Themes: Coaches and Players, Faltering Friendships, Basketball Players
Main Cast: Anthony Mackie, Wesley Jonathan, Wayne Brady, Kristen Wilson, Lil' J.J.
Release Year: 2006
Country: US
Run Time: 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Director Preston A. Whitmore II brings the thrill of the street to the big screen with a fast-moving tale of underground basketball that proves no matter what team you play for, in the end it's all about how much game you've got. The stroke of midnight has sounded and the crowd has gathered; it's time for some basketball. Forget about the rules of the NBA, though, and throw those college credentials out the window because they don't mean a thing in this court. In a converted rail station, the only players who gain respect are the ones left standing when the clock hits zero, and the current champions have been standing way too tall for far too long. Now a new generation is ready to take over the top spot, and young hopefuls Tech (Anthony Mackie) and Cruise (Wesley Jonathan) are leading the charge. With everything on the line and the challenge of a lifetime before them, these too young street-ballers will be forced to out-dribble, out-shoot, and out-run their more experienced competitors in order to win the game and pave the way for the next crop of street smart shooters. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Review
Because Crossover was made during a fertile period for urban competitive performance movies, most of which were overloaded with sass and bravado, one might assume Preston A. Whitmore II's film would follow the same template. It's kind of surprising, then, that the movie ultimately doesn't have much to do with competitive performance, but rather, the trials of two friends just trying to make it in their worlds. Crossover does begin with a high-stakes street game played in a beautiful old building with cathedral ceilings, where the players showcase all manner of hoops wizardry and in-your-face moves. But then basketball takes a back seat for awhile, and we're given an opportunity to really get to know Tech (Anthony Mackie) and Cruise (Wesley Jonathan), as well as their new love interests (Kristen Wilson and Eva Pigford), who may or may not be interested in them for the right reasons. Whitmore's film is best during the long, introspective sections in which the young ballers consider their options, and refreshingly, only one of them is fixated on trying to go pro, while the other sees his future in doctor scrubs. Paradoxically, the basketball sections are the weakest. Not only are they composed of the improbably slick game choreography seen in most basketball movies, but they're also full of red herrings. For example, one character explains a number of different scenarios in which a team might forfeit, yet none of these ever rears its head. (Plus, a hustle pulled by Tech and his friend is shamelessly plundered from White Men Can't Jump.) A treat for fans of The Chappelle Show: Appearing as a soulless agent/bookie who manipulates talented amateurs, Wayne Brady resembles the spoof version of himself from that show, in which this famous nice guy drives the streets doing drugs and threatening prostitutes. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Robi Reed - Casting, Lorenzo O'Brien - Co-producer, Aaron Mazzolini - Co-producer, Okera Banks - Costume Designer, Regina Gordon - First Assistant Director, Preston A. Whitmore II - Director, Adam Jordan - Second Unit Director, Anthony Adler - Editor, Tom T. Gores - Executive Producer, Johnny O. Lopez - Executive Producer, Matthias Weber - Composer (Music Score), Paul Stewart - Musical Direction/Supervision, Brandi Mitchell - Makeup, Dawn Snyder - Production Designer, Christian Sebaldt - Cinematographer, Frank Mancuso, Jr. - Producer, Beau Williams - Sound/Sound Designer, Merritt Yohnka - Stunts Coordinator, Jim Bowen - Special Effects Supervisor, Preston A. Whitmore II - Screenwriter, Alec St. John - Supervising Sound Editor, Robert Getty - Supervising Sound Editor, Momentum Visual Effects - Visual Effects, Linda Cooper - Set Decorator
