Just Wright! Makes Sense To Me

Posted on 6 May, 2010 by Panama Jackson

In the next few weeks, the movie Just Wright starring Common, Queen Latifah, and Paula Patton will be hitting your local theaters. It’s a story about an NBA All-star who is dating a beautiful chick (Patton) who drops him when he gets hurt and ends up falling for his physical therapist (All hail the Queen) while she rehabs him back into shape and the chick that dropped him shows back up and I assume that he must choose and they fight and lots of Black people get acting jobs that don’t include a check from Tyler Perry.

At least that’s my take based on the trailer and promo campaign. And yes, Virginia, you have seen this movie before in some various format; it just had a different title. It looks to be a fairly good movie aside from the sheer unbelievability of Common as an NBA All-Star, much less an actual basketball player. No dis to Com Sense, but he doesn’t even look remotely athletic to me, but perhaps I’ll be wrong. Though I’m oft amazed at the people they cast in sports roles without any real athletic ability. That’s why I appreciated Duane Martin in say, Above The Rim, because he could actually play, and you could tell as opposed to say, Fredro Starr, in Sunset Park.

Anyway, I’ve yet to see the movie so I can’t really comment on it being good, bad, or ugly. No Kanye. But I have had a few conversations with various women about the possibility of Common’s character falling in love with Queen Latifah’s character and to me, it makes perfect sense.

Quick sidenote: Casting Queen Latifah as the unlikely catch is usually puzzling for me. It’s more based on her being bigger (and she’s not even THAT big) than it is on her being unattractive or anything. For the record, I don’t think she’s ugly at all. Put Precious in that role and NOW you have a real underdog story.

Perfect sense. That’s what it made to me. And that’s for a very simple reason: all you need to fall for somebody is time and opportunity. That’s it. It’s the very reason so many women end up dating really unfortunate faced funny guys. The dude charmed the pants of them. Literally. It’s also the reason, subconsciously, why women shoo so many guys away from them quickly. It takes literal seconds to say something to make somebody smile. And once you make a woman smile she’ll give you the chance again and again and again until she’s smiling in the kitchen making you pancakes wearing only an apron…and a smile.

Time (keeps on slippin) and opportunity. Nas needed one mic. Men (and women really) just need time and opportunity. In this movie, Common and Queen La are working together out of necessity. He needs a therapist and she’s one. They are forced to interact. They will spend enough time around eachother to discover something that makes them go hmmmmmmm (no Freedom). Even the most unfortunate faced of us could be charming enough to make a really attractive person consider you as a partner. Please not the “consider” in italics. Let’s face it, a lot of us would talk ourselves right out of dating a Mudduck McGooface really quickly but we’d be shaken because we were even interested in the first place.

Common and Latifah is TOTALLY believable because they had a chance to really get to know one another with no pressure. Neither was looking for more in each other so all communication and dealings were honest – the cornerstone of a real relationship.

Or at least until a fine humdinger of a woman shows back up. But I won’t let a simple thing like that ruin my main point here.

And what’s that?

Simple.

If you look like f*ck, you should work in the service industry to maximize interactions with people. The more people you deal with the better your chances of snagging somebody.

It was written.

-VSB P aka THE ARSONIST aka TANGLE JIG P aka GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRL, HE A 3

http://lizburr.com Liz

<3

If I ever end up marrying a white man, this is why. While they don't generally catch my eye, any crush I have ever had on a white guy (and there have been plenty) was due to the fact that he was a coworker or a classmate.
- http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
  
  @Liz, we’ve said it here before talking about how people end up platonic friends. this works the same way. you spend enough time hanging with somebody, you can find a spark.
  - http://lizburr.com Liz
    
    So what you’re saying is all I gotta do is hold the man of my choice hostage for a few months and he will fall in love with me?
    - PapiEsq
      
      Ummmm….Sis. Liz, not exactly…
      - http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
        
        @PapiEsq, hey it works in places like West Virginia.
    - coldsweat3
      
      While I do love my sistahs something about me makes women naturally assume I only date white women. Perhaps its the glasses or the daily polo with loafers or sperrys. I actually dont date women(to date but I am about to go to law school so that will soon change. jk) Anyways, to get back on track I think Panama’s post today can show as a prime example of why a brotha can easily become interested in a white woman that they may have never even been seeking. Alot of brothas who may be in fields which are devoid of other black people and are surrounded by white women may just hit a spark. Yet, there will be a HUGE uproar in the black community. Sad and unfortunate.
      - http://lizburr.com Liz
        
        So what you’re saying is, you just “fell” into the 2520 p*ssy? Hmm???
      - PapiEsq
        
        Fam, after going through law school, I can tell you that your streak is NOT going to change. Trust.
    - http://www.pinchmycheekie.blogspot.com Cheekie
      
      “So what you’re saying is all I gotta do is hold the man of my choice hostage for a few months and he will fall in love with me?”
      
