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Sports drama

He Got Game (1998): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

He Got Game (1998) movie poster

He Got Game is a 1998 sports drama directed by Spike Lee, starring Denzel Washington and Milla Jovovich. It runs 2 hours 16 minutes and earned $21.6 million worldwide. Critics gave it 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and 64 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.9/10.

IMDb rating
6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes
80%
worldwide gross
$21.6M
Metascore
64
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He Got Game (1998) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 16m (136 min)
Director
Spike Lee
Genres
Drama , Sport
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is He Got Game About?

The premise of He Got Game without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A former convict, Jake Shuttleworth, is offered a chance at freedom if he can persuade his estranged teenage son, Jesus, a basketball phenomenon, to choose the governor's university. Jake must confront his painful history and the challenges of reconnecting with his son while under intense pressure and with limited time. The situation is complicated by Jesus’s own troubled life and the high stakes involved in his college decision.

He Got Game Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • basketball
  • prison
  • university
  • porn actor in mainstream movie
  • father son rivalry
  • athlete
  • college recruitment
  • female nudity
  • drugs
  • reverse cowgirl sex position
  • sex with a porn star
  • hood
+38 more
  • man vomits
  • woman on top sex
  • woman wears a wig
  • basketball court
  • basketball ball
  • fight
  • gun
  • handgun
  • nudity
  • sex scene
  • large breasts
  • prostitute
  • abuse
  • basketball sport
  • female rear nudity
  • basketball movie
  • domestic drama
  • teen drama
  • coming of age drama
  • academia drama
  • teen sport
  • s. lee and washington
  • father
  • gender in title
  • sex montage
  • basketball player
  • family feud
  • parole
  • high school basketball
  • high school
  • governor
  • college
  • knee injury
  • injustice
  • melodrama
  • boyfriend girlfriend relationship
  • peer pressure
  • satire
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Cast & crew

He Got Game Cast

Denzel Washington leads the cast, with Milla Jovovich. Directed by Spike Lee.

From the director

More from Spike Lee

More films directed by Spike Lee, best-rated first: David Byrne’s American Utopia, BlacKkKlansman, Do the Right Thing and Pass Over.

Full filmography
Ratings

He Got Game Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave He Got Game 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and 64 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.9/10.

Plot

He Got Game Plot Summary

What happens in He Got Game from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Jesus Shuttlesworth, recognized as the top high school basketball player in America, finds himself at the center of a fierce competition among prestigious college basketball programs vying for his talent. His father, Jake Shuttlesworth, who is incarcerated at Attica Correctional Facility for the accidental death of his wife, Martha, Jesus’ mother, six years prior, has been granted a unique opportunity by the governor. This influential alumnus of “Big State,” one of the schools on Jesus’ shortlist, has orchestrated a deal: if Jake can persuade his son to enroll at Big State, he will gain an early release from prison.

Full summary

The whole story of He Got Game, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

He Got Game Box Office

He Got Game grossed $21.6 million worldwide.

1998 box office

Worldwide gross

$21.6M

US & Canada
$21.6M
Videos

He Got Game Trailers & Videos

2 videos: 2 trailers.

He got Game Trailer
  • Trailer He Got Game (1998) Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know He Got Game?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who is the main character of the film?

Cars

Cars in He Got Game

14 cars on screen, including the 1963 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz and the 1987 Chevrolet Caprice.

All 14 cars
  • 1963 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz in He Got Game 1963 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Minor role
  • 1987 Chevrolet Caprice in He Got Game 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role
  • 1994 Ferrari 348 Spider in He Got Game 1994 Ferrari 348 Spider Minor role
  • 1995 Ferrari F355 Spider in He Got Game 1995 Ferrari F355 Spider Minor role
Details

He Got Game Also Known As

26 alternative titles, including “Rankkaa peliä” and “Man to Man”.

Also known as
  • Rankkaa peliä
  • Man to Man
  • A játék ördöge
  • Yesh Lo et Ze
  • Last Game
  • No perdonarás
  • Gra o honor
  • Tudo em Jogo
  • Sa înceapa jocul
  • Dobio je igru
  • Его игра
  • Його гра
+14 more
  • 히 갓 게임
  • Una mala jugada
  • Spike Lee's Spiel des Lebens
  • 单挑
  • Jogada Decisiva
  • יש לו את זה
  • Готов за играта
  • ラストゲーム
  • Nejlepší hráč
  • لديه الموهبة
  • ชีวิตนี้ต้องชู้ต
  • Livets spill
  • 單挑
  • Добио је игру

Seen He Got Game?

FAQ

He Got Game FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of He Got Game, each answered in a sentence.

How long is He Got Game?

He Got Game runs 2 hours 16 minutes (136 minutes).

When was He Got Game released?

He Got Game was released on May 1, 1998.

Who directed He Got Game?

He Got Game was directed by Spike Lee.

More films by Spike Lee

Who is in the cast of He Got Game?

He Got Game stars Denzel Washington and Milla Jovovich.

How much did He Got Game make at the box office?

He Got Game grossed $21.6 million worldwide.

How is He Got Game rated?

He Got Game has 6.9/10 on IMDb, 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, 64 on Metacritic and 67% on TMDB.

Does He Got Game have a post-credit scene?

No. He Got Game has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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