Poetic Justice (1993)
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A grieving poet and a postal worker embark on a road trip from Los Angeles to Oakland to cope with personal tragedies.
The story
Justice, a talented poet living in South Central, Los Angeles, is consumed by depression after her boyfriend is fatally shot. While working at a beauty salon, she meets Lucky, a postal clerk who is also dealing with personal hardships involving his daughter. Justice's friend Iesha convinces her to take a trip to Oakland for a hair show. The group travels in a postal van provided by Lucky. Despite initial friction, the four companions begin to discover their similarities as they navigate various stops along the coast, seeking a way to move past their respective traumas.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Justice, a poet in South Central, Los Angeles, is mourning the death of her boyfriend Markell. While working at a salon, she meets Lucky, a postal clerk who is struggling to care for his daughter, Keisha, after her mother's drug addiction. Justice's friend Iesha convinces her to travel to Oakland for a hair show. They travel in a postal van with Lucky and his co-worker Chicago. During the trip, the group visits a family barbecue, an African marketplace, and a beach. Tensions rise between Iesha and Chicago, leading to a physical altercation where Justice intervenes. Along the way, Justice and Lucky bond over their past traumas, including Justice's mother's suicide and Lucky's struggles with his daughter. Upon arriving in Oakland, Lucky discovers his cousin Kalil has been shot and killed. He drops the women off at a motel, feeling guilty for his behavior. Months later, Lucky, who has gained custody of Keisha, meets Justice at the salon. He apologizes for his actions, and the two share a kiss before Justice continues working with Keisha.
- First release year
- 1993
- Runtime (minutes)
- 109
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Singleton
- Writers
- John Singleton · writer; John Singleton · director
- Cast and characters
- Janet Jackson · Justice; Tupac Shakur · Lucky; Tyra Ferrell; Regina King · Iesha; Joe Torry · Chicago
- Genres
- romantic crime drama; romance; drama; road movie
- Themes
- Grief; Healing; African-American experience; Family; Music
- Tone and mood
- Romantic; Dramatic; Melancholic; Comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- Road Movie; Drama; Romance; Coming-of-age
- Content notes
- Violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the lead performances but criticized the screenplay. It was a box office success in its opening weekend and has developed a cult following.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 34% · review count: 32; Metacritic · score: 51% · review count: 21; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A to F
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Original Song · Nomination; Golden Globe · Best Original Song · Nomination; MTV Movie Award · Most Desirable Female · Win
- Production trivia
- The iconic box braids worn by Janet Jackson were a collaboration between John Singleton, Jackson, Fatima Robinson, and Jossie Harris.; Ice Cube was offered the lead role of Lucky but declined because he did not want to play in romantic films.; The film was initially delayed by one week because Cineplex Odeon refused to release it at the Universal CityWalk Hollywood theater due to fear of violence.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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