Wasn't it a little awkward that Jamal just ended up being a gangster? Where's the closure there? Or did I miss something?
shareplaying hardball was Jamal's out, his release. It kept him out of trouble because he had something to do. All he wanted to do was play. When the league revealed that he was too old to play, he became angry, because he had just lost his outlet, so he became a member of a gang. The moral is that if you don't get the inner city kids involved in something where they can have fun for just a few hours, then they're gonna fall into people who tell them that bad things are actually good.
shareWell, Thats Chicago South Side for y'all. Its hard to be a good black kid in a projects. I cannot even believe that Jamal wasnt even at G-Baby's funeral, I was wondering where was Jamal at, when G-Baby laying dead on ground after the gangs in a Ford car drove away, anyone know? I really do believe inside of Jamal's feelings when he got kicked out the game. Sometime Black children especially livin in the Ghetto, its hard for them to control it, especially I wouldnt think that any of those kids, especially Jamal has a father figure.
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Don't question a movie's believability when it has Keanu Reeves in it.
shareDude Cabrini Green is on the Northside of Chicago. However you seem to be thinking a lot into this movie so I would recommend the book. It is a great read and definately out ranks the movie. They ruined some characters and aspects of the novel in the screen-play adaption. Read the book if you havent already.
share The moral is that if you don't get the inner city kids involved in something where they can have fun for just a few hours, then they're gonna fall into people who tell them that bad things are actually good.
hiphopgod4519:
I agree with your statement above except that it only applies to "inner city" children...I think the moral is that if CHILDREN are not involved in somthing positive then they may fall prey to the negative influences around them. It just so happens that Hollywood chooses to tell this type of story within an "inner city, urban" setting most of the time when it could happen in just about any neighborhood, no matter how rich or poor!
PEACE & BLESSINGS
I don't believe he joined the gang out of anger but because there was nothing else and it was a type of brotherhood protection. The boys tried to avoid it but if they don't find something around that age then they go with what's there.
I'm from Chicago, and those were NOT the Cabrini Green projects where this movie was filmed. Also, Jamal turned "gangstah" because he CHOSE to, not because he had nothing else to do. I understand the need to want to be apart of something, but if you can help it, joining a gang is the last thing anyone should do. I'm black...I'm from "the hood" and I have always thought gangs were freaking stupid! But that's just me. I was able to say, NO to trouble. I mean, what were they doing BEFORE Keanu Reeves came along to form this team? Were they all in gangs and then got out when the team started up?
shareTo your last question:
Yes, most of them were probably on the verge on ganghood. And in came little league to save the day. It's just a way to give them hope.
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That wouldn't surprise me, but I do feel sorry for him.
Sometimes children should be given some room for certain wrong-doings. You can understand their situations, give them a chance for once, but explain to them in detail that what they have done is wrong, and that if it happens again they shall be punished. And you also try to solve the possible problems they might face if you can. After all, they are children, whose hearts could be easily hurt, especially in Jamal's case, it wasn't necessarily his own fault but his mother's, and they punish him without really understanding the whole thing. You can't always force the black-and-white rules in the world of adults on children, it might backfire.
The book took place in Cabrini and the movie was filmed in ABLA.
shareI just realized that his character was played by Michael B Jordan, well known from being on The Wire and more recently for his award wining/nominated role in Fruitvale Station.
Credo ergo sum
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Well, I can tell you that I know one of the kids from the team and he was a banger in real life after this movie was made. Last I heard he was still slinging dope, albeit deactivated from the corners. Great role model that Keanu turned out to be. It's all his fault!
shareI thought this was one of the saddest parts of the movie. obviously the scene with g baby is awful too, but ugh. I wish there was some closure with that. it made me really sad
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