He Got Game (1998)

In hopes of landing the next legend, star players are constantly being pulled left and right by shady dealings or illegal incentives. In He Got Game, a father (Denzel Washington), who went to prison for the accidental murder of his wife, is asked to recruit his son for a team, in order to commute is sentence. After being locked up for years, he returns home to try and achieve the impossible. His son has not forgiven him and his prison life has tainted his soul, making him quite volatile. Two of director Spike Lee’s greatest achievements are in this film: the opening credit sequence that shows people playing basketball across the nation with a swelling score by Aaron Copland, and a montage that illustrates the various traps in the inner city, that he would later perfect in 25th Hour. He Got Game is a sobering look at a sport that affects millions, yet can be truly intimate.