Today is Valentine’s Day! Love is always amazing and when you can celebrate it do it! I’ve never really been a holiday person, but this Valentine’s Day I’m actually kind of excited. Simply because of the movie ‘The Photograph’ coming out today. Starring Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield the trailers alone makes it a much see for me as it shows the display of a black woman in love with a black man. I truly think this is something society definitely needs right now. I’m pretty sure this movie is about to break records in it’s first week. From the release of The Photograph, it made also begin to think of other amazing black love movie that have been released in the past. I’ve put together a list of 14 movies that I feel represents black love.
Coming To America – (1988)
Director: John Landis
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Garcelle Beauvais, James Earl Jones, Arsenio Hall, Paul Bates
An extremely pampered African Prince travels to Queens, New York, and goes undercover to find a wife that he can respect for her intelligence and will.
Boomerang – (1992)
Director: Reginald Hudlin
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Robin Givens, Halle Berry, David Alan Grier, Martin Lawrence, Grace Jones, Eartha Kitt, Chris Rock, Tisha Campbell-Martin, John Witherspoon
A successful executive and womanizer finds his lifestyle choices have turned back on him when his new female boss turns out to be an even bigger deviant than he is.
Poetic Justice – (1993)
Director: John Singleton
Cast: Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Regina King
In this film, we see the world through the eyes of main character Justice, a young African-American poet. A mail carrier invites a few friends along for a long overnight delivery run.
Jason’s Lyric – (1994)
Director: Doug McHenry
Cast: Allen Payne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bokeem Woodbine
Two brothers, survivors of family tragedy, take different life paths: one falls for a high-spirited waitress and dreams of success, the other follows a life of petty crime. Their lives reconnect in shattering fashion.
Love Jones – (1997)
Director: Theodore Witcher
Cast: Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Isaiah Washington
Darius Lovehall is a young black poet in Chicago who starts dating Nina Mosley, a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they’ve got a “love thing” or are just “kicking it,” they hang out with their friend, talking about love and sex. Then Nina tests the strength of Darius’ feelings and sets a chain of romantic complications into motion.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back – (1998)
Director: Kevin Rodney Sullivan
Cast: Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg
Stella is a highly successful, forty-something San Francisco stock broker who is persuaded by her colorful New York girlfriend Delilah to take a well deserved, first-class vacation to Jamaica.
The Wood – (1999)
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Cast: Elayn J. Taylor, Omar Epps, Taye Diggs, Richard T. Jones, Malinda Williams, Tamala Jones, Sanaa Lathan
While dealing with a friend’s cold feet on his wedding day, a writer reminisces about his youth with his best friends.
Love & Basketball – (2000)
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Glenndon Chatman
Monica and Quincy love and play basketball together through many life challenges from childhood to adulthood.
Brown Sugar – (2002)
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Cast: Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Yasiin Bey
Friends since childhood, a magazine editor and a hip-hop record executive stumble into romantic territory.
Deliver Us From Eva – (2003)
Director: Gary Hardwick
Cast: Gabrielle Union, LL Cool J, Essence Atkins
Eva doesn’t let her 3 sisters’ men push them around. She’s always butting in. How to pacify Eva? Find her a man. The men pay a playboy to be that man. The problem is – he falls in love with Eva.
Idlewild – (2006)
Director: Bryan Barber
Cast: André Benjamin, Big Boi, Terrence Howard, Paula Patton, Faizon Love, Malinda Williams, Cicely Tyson, Macy Gray, Ben Vereen, Patti LaBelle, Ving Rhames
At a sexy, sizzling nightclub, pianist Percival lives life by the rules, while Rooster, the club’s flashy lead performer, struts his stuff on the stage. But all changes when greed, fame and murder threaten to destroy them and the joint.
Think Like a Man – (2012)
Director: Tim Story
Cast: Chris Brown, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart
Four friends conspire to turn the tables on their women when they discover the ladies have been using Steve Harvey’s relationship advice against them.
Southside With You – (2016)
Director: Richard Tanne
Cast: Tika Sumpter, Parker Sawyers, Vanessa Bell Calloway
The film chronicles the summer 1989 afternoon when the future President of the United States, Barack Obama, wooed his future First Lady, Michelle Obama, on a first date across Chicago’s South Side.
If Beale Street Could Talk – (2018)
Director: Barry Jenkins
Writers: Barry Jenkins (written for the screen by), based on the book by James Baldwin
Cast: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King
A young woman embraces her pregnancy while she and her family set out to prove her childhood friend and lover innocent of a crime he didn’t commit.
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