Just Wrong

Just Wright (2010)

Rated: PG

Runtime: 100 minutes

Stars: Queen Latifah, Common, Paula Patton

Director: Sanaa Hamri

Plot: Leslie Wright (Queen Latifah) is a physical therapist who can’t get a man. Scott McKnight (Common) is a star player for the New Jersey Nets. Morgan Alexander (Paula Patton) is Leslie’s cousin (?) and all she wants to do is marry an NBA player. You can probably see where this one is headed…

Rating—out of 5 basketballs: ½ basketball. As a movie it is a 1 but as a “basketball” movie it is a 0.

Tournament Seed: 13–15—movie hangs around with higher seed for the 1^st half, but the 2^nd half results in a blowout. Only advances in the tournament if matched up with an overrated team. Pick with caution.

This was a tough movie to grade. It was an ok movie, but there wasn’t much actual basketball play in it. It gave an interesting view of life off the court, and what it is like for a player to deal with an injury. The basketball scenes were not great, but there are plenty of movies with worse. The music was pretty bland. I am pretty sure there were some Queen Latifah and Common songs in there somewhere. For the most part, the film is a romantic comedy that follows the pattern of every other romantic comedy: boy meets girl, boy falls for other girl, something bad happens to boy and other girl leaves and first girl is there for him, boy gets better, other girl returns and boy chooses her but then realizes that first girl is the one he loves. There didn’t seem to be much excitement around the game that Scott makes his return to; I mean, it’s only game 7 of the series that decides which team is going to the NBA finals. Scott doesn’t trust his knee and is getting beat badly by Dwyane Wade. Leslie gives him a pep talk and he turns things around and wins the game, which results in minimal celebration. To celebrate, they go to dinner, he fixes her car, and Scott takes it to the hole. All ends well with Leslie getting her dream job and Scott getting his big contract.

The movie just moves along for 100 minutes not really gaining/losing my interest, though I did want to turn it off when Common delivers this cringe-worthy line to Queen Latifah:

Scott: “Leslie, you’re just right for me.”