Light It Up

1999 Drama

Noted R&B artist and producer Kenneth (Babyface) Edmonds served as executive producer for this tough urban drama. After a shooting incident in a neglected inner-city school leaves a police officer wounded, a group of students holds the cop hostage, in a desperate effort to force improvements to their school. The cast includes another R&B hitmaker, Usher, as well as Forest Whitaker, Vanessa L. Williams, and Rosario Dawson.

Director: Craig Bolotin

Starring: Usher Raymond,Forest Whitaker, Rosario Dawson, Robert Ri'chard, Judd Nelson

 30 Reviews  3 Awards

Reviews

  • At all times, the audience believes that it's watching something that really could happen.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    26 April 2013

  • A tough little hostage thriller with crackling dialogue, surprising intelligence and an emotional wallop.

    Staff [Not Credited] - USA Today

    26 April 2013

  • This is a good-hearted movie that unfortunately is wildly implausible and makes no sense.

    Barbara Shulgasser - The Chicago Tribune

    26 April 2013

  • The protagonists of Light It Up seem strangely tender and vulnerable, and the movie, if heavy-handed at times, does a remarkable job of making their plight moving.

    - Miami Herald

    26 April 2013

  • If I can't quite recommend the movie, it's because so much of the plot is on autopilot. The dialogue spells out too much that doesn't need to be said.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Theatrical - Best Actress

    Black Reel Awards (2000)

     

  • Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

    Image Awards (2000)

     

  • Peace

    Political Film Society (2000)

     

Lists

No lists

©2013 Movie Monitor