Poetic Justice (1993)

Director:

John Singleton

Writer (WGA):

John Singleton (written by)

Release Date:

23 July 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

1 Woman. 1 Man. 1 Journey 2 Love.

Plot:

In this film, we see the world through the eyes of main character Justice, a young African-American poet. A mail carrier invites a few friends along for a long overnight delivery run.

Plot Keywords:

Shooting | Starting Over | Women | Inner City | Compassion

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Khandi Alexander	...	Simone
Maya Angelou	...	Aunt June
Ché J. Avery	...	Thug #2
Lloyd Avery II	...	Thug #1
Kimberly Brooks	...	Kim
Rico Bueno	...	Ticket Taker
Maia Campbell	...	Shante
Jeff Cantrel	...	Policeman #4
Michael Colyar	...	Panhandler
Kina Cosper	...	Female Cousin (as Kina V. Cosper)
John Cothran Jr.	...	Uncle Earl
Dina D.	...	Dina
Joe Dalu	...	Policeman #7
James Deeth	...	Helicopter Pilot
Norma Donaldson	...	Aunt May
Kelly Joe Dugan	...	Truck Driver
Judd Dunning	...	Policeman #1
Suliamen El Hadi	...	Last Poets
Rene Elizondo	...	E.J.
Benjamin I. Ellington	...	Crackhead
Tyra Ferrell	...	Jessie
Dedrick D. Gobert	...	Lloyd (as Dedrick Gobert)
Clifton Collins Jr.	...	Mailroom Supervisor (as Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez)
Ricky Harris	...	Gangsta
Omar Ben Hassan	...	Last Poets
Randall C. Heyward	...	Policeman #2
Miki Howard	...	Maxine
Baha Jackson	...	Baha
Janet Jackson	...	Justice
Mike James	...	Policeman #6
Patricia Y. Johnson	...	Patricia
Shannon Johnson	...	Keisha
La Keisha M. Jones	...	Rodney's Girlfriend
Kirk Kinder	...	Cop
Regina King	...	Iesha
Vashon LeCesne	...	Angry Customer
Jennifer Leigh	...	Beauty College Instructor
Jenifer Lewis	...	Annie
Tone Loc	...	J Bone
Special K. McCray	...	Cousin Pete (as Special K McCray)
Mark Miller	...	Policeman #3
Sarena Mobley	...	Rita
Al Murray	...	Policeman #5
Kahlil Nelson	...	Antonio (as Kahlil Gibran Nelson)
Jalal Nuriddin	...	Last Poets
Lori Petty	...	Penelope
Denney Pierce	...	Cashier
Renato Powell	...	Woman with Baby
Q-Tip	...	Markell
Jimmy Ray Jr.	...	Fighting Man
Michael Rapaport	...	Dockworker
Ernestine Reed	...	Aunt April
Robi Reed-Humes	...	Woman on Couch (as Robi Reed)
Crystal A. Rodgers	...	Angel
Tupac Shakur	...	Lucky
Roger Guenveur Smith	...	Heywood
Daoud Spencer	...	Last Poets
Eugene Tate	...	Uncle Herb
Joe Torry	...	Chicago
Mikki Val	...	Gena
David Villafán	...	Concession Stand Man
Dion B. Vines	...	Cousin Dion (as Dion Blake Vines)
Keith Washington	...	Dexter
Rose Weaver	...	Aunt Audrey
Anthony Wheaton	...	Rodney
Yvette Wilson	...	Colette
Billy Zane	...	Brad
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rico E. Anderson	...	Street patron (uncredited)
Shann Johnson	...	(uncredited)
William Nilon	...	Policeman #7 (uncredited)
Andrew A. Rolfes	...	Police officer #1 (uncredited)

Directed by
John Singleton

Writing credits (WGA)
John Singleton		(written by)

Produced by
Steve Nicolaides	....	producer
John Singleton	....	producer
Dwight Alonzo Williams	....	associate producer (as D. Alonzo Williams)

Original Music by
Stanley Clarke

Cinematography by
Peter Lyons Collister		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bruce Cannon

Casting by
Robi Reed-Humes		(as Robi Reed)

Production Design by
Keith Brian Burns

Art Direction by
Kirk M. Petruccelli

Set Decoration by
Daniel Loren May		(as Dan May)

Costume Design by
Darryle Johnson

Makeup Department
Susan A. Cabral	....	makeup artist
Alvechia Ewing	....	makeup artist
Pauletta O. Lewis	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Chantal Feghali	....	post-production supervisor
Steve Nicolaides	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Simone Farber	....	second assistant director
Evan Gilner	....	dga trainee
Janice Jackson-Campbell	....	second second assistant director (as Janice Jackson)
Peter A. Ramsey	....	second unit director
Don Wilkerson	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Randy J. Gaetano	....	assistant property master
Steven Curtis Husch	....	set dresser
Luigi Mugavero	....	set dresser
Jim Ondrejko	....	construction coordinator (as James J. Ondrejko)
William H. Phen Jr.	....	propmaker foreman
Darrell L. Wight	....	set designer
Michael Wilson	....	property master

