''Above the Rim'' is a 1994 American
sports drama film
A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the spor ...
co-written and directed by
Jeff Pollack
Jeffrey Ian Pollack (November 15, 1959 – December 23, 2013) was an American film director, screenwriter, television producer and writer.
As a film director he directed the films ''Above the Rim'' (1994), ''Booty Call'' (1997) and '' Lost ...
in his
directorial debut
This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many film makers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...
.
The screenplay was written by
Barry Michael Cooper
Barry Michael Cooper is a New York City-born American writer, producer and director, best known for his screenplays for the films ''New Jack City'' (1991), '' Sugar Hill'' (1994), and ''Above the Rim'' (1994), sometimes called his "Harlem Trilogy" ...
,
[ adapted from a story by ]Benny Medina
Benny Medina (born January 24, 1958) is an American record executive, talent manager, and television producer.
Early life and education
Medina was born in East Los Angeles, California, of Dominican parents into a poor family. The death of hi ...
.
The film stars Duane Martin
Duane Martin (born August 11, 1965) is an American actor.
Early life and education
Martin was born in Brooklyn, New York, and he graduated from New York University. He played NCAA Division III basketball at NYU and was signed as an undrafte ...
, Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the Li ...
, Leon
Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to:
Places
Europe
* León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León
* Province of León, Spain
* Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...
and Marlon Wayans
Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Wayans began his career portraying a pedestrian in ''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' (1988). He went on to regularly collaborate with his brother Shawn Wa ...
. Considered the conclusion to Cooper's "Harlem Trilogy" (the preceding films being ''New Jack City
''New Jack City'' is a 1991 American action crime film based upon an original story and written by Thomas Lee Wright and Barry Michael Cooper, and directed by Mario Van Peebles in his feature film directorial debut. Released in the United Stat ...
'' (1991) and '' Sugar Hill'' (1994)), the film tells the story about a promising New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
high school basketball star and his relationships with a drug dealer
A drug is any chemical substance
A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by ...
and a former basketball star, now employed as a security guard at the high school he was a promising young star at years ago.
The film mostly took place in Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
, with various scenes filmed at the Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics
Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics (abbreviated as MCSM) is a public high school at East 116th Street between Pleasant Avenue and FDR Drive in East Harlem, within Upper Manhattan, New York City.
The school building, which was forme ...
in East Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, F ...
. Some of the basketball scenes were filmed at Samuel J. Tilden High School
Samuel J. Tilden High School is a New York City public high school in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York City. It was named for Samuel J. Tilden, the former governor of New York State and presidential candidate who, although carryin ...
in Brooklyn, New York.
Plot
Kyle-Lee Watson is a talented basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player who is about to graduate from high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
. While he waits to find out if he will receive a scholarship to Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
, he finds himself in a difficult dilemma over a playground basketball tournament
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
. He must decide whether to play for and follow his widely beloved basketball coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
Mike Rollins and Birdie, a local drug dealer in the neighborhood. Thomas "Shep" Sheppard, a former standout player himself, now works as a high school security guard. Kyle feels resentment towards the security guard, because Kyle's own mother is falling in love with Shep.
Coincidentally, Kyle's coach also wants Shep to coach his team when he feels it is time for him to retire. It is later revealed to Kyle that Shep is Birdie's older brother. Kyle makes a decision to run with Birdie's team until he decided to come back to his old team, because of Birdie's wrongful actions against Flip and Kyle's friend Bugaloo. In the tournament, both Kyle's and Birdie's teams march to the finals, with Kyle's team playing solid team basketball, while Birdie's team plays a very rough & dirty style.
Before the finals, Birdie threatens Kyle, demanding Kyle to throw away the game, so that Birdie's team would win. Kyle is brutalized throughout the game, with Birdie's team having a solid lead. Shep, unable to watch any longer, joins Kyle's team. Despite being aggressively attacked throughout, Shep helps the team come back. In the final seconds, he passes the ball to Kyle, who dunks the ball and Kyle's team wins the game.
After the loss, Birdie orders Motaw, his star player and gang member, to kill Kyle. Shep protects Kyle by jumping on him and Motaw shoots Shep. A security guard then fatally shoots Motaw twice. At a club, Bugaloo walks near Birdie and shoots Birdie, killing him, as revenge for previous humiliations. In the end, Kyle is revealed to have gotten the scholarship to Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
. During a televised game, Kyle hits the game winner, while a recovered Shep watches with a smile.
Cast
* Duane Martin
Duane Martin (born August 11, 1965) is an American actor.
Early life and education
Martin was born in Brooklyn, New York, and he graduated from New York University. He played NCAA Division III basketball at NYU and was signed as an undrafte ...
as Kyle-Lee Watson, a talented basketball player who is determined to be accepted to Georgetown University, to play for their basketball team, the Hoyas. He is seen as cocky and hot tempered but later changes his ways during the course of the film. He is loosely based on Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
, who also went to Georgetown.
* Leon
Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to:
Places
Europe
* León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León
* Province of León, Spain
* Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...
as Thomas "Shep" Sheppard, a quiet, bitter, introvert who used to be an incredible high school basketball player. He was later arrested after his best friend, Nutso, accidentally jumps off a high rise building while playing basketball.
* Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the Li ...
as Birdie, a local thug and Shep's younger brother.