      He might pretend,/i> to, to save his life, a la ol’ dude in “Misery”.
      - http://www.pinchmycheekie.blogspot.com Cheekie
        
        *looks up at foolish mistake*
        
        Hmph. Eff a botched html code.
- http://twitter.com/WuDaMan WuDaMan
  
  BTW Liz do you have a pool or windows you need cleaning. I could offer my services & put em on the glass…
  - http://Lizburr.com Liz
    
    I do need a new curtain rod installed in my bedroom….
  - Curious
    
    Please excuse my interruption, but what exactly does “put em on the glass” mean? lol I’ve seen that a lot; however, the context clues aren’t very apparent.
Ashleyg

Word.
- http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
  
  @Ashleyg, is bond?
legitimate_soul

This post was funny! Time and opportunity…sounds like the gospel right there. I got all your movie references ( yay, me!…especially the one about Fredro Starr in “Sunset Park” vs. Duane Martin in “Above The Rim”). I agree with your movie logic, except I do think Common is athletic. However, I wouldn’t see him as a basketball player besides a pick-up game with his boys. Yes, this movie has been done, but I want to see this….but I’m checkin’ for Iron Man first
- http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
  
  @legitimate_soul, Common to me looks like the dude that goes to the basketball court and either sells drugs or is the hoodlum leader of the team of ballers on the actual court dunking on folks. basically, he’s reminds of Tupac in Above The Rim. Seeing Common in Net’s uniform might be appropos b/c they suck and he looks like he’d be about as good as anybody currently playing for them.
  - legitimate_soul
    
    @Panama Jackson, I accept this theory and I’m not mad at it at all. He could be Pac, especially after seeing his performance in Smokin’ Aces and American Gangster. Off topic: Was I the only that had the Above The Rim and Sunset Park soundtracks?
    - http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
      
      @legitimate_soul, no, i’m pretty sure EVERYBODY had both of those soundtracks. they come from a time when the soundtrack was as dope as the movie. shoot, i STILL bump “big pimpin” from the ATR soundtrack. plus it had two of Tupac’s best songs in “pour a little liquor” and “pain” (though pain wasn’t on the soundtrack or was like a bonus cut on the CD, not the tape, or something). but also, “hoochies need love to” by paradise. man that song is so great. i remember bumping the SH*T out of that soundtrack. and Sunset Park had some jewels on it from tupca’s “high til i die”, onyx “thangz changed” and if i remember correctly, “motherless chile” from ghostface.
      
      yep, wikipedia confirmed that last one. good times for music. i miss the early 90s.
      - a plus
        
        yep, wikipedia confirmed that last one. good times for music. i miss the early 90s.
        
        me too
        *pouring out liquor (except not really cuz i don’t have any right now)*
    - Humble_One
      
      @legitimate_soul
      
      “Off topic: Was I the only that had the Above The Rim and Sunset Park soundtracks?”
      
      No you weren’t. Like Panama said soundtracks back then were banging. I don’t know what happened to the movie soundtrack. Do you remember the soundtrack to “Menace to Society”? Big Pimpin was the ish on the Above the Rim soundtrack. And the Sunset Park soundtrack had “Right Back at You” by Mobb Deep, “Winter Warz” by Wu-Tang (Cappadonna showed his @ss on that song), Digital Underground’s song, and too many other songs to list.
      - legitimate_soul
        
        @Humble_One,
        
        Don’t even get me started on “Top of The World” on the Menace To Society soundtrack or the Boyz n’ The Hood soundtrack. I even had the Waiting to Exhale and the Street Fighter soundtrack with “Come Widdit” and “Pandemonium”.
    - Humble_One
      
      @legitimate_soul
      
      The only songs I remember from the Street Fighter soundtrack wis that one with Ahmad and I think Rass Kass had a song on there. The “High School High” soundtrack was another tight soundtrack. The Boyz ‘N’ the Hood soundtrack has one of my favorite songs of all time on it “Growin Up In the Hood”.
miss t-lee

