Love and basketball is one of my favorite classic black films. Everything about this movie makes me emotional especially as I am much older from when I first saw the movie. The set up of the movie is fantastic. Having it set up like a basketball game, as in having quarters separate each stage of their life, help the plot a lot. It made their relationship seem like a game of basketball. In the first quarter Quincy first met Monica it was the very typical awkward childhood “relationship”. It reminded me of how I was as an elementary schooler trying to flirt with girls. In the second quarter Monica struggles with people making fun of her at school for her tomboy appearance. This is something I know first hand because my sister grew up with the same struggles. In the third quarter, Quincy struggles with the pressure of being a college athlete while also discovering his father being unfaithful. As a college athlete, I completely understand how something like that could cause the stress to completely overwhelm him, which is what ultimately led to him and Monica breaking up. The fourth quarter and the ending of the movies is something I can accept but it definitely could be better. The fact that Quincy is engaged to be married when he and Monica reunite again shows a direct conflict with the plot. The resolution of them playing 1 on 1 for his heart is not exactly what I was thinking, I can’t say I could have thought of something better, it feels a little bit forced.
Good response. I'm glad that you can get something new from rewatching the movie as a college athlete. However, I wish you would relate the movie with the bigger picture of black cinema, or in this case, with female directors.