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On the outside, he also reunites with Bell, and is welcomed into her circle of friends at a poetry reading at her home. They wind up spending the night together, despite her reservations about the future. The next day, she urges him to settle his legal troubles by agreeing to serve a year or two of
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When Ray is unexpectedly released on bail for a few days prior to his court date by an incarcerated drug dealer whom Ray had inspired with his revolutionary ideas, he is able to convince his friends and their Dodge City crew not to retaliate with more violence for the shooting — to break the cycle
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Ray takes no sides, unwilling to believe that his options are limited to the choices he is being presented with. When threatened with violence in the prison yard, he retaliates with words, speaking the truths that he's witnessed in the form of a poetic rap meant to show the other inmates how their
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neighborhood that Bell had invited him to, just in time to see her perform an extremely powerful and empathetic piece that was clearly written for him. When the crowd demands an encore, she invites Ray onto the stage to perform instead, and he delivers an impromptu dramatic poem — scrawled as he
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crossed the city on public transit on his way to the slam — an emotional piece about black males and the criminal justice system. When the crowd demands an encore, Ray tells Lauren he needs to get some air, then leaves again. He wanders the streets until he is drawn to the
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power and energy is being diverted into petty struggles with each other, rather than being directed toward the system that is keeping them down. In prison, he participates in the writing class of teacher Lauren Bell (
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In one of the opening scenes, the streetsigns for the intersection of
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and bail is set at $ 10,000. When his public defender explains his options ("cop out" and plead guilty), "rock" (stand trial), or "cooperate" (serve as an
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prison time, rather than fighting the charges and potentially being put away for much longer.
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A soundtrack containing hip hop music was released on
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man whose talent for poetry is hampered by his social background.
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makes a cameo appearance as the judge at Joshua's arraignment.
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It won the Grand Jury Prize for a
Dramatic Film at the 1998
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Sundance Film
Festival Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic
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627:'SLAM' LOCKS UP SUNDANCE PRIZE - The Washington Post
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206:Running time
1386:Quinceañera
1255:In the Soup
1203:Smooth Talk
1171:Girlfriends
1080:Our Mothers
1016:Las Acacias
768:Half a Life
736:Alambrista!
504:Film portal
419:Caméra d'Or
365:Bonz Malone
332:poetry slam
247:independent
234:$ 1 million
210:100 minutes
100:Bonz Malone
76:Produced by
51:Bonz Malone
36:Directed by
1553:1998 films
1547:Categories
1426:Like Crazy
1187:Old Enough
1040:Party Girl
535:References
429:Soundtrack
359:Sonja Sohn
313:Sonja Sohn
262:Sonja Sohn
254:Marc Levin
250:drama film
231:Box office
193:1998-10-07
178:1998-01-20
139:Production
123:Emir Lewis
97:Marc Levin
94:Sonja Sohn
81:Marc Levin
69:Marc Levin
54:Sonja Sohn
49:Marc Levin
40:Marc Levin
1334:Girlfight
1231:True Love
984:Jellyfish
589:April 11,
518:Footnotes
450:Billboard
445:DJ Spooky
409:Accolades
397:Reception
305:informant
141:companies
132:DJ Spooky
120:Edited by
1490:Clemency
1450:Whiplash
1410:Precious
1096:War Pony
462:See also
374:Beau Sia
367:as Hopha
321:projects
223:Language
184:Sundance
128:Music by
104:Beau Sia
88:Starring
66:Story by
1056:Divines
1032:Ilo Ilo
936:Seaside
656:Awards
421:at the
226:English
215:Country
191: (
176: (
1533:(2024)
1525:(2023)
1517:(2022)
1509:(2021)
1501:(2020)
1498:Minari
1493:(2019)
1485:(2018)
1477:(2017)
1469:(2016)
1461:(2015)
1453:(2014)
1445:(2013)
1437:(2012)
1429:(2011)
1421:(2010)
1413:(2009)
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1381:(2005)
1373:(2004)
1370:Primer
1365:(2003)
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1318:(1999)
1310:(1998)
1302:(1997)
1299:Sunday
1294:(1996)
1286:(1995)
1278:(1994)
1270:(1993)
1258:(1992)
1250:(1991)
1247:Poison
1242:(1990)
1234:(1989)
1226:(1988)
1218:(1987)
1206:(1986)
1198:(1985)
1190:(1984)
1182:(1982)
1174:(1978)
1115:(2024)
1112:Armand
1107:(2023)
1099:(2022)
1091:(2021)
1088:Murina
1083:(2019)
1075:(2018)
1067:(2017)
1059:(2016)
1051:(2015)
1043:(2014)
1035:(2013)
1027:(2012)
1019:(2011)
1011:(2010)
1003:(2009)
995:(2008)
992:Hunger
987:(2007)
979:(2006)
971:(2005)
963:(2005)
955:(2004)
947:(2003)
939:(2002)
931:(2001)
923:(2000)
915:(2000)
912:Djomeh
907:(1999)
899:(1998)
891:(1997)
888:Suzaku
883:(1996)
875:(1995)
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859:(1993)
851:(1992)
843:(1991)
835:(1990)
827:(1989)
819:(1988)
811:(1987)
803:(1986)
795:(1985)
792:Oriana
787:(1984)
779:(1983)
771:(1982)
763:(1981)
755:(1980)
747:(1979)
739:(1978)
665:Sunday
290:rapper
286:poetry
182: (
1514:Nanny
677:1998
1506:CODA
1307:Slam
1072:Girl
896:Slam
648:IMDb
643:Slam
591:2018
560:2012
553:IMDb
347:Cast
272:Plot
260:and
242:Slam
22:Slam
848:Mac
646:at
452:200
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