Movies Like He Got Game (1998)

Staff & contributors

Chasing the feel of watching He Got Game ? Here are the movies we recommend you watch right after.

Spike Lee was still in ascension at the time of He Got Game, a stylish and passionate piece of film. Lee's love for the Game may have been a little bit harmful, however, since the movie is flagrantly 15 to 30 minutes too long. Not flawless, it is still a great combination of Washington and Lee's talents in a compelling story. It is a strong challenger for the best contemporary basketball movie, together with Coach Carter.

The story of Antwone Fisher as told by Denzel Washington (in his directorial debut) may be a bit too straightforward for its own good, but it only proves the strength of his eye and ear for performance. In addition to turning in his own understated yet authoritative performance, Washington gets a powerhouse turn out of Derek Luke, who allows every new revelation about Fisher to strengthen every aspect of his work. What the film gets right about talking about mental health (that other movies get so wrong) is that it knows that providing an explanation for why someone is the way they are shouldn't be a dramatic climax. What Antwone Fisher emphasizes is healing, community, and the dignity of the person working through these issues.

Genre: Drama, History, Romance

Actor: Charles Robinson, Cory Hodges, De'Angelo Wilson, Denzel Washington, Derek Luke, Earl Billings, Gary A. Jones, James Brolin, Joy Bryant, Kente Scott, Kevin Connolly, Kim Johnson, Leonard Earl Howze, Malcolm David Kelley, Novella Nelson, Rainoldo Gooding, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Stephen Snedden, Sung Kang, Vernee Watson-Johnson, Viola Davis, Yolonda Ross

Director: Denzel Washington