Next Film/Video | Classics

Above the Rim

(Jeff Pollack, 1994) 

Introduced by Hanif Abdurraqib

Book Signing

Image of Tupac as Birdie in Above the Rim, standing in a group of people.
May 11, 2024 3:00 PM
Film/Video Theater

$7 members and adults 55 and over
$9 general public
$5 students

ACCESSIBILITY 
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you have questions about accessibility or require an accommodation such as CART captioning or ASL interpretation to participate in this event, please email accessibility@wexarts.org or call (614) 688-3890. Requests made by two weeks in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the Wexner Center for the Arts will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.

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A promising high school basketball player is caught between two brothers—a local drug dealer, played by rap icon Tupac Shakur, and a former star fallen on hard times. 

Kyle (Duane Martin) is a promising high school basketball player hoping for a scholarship to Georgetown University. While he waits, he falls under the influence of Bridie, a local drug dealer (Shakur). Bridie wants Kyle on his team for a playground tournament, but Kyle is also recruited for the other side by coach Mike Rollins. The conflict sets off a chain of events that threatens Kyle’s future in the game. Featuring a cast that also includes Bernie Mac, Marlon Wayans, and Leon, the film quickly became a cult classic following the release of its popular soundtrack on Deathrow Records and Shakur's untimely death. (96 mins., DCP)

Local author and MacArthur fellow Hanif Abdurraqib signs copies of his new book There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension in the Wexner Center lower lobby following the screening.

See the entire Pick and Reels: Basketball on Screen lineup.

IMAGE CAPTION
Above the Rim, courtesy of Warner Bros.

"Dynamite court action set on the streets of Harlem gets the adrenalin pumping."
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

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About the speaker

Hanif Abdurraqib chevron-down chevron-up

Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio, who has been published in the New York Times, New Yorker, FADER, and Pitchfork. His first full-length poetry collection, The Crown Ain’t Worth Much (Button Poetry, 2016) was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Award and nominated for a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. His first collection of essays, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us (Two Dollar Radio, 2017) was named a book of the year by Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, Paste, Los Angeles Review, and the Chicago Tribune, among others. His critically acclaimed Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest (University of Texas, 2019) is a New York Times Bestseller and A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance (2021) was a finalist for the National Book Award. His next book, There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension will be released in March 2024. Learn more on Abdurraqib's website.

Tag(s)

FILM/VIDEO PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
National Endowment for the Arts
Ohio Humanities

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Rohauer Collection Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Ohio Department of Development
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Wexner Family
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Ohio Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts
CampusParc
Ohio State’s Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme
The Columbus Foundation
Nationwide Foundation
Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Mike and Paige Crane
Axium Packaging
Nancy Kramer
Ohio State Energy Partners
Ohio History Fund/Ohio History Connection
Larry and Donna James
David Crane and Elizabeth Dang
Bruce and Joy Soll
Rebecca Perry Damsen and Ben Towle
Jones Day
Alex and Renée Shumate

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(Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2000) 

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He Got Game

(Spike Lee, 1998) 

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Sat, May 18, 2024, 7:00 PM
Close

Next Film/Video

Above the Rim

May 11, 2024 3:00 PM EST
Film/Video Theater

$7 members and adults 55 and over
$9 general public
$5 students

ACCESSIBILITY 
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you have questions about accessibility or require an accommodation such as CART captioning or ASL interpretation to participate in this event, please email accessibility@wexarts.org or call (614) 688-3890. Requests made by two weeks in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the Wexner Center for the Arts will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.

Become a Member