Synopsis

In Chicago's spoken-word and jazz scene, poet Darius Lovehall meets photographer Nina Mosley, and an immediate connection develops into a complicated romance. As both struggle with commitment, ambition, jealousy, and personal expectations, their relationship moves between intimacy and distance. Their friends and artistic communities provide both support and commentary while Darius and Nina decide whether love is worth the risk.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 1997, where it tied with Hurricane Streets for the dramatic audience award.

• The story grew out of the Chicago poetry club scene, particularly the atmosphere of Spices, a venue familiar to the filmmaker. The screenplay was written over approximately nine months.

• The production had a reported $7 million budget, a relatively large sum compared with other African American films being made by New Line Cinema at the time.

• Much of the film's distinctive look came from shooting in unusually wet Chicago weather. The month-long shoot was described as taking place during one of the city's wettest periods in years.

• The soundtrack became one of the film's defining achievements. Its mixture of soul, jazz, hip-hop, and neo-soul helped the movie find a wider audience and contributed to its theatrical re-release several months after its initial run.

• Lauryn Hill contributed "The Sweetest Thing" after receiving the film while touring with the Fugees. She had originally been considered for an appearance, but the group's schedule prevented her from filming in Chicago.

• The movie's soundtrack was influential in connecting the film with the emerging neo-soul movement of the late 1990s.

• The climactic rain sequence was adjusted after test audiences questioned whether Nina would risk her hairstyle by standing in a downpour. The filmmaker later acknowledged that the scene stretched credibility.

• Although the film earned only about $12.8 million worldwide during its original release, it developed a strong following and became recognized as a cult classic.

• The Academy has described the film as a stereotype-breaking portrayal of Black love, friendship, art, and professional ambition outside the crime-centered stories that were common in mainstream releases of the period.

• The Criterion Collection released a director-approved Blu-ray edition in 2022 featuring a new 4K restoration, a commentary, interviews, a cast-and-crew panel, and discussions of the film's music.