Love Jones

UPC: 794043478628

Studio: New Line Home Video

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Strong Sexual Content]

Summary: What do you do after love at first sight? That's the question posed in this romantic comedy-drama set in Chicago. Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) is a novelist who is giving a reading at the Sanctuary, an upscale club presenting jazz and poetry to a bohemian clientele. Shortly before his set, he meets Nina Mosley (Nia Long), a woman who is a gifted photographer, despite the fact that she just lost her job. They exchange small talk, and Darius makes his interest clear when -- on the spot -- he retitles a love poem "A Blues For Nina." A mutual attraction is sparked between them; soon Darius finds Nina's address on a check and shows up unannounced at her apartment, a visit resulting in a photo session that turns seriously sexy. So far, so good, but neither Darius or Nina are sure where to go next after this promising start. She's just gotten out of a relationship and isn't sure if she still cares for her old boyfriend or not, while Darius' buddies read him the riot act for wanting to give up his freedom so early on in the game. Love Jones was the debut feature for African-American writer and director Theodore Witcher; Isaiah Washington, Bill Bellamy, and Lisa Nicole Carson lead the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Comedy Drama

Awards: Audience Award – Sundance Film Festival

Features: Widescreen and full-screen versions of the film
Refugee Camp All-Stars featuring Grammy Award-winner Lauryn Hill, "The Sweetest Thing" music video
Original theatrical trailer
Cast and crew biographies and filmographies

Love Jones

Format: DVD

Release Date: 07/27/1999

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen, 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, 2 Europe, Japan, Middle East, Egypt, South Africa, Greenland

Runtime: 110 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
0. Scene Selections
1. Main Title [3:01]
2. The Sanctuary [2:49]
3. Opening Fumble [1:51]
4. A Blues for Nia [4:19]
5. Approached [1:48]
6. Bad Timing [5:24]
7. Persistence Pays Off [4:24]
8. Coffee Table Philosophy [5:04]
9. Music of the Night [4:11]
10. The New Chef [1:51]
11. The Jones Comin' Down [5:02]
12. A Photographer's Eye [2:53]
13. Marvin's Return [4:44]
14. The One [3:55]
15. Life in the Big City [2:53]
16. Movin' On [5:59]
17. Verbal Skirmishes [3:43]
18. Sheila's Party [8:43]
19. Steppin' [2:20]
20. The Parlor Game [3:13]
21. The Love Jones [3:01]
22. A Matter of Trust [7:11]
23. The Noon Train [4:34]
24. One Year Later [9:16]
25. End Credits [6:27]

Derek Armstrong

Love Jones is a funky, moody contemplation of love and sex among hip, upscale African-Americans in Chicago. But it isn't quite as profound as the jazzy soundtrack would have us believe. There's just the right song to accompany every interlude, from a smoky nightclub poetry slam, to a rainy afternoon in a movie-sized loft, to the note-perfect banter that punctuates a relaxed gathering in a plush apartment. But what's lagging is the emotion -- it's never quite convincing that Larenz Tate's Darius and Nia Long's Nina are jonesing for much more than sex. Darius first pursues Nina like some sort of stalker; his follow-up to a sexy poem he delivers moments after meeting her, which is very ambiguously received, is to steal her address from a personal check and swing by her apartment. The fumbles they make trying to build up trust and maintain the relationship contain few new insights, though it is interesting to see how many of their actions are dictated by foolish pride. What distinguishes the movie is the dialogue, refreshing in both its naturalism and intelligence -- it's too rare that audiences get to see urbane, three-dimensional African-American characters chatting about their philosophies on life and love. Writer/director Theodore Witcher should be commended for this attention to detail and the way he fleshes out the characters. The scenarios they face, and the resolutions to those scenarios, are only so-so. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Julia Chasman  Executive Producer 
Nick Wechsler  Producer 
Jeremiah Samuels  Producer 
Helena Echegoyen  Executive Producer 
Amy Henkels  Executive Producer 
Jay Stern  Executive Producer 
Theodore Witcher  Director 
Theodore Witcher  Screenwriter 
Larenz Tate  Actor 
Nia Long  Actor 
Isaiah Washington  Actor 
Lisa Nicole Carson  Actor 
Bernadette L. Clarke  Actor 
Khalil Kain  Actor 
Leonard Roberts  Actor 
Bill Bellamy  Actor 

Country: USA