Jake Shuttleworth (Denzel Washington) serves a life sentence at Attica for killing his wife. The warden (Ned Beatty) approaches Jake with a tantalizing deal: the Governor will commute Jake's sentence if he can convince his son, high school basketball star Jesus (Rick Allen), to sign with Big State University. Jesus resists the temptations of various schools and NBA recruiters while rebuking his father; the two relive their strained relationship while Jesus gropes towards an answer.
He Got Game has a sound thematic conceit. Jesus's prospective agent (Roger Guenveur Smith) views college as a honey trap of drugs and women; indeed, Jesus's campus visit ends with him bedding two nubile groupies. Yet the NBA only promises money. His younger sister (Zelda Harris) and girlfriend (Rosario Dawson) provide anchors he's reluctant to abandon. Jesus realizes society only values him as an athlete; any decision will upend his life.
Throughout Lee's work, sports is an integral thread in America's cultural fabric, simultaneously crossing and exacerbating class and racial differences. The opening montage shows children across America playing basketball to the strains of Aaron Copland, whose music pervades the film (spiced with Public Enemy). Expediency drives Jake's actions; he can only communicate with Jesus through violent basketball games, recalling The Great Santini. Jake claims he wants to reconnect but it's impossible for Jesus to take him seriously.
What works is the sincerity Lee brings to the table: he plays this silliness absolutely straight. Nonetheless, He Got Game doesn't hang together. Even if we could swallow the central premise, there's a queasiness of tone, shifting between black comedy and gritty drama that's disconcerting. Lee wastes time on repetitive flashbacks and a useless subplot with Jake courting a prostitute (Milla Jovovich). The finale is neither emotionally satisfying nor convincing, selling out its earnestness for forced pathos.
Denzel Washington re-channels his charm into tough-minded desperation. His performances for Lee have an edginess lacking from his usual roles. Rick Allen, longtime NBA star, holds his own with a charismatic turn. Rosario Dawson gets a dynamite scene chewing Jesus out for his infidelity and self-importance. Assorted Lee veterans - John Turturro, Bill Nunn, Roger Guenveur Smith - fill supporting roles.
He Got Game isn't a complete success. The plot is clunky and Lee's direction veers towards the overwrought (what's with the persistent, Hammer-style green lighting?). But Lee and the cast sell the film by playing it absolutely straight. Their conviction is enough to redeem, if not sell, the premise.