Sound Department
Willy Allen	....	sound editor (as Willie Allen)
Christopher S. Aud	....	sound editor
George Baetz	....	boom operator
Bobbi Banks	....	supervising adr editor
Bob Beemer	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Robert Beemer)
Bill W. Benton	....	sound re-recording mixer (as William Benton)
Harry Cheney	....	sound editor (as Harry M. Cheney)
Robert Eber	....	sound mixer (as Robert D. Eber)
Greg Hedgepath	....	supervising sound editor
Tom C. McCarthy	....	adr mixer (as Tom McCarthy)
Tom C. McCarthy	....	supervising sound editor (as Tom McCarthy)
Sergio Reyes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rodney Sharpp	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Eric Rylander	....	special effects

Stunts
Richie Gaona	....	utility stunts
Bob Minor	....	stunt coordinator
Jimmy Ortega	....	stunts
Eddie L. Watkins	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Anthony Gaudioz	....	camera operator
Domenic Giorgio	....	key grip
Michael Giorgio	....	dolly grip
Bob Hall	....	first assistant camera
Brian LeGrady	....	second assistant camera
Ellis Reed	....	still photographer
Andrea Sachs	....	gaffer
John 'Fest' Sandau	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as John Sandau)
Cricket Sloat	....	dimmer board operator
Bobby Thomas	....	second grip (as Robert A. Thomas)
James R. Tynes	....	chief lighting technician

Casting Department
Andrea Reed	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Lemons	....	wardrobe: men (as John K. Lemons)
Sharlene Williams	....	wardrobe: women (as Shirlene Williams)

Editorial Department
Margaret Guinee	....	first assistant editor
Maria Lee Silver	....	assistant film editor
David Orr	....	color timer
Scot Deer	....	telecine colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Lise Richardson	....	music editor (as Lisé Richardson)
Paul Stewart	....	music consultant

Transportation Department
James R. Brown	....	transportation captain (as James Brown)
Tim Roslan	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Gregory Allain	....	office production assistant (as Gregg Allain)
Judith Alonso	....	assistant: Mr. Nicolaides (as Judy Alonzo)
Kokayi Ampah	....	location manager
Maya Angelou	....	poetry
T. David Binns	....	assistant: Mr. Singleton
Cassandra Butcher	....	unit publicist
Elisa Ann Conant	....	assistant location manager
Joseph Doughrity	....	assistant: Mr. Singleton
Linda Folsom	....	production coordinator
Dawn Gilliam	....	script supervisor
Cynthia R. Harris	....	office production assistant
Alison Harstedt	....	production accountant
Randall C. Heyward	....	set production assistant
Rayniece Holmes	....	set production assistant
Stanley Saffold	....	craft service (as Stan Saffold)
Sherri G. Sneed	....	production secretary
Yon-Allyn Styles	....	set production assistant
Dion B. Vines	....	set production assistant (as Dion Vines)
Maurice Williams	....	set production assistant

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• New Deal Productions
• Nickel

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures
• Columbia TriStar Films de España (Spain)

Special Effects

• Illusion Arts (matte paintings) (as Illusion Arts)

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  opticals
• Donah Bassett and Associates  negative cutting (as Donah Bassett & Associates)
• Epic Soundtrax  soundtrack released by
• Sony Pictures Studios  sound re-recorded at
• Unique Movie Cars  picture cars
• Variety Cinema Catering  catering (as Variety Cinema Caterers)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | USA:R (certificate #31740) | Denmark:11 | Norway:15 | Finland:K-14 | Australia:MA | Germany:12 | Iceland:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Ice Cube was offered the role of Lucky, but refused because he claimed that he was not at a point in his career where he would play in a romantic movie.

Quotes:

Aunt June: I want to talk to you about morals. The morals of the young people today is going to get them in big trouble. I'm telling you, because they act like they don't know the difference between right and wrong. And this is the truth. And see, one of the reasons is the parents. The parents are not taking care of their children. They are not telling them the difference between right and wrong. But then...
Aunt May, Aunt April: [both roll their eyes and turn to leave]
Aunt June: Wait, now. No, no, no. No, ma'am. You have to listen. Because part of the responsibility is the children's, because this is *their* lives. It's not their mama's or their papa's. I'm talling you, they have to think for themselves. Even if their mama and papa didn't do something about them. Girl, look, the children have to think and try their best to come on up, come on up.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Iconoclasts: Dave Chappelle & Maya Angelou (#2.6)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Felix the Wonderful Cat

An overlooked, intelligently produced and directed film.

I applaud John Singleton for being brave enough to film "Poetic Justice" -- it's a real triumph in presenting a story that looks beyond Hollywood's usual stereotypes of urban youth. If you are looking for a typical gang-bangin' shoot em up angry urban film...look elsewhere, because that genre is miles away from Singleton's storytelling. This film has precisely what black audiences say they are looking for - depth, real characters with a number of real layers....and yet people say they cannot get into this film. I say watch it and simply feel the messages being conveyed through the hearts of the characters. Tupac Shakur's performance saddens my heart....because he had so much potential as an actor as proven with his performance here. I was fortunate enough to actually meet and compliment him on this performance, which is at turns skillful and all his own. He had that quality that film actors envy in that the camera loved him. Janet Jackson gives a skilled performance as well, and the two have a natural chemistry that works here. This film is worth watching...it's one of my favorites.