Mudduck McGooface? BWAHAHAHAHA That’s some classic f*ckery right there. I’ve seen the previews and frankly I’m concerned about not only them casting Common as a b-ball player, but about them casting him period. He seemed pretty wooden in the clips I’ve seen, then again he’s not too bad to look at so I’ll let him make it. About Queen La– hasn’t she played a role before where she was a nurse/therapist of some sort? Maybe I’m imagining things. Da well. Go Team Chunk!!. I totally agree about the time and opportunity point,that’s all I’m gonna say…lol
- Shondriette
  
  @ miss t-lee
  
  Queen Latifah was Denzel’s home nurse in “The Bone Collector” with Angelina Jolie. She didn’t have much screen time though and from what I recall caught a bad one from a crazy White boy with a vendetta.
  - miss t-lee
    
    @Shondriette, thanks! I forgot about that movie. I just googled, and the movie that I remembered was My Life w/ Michael Keaton. She played his hospice nurse…lol
    - Shondriette
      
      @ miss t-lee I’ve never even heard of the Michael Keaton movie! I’ll have to check out the synopsis on Netflix though I’m guessing it isn’t a must-see. I haven’t fooled with Micheal Keaton since “Batman”.
      - miss t-lee
        
        @Shondriette, It was a decent movie, however it is madd depressing.
- bittersweet’s baby
  
  The allure of Team Chunk members continues to mystify many! But right place, right time & right outfit…
  - miss t-lee
    
    @bittersweet, this comment made me chuckle since I stay fly. *Clap, Clap, Bravo*
    - Sula
      
      *Clap, Clap, Bravo*
      
      This needs a “No Drake”. Lol!
  - KandiGrl3000
    
    Sho’ nuff!
- http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
  
  @miss t-lee, yeah, Common isn’t the best actor. like he even managed to suck in Wanted and he had like 8 lines. However, I’m glad the dude is getting roles. We need to see some new people on screen. if he could just get more comfortable (and maybe he is in this movie) I think he’d be alright. clearly women like looking at him so he’s halfway there. keanu reeves anybody?
  - legitimate_soul
    
    ^Excellent! *air guitar*
    
    (sorry, couldn’t resist)
    - legitimate_soul
      
      ^ Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure reference.
Shondriette

“If you look like f*ck, you should work in the service industry to maximize interactions with people. The more people you deal with the better your chances of snagging somebody.”

Panama we don’t know each other but I’ve decided that any man who can make me laugh as much as you needs to be mine…at least for a 3-day weekend Wouldn’t you love to make a love connection in Greenbelt??

Seriously though, the guys I’ve had the best relationships with are ones that I wasn’t initially wet in the panties for but they made me laugh and we had fun together. Attraction grew from there. ***drifting off to sleep to have some happy dreams***
- SmartFoxGirl
  
  Girl if he can make me laugh…he has me. lol The two just go hand in hand for me. I though Cedric the Entertainer was alittle sexy at one point…Don’t judge me lmao
  - Shondriette
    
    @ SmartFoxGirl
    Judge you?? Girl please…I love Cedric!! He may be plus-sized but hell so am I.
- http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
  
  @Shondriette, girl beeeeeeeeeehave! lol
  
  Love Connections in Greenbelt sounds like a movie, kind of like Bridges of Madison County and BAPS.
  - IJstDntUnderstand
    
    BAPS is my sh*t!
  - Shondriette
    
    Did you REALLY just go back to Bridges of Madison County and BAPS?! I question your movie choices but you still make me swoon
Beremore

LMAO!! You’re hilarious…

“That’s why I appreciated Duane Martin in say, Above The Rim, because he could actually play, and you could tell as opposed to say, Fredro Starr, in Sunset Park.” <—- Exactly! Sunset Park was such a bomb movie when Fredro Starr DIDN'T have the ball.
- http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
  
  @Beremore, despite knowing that he isn’t really that good a baller, he did entertain me with his over the top performance. plus, the movie was just that funny to me. all around great film.
SaneN85

I also don’t understand why she keeps getting cast as such an underdog. In Living Single she always caught some good ones and they didn’t make a deal out of it. She looks pretty good in that picture up there.
- http://presidentialtelevisionandfilm.ning.com Monk
  
  “I also don’t understand why she keeps getting cast as such an underdog.”
  
  It might have something to do with her accepting the roles, being one of the film’s producers, having more screen time as the bigger star, a bigger check, she gets the dude at the end, and a host of other reasons.
  - http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
    
    @Monk…well aside from those reasons, she’s not that bad looking. she looks okay to me.
  - sanen85
    
    That might explain the reasons for this movie, but it’s not the first where she plays the “underdog”.
P.

That layup in Sunset Park that got nothing but backboard is and forever will be, in my mind, the quintessential example of how not to ball.

