Above The Rim

Above The Rim

The movie “Above the Rim” is about basketball in the city. It takes place on asphalt and played roughly and physically where it captures status and glory in the neighborhood as its rewards. It was filmed right in Harlem, at Rucker’s Playground, a court so legendary that visiting stars would often come play with the local heroes (like Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Erving used to do in the 70s).

This time around, the movie has moved things up to the present day. The high school whiz kid who gets all of this attention from top college scouts is Kyle (Duane Martin). A Georgetown recruiter has even been sitting in the stands for a number of his games. He dreams of playing someday in the NBA but right now just waits for a letter of intent from Georgetown. Which doesn’t come or maybe that’s because he’s been hogging the ball and taking bad shots trying to impress this guy.

There is also another tournament going on down at Rucker’s: The Shoot-Out. Held at Rucker Park, it’s sponsored by local merchants (most notably drug dealers) and filled with teams from neighborhood playgrounds all over town. Kyle plans on playing for a team run by his high school coach; But then Bugaloo (Marlon Wayans) talks him into coming down to Birdie’s club sinisterly run by Tupac Shakur to see something truly spectacular.

Which he does: But in more ways than one.

Birdie’s got himself a team too, however. And as soon as he sees Kyle walk through his door he knows exactly how to get him onto it.

This isn’t easy news for Shep (Leon), who was once Rucker royalty himself but since moved outta town only to come back years later working as some security guard at Kyle’s high school while harboring some sorta quiet past relationship with his mother (Tonya Pinkins). When he realizes that Kyle’s mind has been taken off anything and everything other than getting the hell out of his life, he begins to try guiding him in the direction of college and away from the superficial glories of the Shoot-Out.

Of course what finally ends up happening is that both Rucker tournaments reach their apex The Shoot-Out game and another one that takes place afterward indoors, which had been earlier set up by Birdie as a way of settling an “unfortunate incident” that occurred on the streets during the first one at exactly the same time. Which makes things kinda interesting.

But if they’re not gonna be related, then where do you want them?

Directed by Jeff Pollack (“Booty Call”), who co-wrote it with Barry Michael Cooper (who wrote “Sugar Hill”), there are certainly moments when “Above the Rim” feels like it could’ve benefited from embracing either end of this movie spectrum more fully. But those moments are usually catalyzed by something so simple yet smart onscreen: Like Martin just doing a little dance while talking on a pay phone; Or Shakur looking around wildly for an exit after someone has begun shooting up his club; Or Pinkins casually trying to maneuver around Leon via front-yard sidewalk while lighting her cigarette before realizing she should just stop and talk to him already.

Or maybe they’re not simply moments. Maybe they’re just signs that we were never meant to spend much time outside these courts anyway.

I thought the movie was just plain lazy with Birdie. I mean come on, a drug dealer? That’s like plugging in a villain. He was played by Shakur and it was alright but it still sends out the wrong idea that selling drugs is where all the money’s at. There could’ve been better options here.

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