In this year of sequels, prequels, movies based on books, TV series, and remakes, thankfully, every once in awhile, we still get a decent original film such as “Just Wright”.
Queen Latifah stars as Leslie Wright, a 35 year old who works in a hospital as a physical therapist. And she’s single. Leslie owns her own home, which she’s fixing-up. Her cousin, Morgan (Paula Patton) has been living with her for awhile. Morgan doesn’t have a real job. She’s too busy trying to become the wife of a professional basketball player. Leslie is looking for a husband too, but she wants to take a different approach.
After a basketball game, Leslie bumps into the star player for the N.J. Nets, Scott McKnight (played by rapper turned actor, yet still a rapper, Common). He invites the two ladies to a party, but Scott takes more interest in Morgan, and the two soon get engaged. But when Scott gets injured, Leslie becomes his physical therapist, and she could end up being ”just wright” for him.
This is clearly not one of the summer blockbusters, but in some ways, it’s better and more interesting. From the trailer you may think it could be just another romantic comedy involving sports, but its not. You don’t laugh a whole lot during “Just Wright”, but it’s a likeable film that eases you in and is enjoyable throughout. The script is very believable and so the story puts you right there with these characters. These days, that’s usually only happens in 3-D movies.
The performances are solid. Latifah is on top of her game and Common is quite good as a nice guy pro athlete. And it’s great to see Pam Grier and “The Cosby Show” star Phylicia Rashad.
“Just Wright” is Rated PG for some adult content and brief language. It’s appropriate for kids 10 and up. Basketball fans will definitely enjoy the NBA scenes with real NBA players, including Dwayne Wade and Dwight Howard.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “Just Wright” gets a B.
If you’re in the mood for a non-blockbuster, this is the “Wright” film for you.