"Love increases the mystery of self and the other," philosopher and spiritual writer Sam Keen has observed. When we open ourselves to another in love, we make ourselves vulnerable to hurt and rejection. But when we take the cultural path to love based on society's standards, while trying all the while to avoid being hurt in love, we usually miss both the mystery and the adventure of love.
In this romantic comedy, Queen Latifah plays Leslie Wright, a physical therapist who has had a surfeit of dates tell her that she is special and worthy of being called a true friend but not suitable for them to consider marrying. She is fed up with this repetitive pattern. NBA All-Star player Scott McKnight (Common) of the New Jersey Nets is known and respected as an extraordinary basketball player and as a gentleman. But as a celebrity and a very rich young man, he has succumbed to the media idea that a person such as himself is entitled to a beautiful wife who will make him look good off the court.
When McKnight meets Leslie at a gas station and she helps him out, he is so impressed that he invites her to a birthday part in his luxurious home. Leslie, who loves the New Jersey Nets, decides to take her stunningly attractive cousin Morgan Alexander (Paula Patton) as her guest. The basketball star is smitten the first time he sees Morgan and decides she's the woman for him. Leslie is disappointed but used to standing on the sidelines once Morgan enters the room and men swarm to her beauty. Soon the media has picked up on the romance. Things seem to be going smoothly for Morgan, who has always dreamed of being an NBA trophy wife. But then McKnight suffers a serious knee injury on the court. When Morgan learns that his career is probably over, she walks out, leaving him in shock.
Leslie is hired as McKnight's physical therapist. The daunting task of helping him return to the New Jersey Nets requires a rigorous schedule so Leslie moves into his house. They discover that they share a lot in common such as a love of jazz, desserts, and Joni Mitchell. He also comes to see that it takes more than a perfect physical package to make a lasting love relationship. The healing of his culturally conditioned ego is more miraculous than the restoration of his bad knee.
The always down-to-earth Queen Latifah comes across as a lovable lady and an accomplished therapist in this romantic drama. Common is convincing as McKnight. Also featured are Lloyd Wright as Leslie's adoring father, Pam Grier as her critical mother, and Phylicia Rashad as McKnight's protective mother. One of the many keys to appreciating Leslie's specialness is her intimate relationship with her battered old Mustang that she has named Eleanor and cherishes for a dent in the car's door which she sees as a dimple!
Special features include "The One You Can't Live Without," "Common on the Fast Break," a gag reel, the theatrical trailer, sneak peek, and digital copy of "How To."