* Bernie Mac
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008), better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was an American comedian and actor. Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined fell ...
as Flip, a homeless crackhead who played basketball in high school with Shep and Nutso. He is later killed by Birdie and Motaw.
* Tonya Pinkins
Tonya Pinkins (born May 30, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. Her award-winning debut feature film ''RED PILL'' was an official selection at the 2021 Pan African Film Festival, won the Best Black Lives Matter Feature and Best First Fea ...
as Mailika Watson, Kyle's mom who tries to get him to see that there is more to life than just basketball. She develops a relationship with Shep.
* Marlon Wayans
Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Wayans began his career portraying a pedestrian in ''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' (1988). He went on to regularly collaborate with his brother Shawn Wa ...
as Bugaloo, Kyle's womanizing yet goofy best friend who spent a year in juvenile detention for an unknown crime. He is often bullied by Birdie and his gang members.
* David Bailey
David Royston Bailey (born 2 January 1938) is an English photographer and director, most widely known for his fashion photography and portraiture, and role in shaping the image of the Swinging Sixties.
Early life
David Bailey was born at Wh ...
as Mike Rollins, a respected coach for Kyle's team, who tries to get Shep to play basketball again.
* Wood Harris
Sherwin David "Wood" Harris (born October 17, 1969) is an American actor. He has portrayed the drug kingpin Avon Barksdale on the HBO crime drama ''The Wire'', cocaine dealer Ace in '' Paid in Full'' and high school football player Julius Campbe ...
as Motaw, Birdie's teenaged lieutenant and star player on his team. He is a homicidal psychopath who will threaten anyone with no second thought nor remorse.
* Shawn Michael Howard
Shawn Michael Howard (born July 31, 1969) is an American film, television and theater actor.
Howard was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Olivia C. and Frank Howard, Jr., brother of Brad Howard and Tyrone Scott Howard. Father of Elijah Howard ...
as Bobby, Kyle's shy and soft-spoken friend who plays in the basketball tournament.
* Henry Simmons II as Starnes, Kyle's teammate who is disgusted by Kyle's cockiness.
* Michael Rispoli
Michael Rispoli is an American character actor. He was a contender for the role of Tony Soprano in the HBO television series ''The Sopranos,'' but was ultimately cast as Jackie Aprile, a recurring character in the show’s first season. Rispo ...
as Richard "Big Richie" Jones
* Bill Raftery
William Joseph Raftery (born April 19, 1943) is an American basketball analyst and former college basketball coach.
High school and college years
Raftery attended Saint Cecilia High School in Kearny, New Jersey, where he starred in basketball an ...
as himself
* James Williams as Speedy
* John Thompson as himself
Soundtrack
Production
Filming for ''Above the Rim'' took place from October to November 1993, beginning on October 18 in Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
, New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Allen Payne
Allen Payne (born Allen Roberts on July 7, 1968) is an American actor best known for his role as Jason Alexander in the 1994 drama film ''Jason's Lyric'', as well as his portrayal of C.J. Payne on the family sitcom '' Tyler Perry's House of Payn ...
was the original choice to play Kyle Watson, but was rejected by Pollack in favor of Duane Martin. This was Tupac Shakur’s final theatrical film to be released during his lifetime before his death two years later in 1996.
Reception
Box office
The film was released on March 23, 1994, grossing $3,738,800 on opening weekend. At the end of its theatrical run, it had grossed a total of $16,192,320.
Awards
1995 MTV Movie Awards
The 1995 MTV Movie Awards were hosted by Jon Lovitz and Courteney Cox.
Performances
*TLC — "Waterfalls"
*The Ramones — "Best Song from a Movie Medley"
*Boyz II Men — "Water Runs Dry"
* Blues Traveler — " Run-Around"
Presenters
*Val Kilme ...
* Best Movie Song: " Regulate" by Warren G
Warren Griffin III (born November 10, 1970) is an American rapper and producer known for his role in West Coast rap's 1990s ascent.Steve Huey"Warren G: Biography" ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited May 8, 2020. Along with Snoop Dogg and N ...
(nominated)
Critical
It holds a 52% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 21 reviews. Peter Travers
Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
stated "It's Shakur who steals the show. The rapper's offscreen legal problems are well known, but there's no denying his power as an actor."
''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' said "A fine cast and the movie's general energy can't overcome that mix of cliches and technical flaws, which should conspire to prevent any high flying at the box office."
/ref>
See also
* ''Above the Rim (soundtrack)
''Above the Rim – The Soundtrack'' is the official soundtrack to the 1994 film of the same name. The soundtrack, released by Death Row and Interscope Records on March 22, 1994, was executive produced by Suge Knight. Dr. Dre acted as superv ...
''
* List of hood films
This is a list of hood films – films focusing on the culture and life of African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, and/or in some cases, Asian Americans living in segregated, low-income urban communities, as well as comparably deprived and crime-ri ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Above The Rim
1994 films
1990s teen drama films
1990s sports drama films
American basketball films
American coming-of-age drama films
American sports drama films
American teen drama films
1990s English-language films
Films set in Brooklyn
Films set in New York City
Hood films
African-American drama films
1990s hip hop films
1994 directorial debut films
1994 drama films
Films directed by Jeff Pollack
1990s American films