Ill defined characters, rural stereotypes and an unfortunate lack of spark leads this movie to be a nearly complete disappointment. Kevin Hooks, playing Aaron, has potential, and strives to create a flesh and blood character that keeps changing gears thanks to inconsistencies in the script. He's basically a decent young man striving to be the next best thing in basketball, but more of the script shows him going between getting into trouble, dealing with a disappointed and bitter father (Moses Gunn, giving a great performance) and romancing the Puerto Rican Irene Cara (as Angela) who likes him in spite of racial differences (and threats towards him from Puerto Rican neighbors of hers. He makes a series of mistakes (treating her like a cheap trick in a moment of macho weakness) yet can't resist her when she finally comes around, affirming the fact that he is falling in love.
A subplot involves Aaron's prostitute neighbor (Ernestine Jackson) who is involved with obvious drug lord Robert Hooks (Kevin's real life father) and seemingly trying to get him out of the business. This is distracting from the main plot, only there seemingly there to add a bit of a "blaxploitation" element to the film and souring the romantic element of the main story. Cara is unfortunately a bland actress, only coming to life when she breaks down after his awkward attempts to seduce her in an abandoned building.
The 1970's location footage is superb, showing the graveyard like feel of all of Harlem and taking the viewer to the Bethesda Fountain, outside Madison Square Garden and to Lincoln Center with later scenes on the Brooklyn Bridge and finally at Grant's Tomb after some major violent twists. Gunn is particularly effective in a drunken scene where he takes out his frustrations on his son then breaks down to apologize. If the script had better focus on the positive elements of the story and better character development, this could have been a period black drama with purpose rather than the rambling mess it ends up being.
A subplot involves Aaron's prostitute neighbor (Ernestine Jackson) who is involved with obvious drug lord Robert Hooks (Kevin's real life father) and seemingly trying to get him out of the business. This is distracting from the main plot, only there seemingly there to add a bit of a "blaxploitation" element to the film and souring the romantic element of the main story. Cara is unfortunately a bland actress, only coming to life when she breaks down after his awkward attempts to seduce her in an abandoned building.
The 1970's location footage is superb, showing the graveyard like feel of all of Harlem and taking the viewer to the Bethesda Fountain, outside Madison Square Garden and to Lincoln Center with later scenes on the Brooklyn Bridge and finally at Grant's Tomb after some major violent twists. Gunn is particularly effective in a drunken scene where he takes out his frustrations on his son then breaks down to apologize. If the script had better focus on the positive elements of the story and better character development, this could have been a period black drama with purpose rather than the rambling mess it ends up being.