set, he meets Nina Mosley (Nia Long), a gifted photographer who has just lost her job. They exchange small talk, and Darius makes his interest clear when he retitles a 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. The relationship turns seriously sexy when they have sex on the first date, but neither Darius or Nina are sure where to go next after this promising start. She's just gotten out of a relationship and isn't sure if she still cares for her old boyfriend or not, while Darius' buddies read him the riot act for wanting to give up his freedom so early on in the game. "Love Jones" was the debut film for writer and director Theodore Witcher, and it is already considered a classic work in African-American cinema. Isaiah Washington, Bill Bellamy, and Lisa Nicole Carson lead the supporting cast.

Cast

Trivia

*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 Jam", hosted by actor/rapper Mos Def.
*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."
*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 Nina after actress Nia Long ("Muscle & Fitness" magazine, September 2000).

ee also

* "Love Jones (soundtrack)" — soundtrack to the film.

External links

*imdb title|id=0119572|title=Love Jones