The Next Reel Film Podcast

It’s time for our next series! We’re kicking off our Sports series with Gina Prince-Bythewood’s 2000 film ‘Love & Basketball.’ This is an incredible film and an easy one to love and talk about. Definitely check it out then tune in!

Show Notes

“What I always admired was the fight in you.”

Gina Prince-Bythewood looked at her first film as a When Harry Met Sally... type of story that followed a pair of young people – Monica and Quincy – as they both worked on furthering their basketball careers. The film was supported by The Sundance Institute and Spike Lee came on as an executive producer to help get it made. We’re glad everything came together for this film because it’s wonderful. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off a new series about Sports with Prince-Bythewood’s 2000 film Love & Basketball.

It’s easy to fall for Love & Basketball.

Prince-Bythewood followed through on her When Harry Met Sally... story perfectly. We meet Monica and Quincy as new neighbors and instantly fall for them as friends. The fact that they develop a romantic relationship over time works, but only because we buy that friendship so strongly. Small details, like him sneaking over to sleep on her floor to get away from his fighting parents, highlight so perfectly moments that Prince-Bythewood captures to help us buy into this.

It helps that she cast Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps, two incredibly beautiful and charismatic actors, to play the parts as well. They play the roles well, both as basketball players and as friends who become romantically involved. They’re perfect.

Of course the rest of the cast works just as well – Alfre Woodard, Harry Lennix, Dennis Haysbert, and Debbi Morgan play the parents and they all bring something to the table. The child versions of our leads are great. And the basketball is all great.

It’s a film that deals with the challenges of relationships when success changes hands from one to the other. It looks at the way women and men are treated in sports differently. There’s the theme of infidelity and how it’s used in relationships and destroys them. And there are powerful elements looking at parents and their children and how they relate.

It’s a strong way to kick off this series. We have a great time talking about it so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

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Creators and Guests

Host
Andy Nelson
With over 25 years of experience in film, television, and commercial production, Andy has cultivated an enduring passion for storytelling in all its forms. His enthusiasm for the craft began in his youth when he and his friends started making their own movies in grade school. After studying film at the University of Colorado Boulder, Andy wrote, directed, and produced several short films while also producing indie features like Netherbeast Incorporated and Ambush at Dark Canyon. Andy has been on the production team for award-winning documentaries such as The Imposter and The Joe Show, as well as TV shows like Investigation Discovery’s Deadly Dentists and Nat Geo’s Inside the Hunt for the Boston Bombers. Over a decade ago, he started podcasting with Pete and immediately embraced the medium. Now, as a partner at TruStory FM, Andy looks forward to more storytelling through their wide variety of shows. Throughout his career, Andy has passed on his knowledge by teaching young minds the crafts of screenwriting, producing, editing, and podcasting. Outside of work, Andy is a family man who enjoys a good martini, a cold beer, a nice cup o’ joe. And always, of course, a great movie.
Host
Pete Wright
#Movies, #ADHD, & #Podcasting • Co-founder @trustory.fm🎥 The Next Reel Family of #Film Podcasts @thenextreel.com🎙️ Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast @takecontroladhd.com📖 Co-author of Unapologetically ADHD • https://unapologeticallyadhdbook.com

What is The Next Reel Film Podcast?

A show about movies and how they connect.
We love movies. We’ve been talking about them, one movie a week, since 2011. It’s a lot of movies, that’s true, but we’re passionate about origins and performance, directors and actors, themes and genres, and so much more. So join the community, and let’s hear about your favorite movies, too.
When the movie ends, our conversation begins.