Somehow, I was going to work a Soul in the Hole reference into this.
- http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
  
  @P., the best part about Soul in the Hole was the title track featuring the Wu All stars. That hook STILL gets me…
  
  sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooul in the hooooo-ooooo-ooooooo—le….
  
  i love it.
http://www.twitter.com/EksAmplified Eks M

*so this is a rough synopsis of my first response b/c my pilfered internet dropped as i pushed submit dammit*

i’ll agree with you time+opportunity=love… but as an attractive chick who’s thicker than your average i’ll have to say… i find more men choose superficial over substance… plus what’s the likelihood of some miraculous instance joining two parties that’d otherwise overlook each other?! doesn’t happen too often… well not in DC anyway…
- http://twitter.com/Nick_L_Odeon Nick_L_Odeon
  
  not in S. FLorida either.. where false hair and lashes RULE!!
- http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
  
  @Eks M, based on the couples that I see out sometimes, even here in DC, I’m guessing it happens more than we like to think. Sure it doesnt happen in clubs. That’s why the libary is the best place to meet chicks. That and Target. You can totally find common ground over some 409
  - Jai
    
    I find myself going to Busboy & Poets and places on U street…only problem is that everybody is trying so hard to be ‘different’ they end up looking like the norm.
    - http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
      
      @Jai, i do not like Busboys & Poets b/c its the place where all the pretentious people go to pretend they’re not pretentious. plus they serve poet food. and i do not like poet food.
      
      i’ve been there way more times than i’d have cared to. will probably still go back again too. lol.
      - Nicole N
        
        Yayyy thought I was the only one who hated Busboys n Poets!!! The scene is a bit extra, full of folks trying too hard, not to try hard.
        
        But alas I will probably be there this summer also lol
      - http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
        
        @Nicole N and Jai, maybe we can all go and change the status quo there. i’ll make sure to wear lots of gold chains.
      - Jai
        
        …and I will show up in some kind of bright colored spandex pants, a wife-beater, a lacefront (looking like a straight up samarai), lots of bracelets and some gigantic doorknockers (earrings people).
      - http://www.twitter.com/eksampliflied EksM
        
        soooo I’m not much of a clubber… and when I do it’s never for the intention of meeting someone…yeah, I’m gonna sit here and pretend to have a rational conversation with you while vodka&tonic is coursing all through my system and try to forget that i saw you grind on about five other chicks before you found me so intriguing… yeah i’ll pass, lol!
        
        So in agreeance with you all about Busboys & ppl trying to hard to act like they’re not trying, but that argument of could be applied to any scene in DC… only at Park, etc. it’s more of a rundown of your resume. I have a client who produces a few events on U st. regularly and they’re pretty dope and lacking of the pretentious pollywood vibe most often found in DC, check out Marvin on Mondays…
        
        so target, if the one at the Beltway isn’t popping i have to admit that Columbia Heights isn’t either… every man i’ve ever seen in there is usually complimenting my on my ensemble or my shoes, and we all know what that means… lol! Keep me posted on the DC meetup, I can wear fake gucci, paint my nails 5 diff colors and put in my gold tooth…
      - MzPW
        
        hey now…..I LOOOOOVE B&P…give it a chance! “Poet food” isn’t that bad….try the turkey burger next time…
        
        oh yeah….great post.
  - Shondriette
    
    I don’t know what Target you shop at but it’s slim-pickins at the one in Beltway Plaza! However, I am what’s hot on the street at my local Safeway…
    - Jai
      
      _______________________________no words for that Target
http://presidentialtelevisionandfilm.ning.com Monk

I totally agree with the time and opportunity theory. This is the exact reason why I feel like people don’t fall in love automatically like it’s a disease that you just catch. One (well, actually, two) has to invest the time for these feelings to occur and if one didn’t want it to happen, they don’t spend the time with that person.

Ironically, it’s the same reason why I feel like cheating doesn’t “just happen” either. Whether one admits it or not, there’s usually some type of premeditation on someone’s part that builds and builds until the opportunity comes into fruition.

I’m also glad two hip hop artists are holding down the lead roles in a film that’s not music related. Extra kudos to Queen La for being one of the producers of the film.
- bittersweet’s baby
  
  Mmm hmm. What you said…
- http://verysmartbrothas.com Panama Jackson
  
  @Monk, yeah I’m glad we got to legit hiphoppers involved here in a possible mainstream movie. Common hasn’t won me over as an actor (at all), but this movie could be his turning point.
- Sula
  
  Absolutely agree with every single point you just made…. in other words, co-sign.