Love Jones 4 "Love Jones"

In the 90's when my wife and I were in our late twenties or early thirties...We went out with two other couples on a date night. We went to see "Love Jones" It was a cool little movie that had Larenz Tate, Isiah Washington (who you ladies all remember from the first few seasons of Grey's
Anatomy.)

I loved the movie...At first I thought we were seeing a "chick flick" and us poor men folk were just going along to get along...I'm certain the other two guys thought so too...but in the end..We all loved the movie equally. This was during the era when Spike Lee , not Tyler Perry was putting Blacks on the big screen and making us look good too. This was a little before John Singleton's Boyz in Da Hood" and F.Gary Gray and the others. Like I said, It was the early 90's.

As I recall, we liked the movie so much that when we left the theatre..We all walked to the record store and bought the soundtrack to the movie on CD...It had a great Neo Soul soundtrack that fit the times and our mood. It's still to this day, one of my favorite movies.

Set in Chicago, Darius Lovehall (played by Larenz Tate) is a young black poet who starts dating Nina Moseley (played by Nia Long), a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they've got a "love thing" or are just "kicking it," they hang out with their friends, talking about love and sex. Then Nina tests the strength of Darius' feelings and sets a chain of romantic complications into motion.

Remember that? Well, I hear that Tyler Perry is one of the directors who is thinking of remaking this gem of a film. Why has Hollywood always got to remake something? There is a total of 50 remakes either already released or in rotation to be released...What? Have they run out of original ideas or are they just scared to risk failure by trying something different that we haven't seen?

Before some of my male readers get all postal at the thought of Tyler Perry being the director...remember, I said that this is all just a rumor for now. I personally think he could do a good job with the material, as long as someone else wrote it....This is not an attack on Tyler. I respect the man's hustle and for all of my fellow bloggers and readers who criticize the man for breathing sometimes ,I would like to lay something on you-

What other Black man or woman for that matter has their own studio...Has complete creative freedom to write, direct,produce and compose music for their own projects as well as hire Black and minority personel ? Come on...Tell me who? Not Spike Lee, Not John Singleton, Not any other Black filmmaker. They all have to go hat and hand and beg the big studios for money. To his credit, Tyler and Oprah have bankrolled a couple of projects by other directors, such as Philly's own Lee Daniels, Director of Oscar winner, "Precious"

But, I digress...If the original screenwriter of "Love Jones" writes it...Why not let Tyler Perry direct it? This type of movie would be right up his alley. Then again, this is just my opinion.. I don't even know if the rumor is true that he's going to be the one.

However,Love Jones is near and dear to the hearts of a generation of African Americans, like myself and a few who were a little younger who were starved for relatable movies when it came out. If it is done again...I'll use the words of a friend of mine- "It better be done right."