USA: THE PREMIERE OF "BROWN SUGAR" PRODUCED BY BASKETBALL LEGEND ERVIN "MAGIC" JOHNSON

Record ID: 393129

  • Title: USA: THE PREMIERE OF "BROWN SUGAR" PRODUCED BY BASKETBALL LEGEND ERVIN "MAGIC" JOHNSON
  • Date: 28th September 2002
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 28, 2002) (REUTERS) MCU (English) TAYE DIGGS AND SANAA LATHAN SAYING: "It would be nice to see a reflection of the world we live in on screen. Just a reflection. So I think that, hopefully, people of all races will come see this movie and enjoy that. It's so universal. It's got something for everyone."
  • Embargoed: 13th October 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADVNQI39IH2INAWMO8FUGGUSO9
  • Story Text: Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan are sweetening the movie scene with their latest film, "Brown Sugar." Produced by basketball legend Ervin "Magic" Johnson, the film, a story of two life-long friends who fall in love amidst New York City's hip-hop scene, saw its stars hit the red carpet for its worldwide premiere in Manhattan.
    "Brown Sugar," starring Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan, is not your ordinary saccharin love story. Combining the radical world of hip-hop and the dicey world of romance, the movie tests the boundaries of friendship and love. Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, the man behind The Wood, "Brown Sugar" also marks Ervin "Magic" Johnson's first feature film as executive producer.
    At the film's premiere, Johnson spoke of his reasons for taking on the project. Said Johnson, "I think everything. It is clever. It is funny. It has a great story. Two people know each other early on and seem like they are teasing each other as they grow into their own lead separate lives and then finally come back to each other again."
    "Brown Sugar" follows the lives of Dre and Sidney, played by Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan respectively, whose life-long friendship begins when they discover hip-hop on a New York City street corner. Fifteen years after their meeting, the two have made hip-hop their lives; Sidney is a revered music critic, Dre is a successful music executive.
    Although they both are in committed relationships, will they remain faithful to their partners when their friendship turns to love? For Diggs and Lathan, the story depicts the difficult problems in life and love.
    "I think the entire story will be easy for people in general to relate to because everybody has...It deals with issues that we all go through and issues about following your heart, following your dreams, love, dating. Are you with the right person? The right job?" they said.
    The people in Dre and Sidney's lives are Reese and Kelby, played by Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe. Kodjoe commented on his co-star's attire, "The clothes she wears are a whole other character. They have their own script, their own contract, their own trailer, everything," he said.
    For Parker, the clothes were nothing; her character was cool. She had doubt's about Kodjoe's character, however.
    "He came out of the box playing ball. He's big and powerful and he got nabbed up by the NBA. He tries. He's not cool though!" she said.
    Cool characters or not, Brown Sugar is proving one thing - a successful love story can star an all African-American cast. As Kodjoe explained, however, it's not the cast that matters, it's the subject.
    "I think there's a lot of black Tom Hanks and Meg Ryans out there and a lot of stories that appeal to people like you, like me, whoever it is. And I think [this] movie will set the standards about people finally realizing it's about the subject matter"
    Music veterans Queen Latifah and Mos Def also lend their talents to the movie, providing "Brown Sugar" with a true hip-hop attitude. Audiences can sweeten their lives when "Brown Sugar" hits theaters on October 11.
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