When director Doug McHenry was handed Bobby Smith Jr’s screenplay for his book Jason’s Lyric he knew there would be a bit of controversy and eye-opening of both film critiques and movie goers should it be released. But released it was on September 28th, 1994 and I do remember fondly seeing it years after it came out. When I did I was swept up by a flood of emotions that ranged from rage to compassion to pure excitement because Jason’s Lyric is the toughest romantic story of love in the hood that I had seen yet.

It is a brutal, violent yet gentle and courageous kind of film that revolves around two young black adults coming up, rather growing up in Houston’s third, fourth and fifth ward. Most of the film was shot in Houston and both Jada Koren Pinkett Smith (of The Matrix Revolutions, Ali, Menace II Society and of course another favorite A Low Down Dirty Shame fame as well as a plethora of made-for-television movie roles) who plays Lyric and Allen Payne (of The Perfect Storm, The Walking Dead, New Jack City & Rooftops fame plus a plethora of televison and other movie roles) as Jason Alexander make this one of my 1994 better urban love stories, top pick.

Jason Alexander is the responsible, very highly-respecting of his momma down-to-earth kind of guy unlike his thug brother Joshua Alexander played by Bokeem Woodbine (of The Last Sentinel, Ray, All The Rage & Crooklyn fame besides a plethora of television and other movie roles). Joshua has decided it is better to be one of the thugs who want to disobey the law anyway they can, rather than run as far away from those kind of influences as possible. Jason sees working hard, respecting your elders, loving yourself and being as wholesome as can be despite the nightmares is possible. He fools himself and cannot understand why it is just so damn difficult.

The strife between both brothers is not nearly as harsh as being gang-related it slices much deeper and hurts a whole lot longer. It is about sibling rivalry, family honor, dishonoring a mothers worst fear, sacrificing your dreams to help someone who clearly does not want anyone to help them and taking care of your own in a way you never known till now. It is a story where courage and bravery are relentless against stupidity and pride. While Jason contends with a secret from his past that puts a wedge between him and Joshua, there is hope. He is not looking for true happiness as he sees where he is is where he is supposed to be, until one day his world as a television salesman gets a very lyrical and harmonious frequency come walking through his shop door.

Lyric is the dreamer frequency that crosses paths with Jason as she comes into the shop he works for to buy a television. He is mesmerized with the ‘love at first sight’ syndrome, gripped by actually wanting to ‘find true happiness and not ever really knowing why till her. Lyric does a great job of being the average who dreams of luxurious and then makes it happen because she wants it bad enough. Her character sees value in the world, looking through ’rose-colored glasses’ and watching ’when the sun makes footsprints next across the sky”, despite her local community atrocities and tragedies she has witnessed unfold. She is not about to become suffocated in a portion of the great big adventurous world before her because of poverty, ignorance or a stubborn ego. She is a woman of character, grace, spunkiness and sexiness all rolled into chocolate brown perfection, Lyric is to be Jason‘s no matter if he just has to ‘sit in the last pew while she is up in front at church‘.

Gloria Alexander played by Suzzanne Douglas (of The School of Rock, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, The Inkwell & Tap fame plus a plethora of equally impressive television and movie roles) is wonderful as Jason and Joshua’s mother. She is a strong character with a warm glow and a cloud over her. She is also the estranged and very disappointed wife of Maddog played by Forest Steven Whitaker (of Vantage Point, Phone Booth, Phenomenon & Good Mornin Vietnam fame as well as a plethora of television and other good movie roles). He takes military roles seriously and does a great job in Jason’s Lyric as a disabled vet coming back into mainstream life. Although the bottle has become his best friend and missing the good life he once shared with his young boys, he has cracked at the seams and if Gloria will take him back, things might look up for him.

The relationship these two share is unique in that despite anger, resentment, alcohol addiction, remorse, there is a need for wedded love and a deep respect for the situation these two are placed in because of the war and its atrocity it brought back home in the mind of Maddog. It is in this relationship that Jason seeks a better, more affirming kind of a love if out there and receives it ten-fold with his lyric of a woman.

I enjoyed the movie as well as cringed for some of the realness this movie brings to gang-life, thugging, living a life that the street and society condemn you for living but contribute to sharing and having it readily available for you to live in. The relationships between families is strong and moms and sons are depicted as close especially Jason and Gloria, but not all the closeness in the world can keep you out of harms way. It is a good story for what two young lovers don’t want to be involved in but it shows how the compassionate side of a spiritual and soulful look at ‘coming up and out of the hood’ is not only possible but beautifully probable.

There is a very graphic sexual encounter between Lyric and Jason at the television shop which is soft-porn and certainly erotic. I do not recommend any children under 18 to watch this because it gives the wrong impression about pre-marital sex and how it is okay when you are essentially grown and able to make decisions, both good and bad, on your own. The movie also has some gun wielding, knifing, swearing and a plethora of other undesirable behavior amongst rivals and friends and the division between men and women of color is exceptionally portrayed in the array of various emotions set off when certain elements trigger a response.

I also saw a part of the film where one of the most romantic and selfless acts of love two people can do for one another, dream and fly without the use of a plane or travel without the wheels of a bus . . . and share the river of dreams as a sensual prelude to a romantic sensual coupling among natures most beautiful scenic exotica, the bayou.

This film will either move you or disgust you. Do I recommend it ? Yes but not for everyone as it is real and deep, dirty and sometimes cheap, and certainly reflective of what is learned by what is taught and everything in-between about survival, love and hope.

Run time: 119 minutes in the USA; Australia 120 minutes; UK 119 minutes

Color

VHS format (I am writing on the VHD I own but DVD quality is much better, sound reproduction and digital dolby is a blessing but hey I like to crawl back to cave so to speak and watch the VHS tapes that yes, they still make . . .)

English

Filming Location: Houston Texas

Cast of Characters (in order of appearance according to IMDb)

Allen Payne as Jason Alexander

Jada Koren Pinkett Smith as Lyric

Lisa Nicole Carson as Marti

Forest Steven Whitaker as Maddog


*This is not the entire cast list because it is too long of many unknowns making this maybe unbearable to read for some raters, commenters, advisors and top reviewers.*

**IMDb tagline: Love is courage . . .**

Thank you for reading and of course,
Enjoy !

P.S. This makes my 100th Review, YAY !

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age