2011 drama about promising football running back 50 Cent and his unexpected fight with a deadly disease that plagues his senior year in college and chances at the NFL. The film opens with very poor acting—child-actors are always a longshot, and Lynn Whitfield's attempt at an overly proud mother just feels overdone compared to the realistic subtle emotions of Sanders, Heggins and even rapper 50 Cent in the lead role, who lost around 54 pounds for the part. And yes, while this movie has its flaws, and while one might assume this would've been a more successful film with a more commercial cast, there are some incredibly commendable creative choices in this very depressing story. What makes it so compelling are the characters' motivations, which are very different from the Hollywood cookie-cutter melodrama, but are just as interesting—a lot of the film's characters seem far more three-dimensional than what we're used to seeing nowadays. Very much a story about how the loved ones of an ill person can also suffer emotionally and financially. Director Van Peebles is great in the supporting role of the stepfather, who is loving but tries to live his dreams through his sick stepson.
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