Rubin "Hurricane" Carter: Denzel Washington	Detective Della Pesca Paterson: Dan Hedaya
Lisa: Deborah Unger	Mae Thelma: Debbie Morgan
Lesra: Vicellous Reon Shannon	Judge Sarokin: Rod Steiger
Mobutu: Badja Djola	Director: Norman Jewison
Rubin as a young boy: Mitchell Taylor Jr.

30 Second Bottom Line: Based upon a true story, the boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and a man who was giving him a ride from a nightclub, were wrongfully convicted of murder in a classic case of "racial profiling."

Story Line: Carter spent 20 years in prison. This is the story of how he improved himself and his life during those years of incarceration. Integral to that is how a group of Canadians in Toronto, with a teenage African-American youngster from New York living with them, became involved with Carter, and eventually spearheaded his release from prison.

As a young boy Rubin (Mitchell Taylor Jr.) is your classic good kid who does enough naughty things that he becomes a lawbreaker. While still a kid, Rubin has a run-in with racist detective Della Pesca Paterson (Dan Hedaya), which sets the tone for his frame-up a few years down the road, when Rubin has become a well known professional boxer. "Hurricane" Carter is played now by Denzel Washington, with the inimitable depth and charisma he brings to every role.

When a mass murder takes place in a nightclub that is rooted in gang warfare, "black guys" are named as the suspects. Rubin and a friend are in the area and their timing allows them to become the victims of DWB¾"driving while black." Faster than a referee can count to ten, Rubin is convicted of murder, along with an innocent bystander, who was literally along for the ride after Rubin left a nightclub.

Rubin's wife Mae (Debbie Morgan) is a devoted woman who supports her man. However, after losing numerous court appeals, Rubin does what is right and tells her to move on. Although Rubin is not a bad man, he reinvents himself while in prison, into a person of great spirituality that goes far beyond just "finding Jesus." His demeanor and good nature are akin to the positive attitude of Nelson Mandela.

What takes the story out of the ordinary are some liberal white Canadians and a smart, young black teenager from the States, Lesra (Vicellous Reon Shannon in a powerful portrayal). Lesra is in Toronto for a short while to receive a better education, and because of his marginal home environment in NYC. At a used book sale, Lesra buys a novel written by Carter and becomes fascinated with the story. As he talks about it with his Canadian friends, they too become involved to the extent that they begin an effort that eventually results in Rubin's release from prison.

Tell Me More About It: This is the best movie of the year with the best actor, and possibly other Oscar nominations. Unfortunately, Hollywood has a practice of releasing the 2½ -3 hour movies, with the strong stories and outstanding acting performances mid-December or later. This may be so that the aging Oscar voting populace can remember the details over the next few weeks when the nominations are done. Oscar nominations are very much related to who sees what when, and the marketing campaign of the producers.

There are a few great movie moments in this film that show talent from Denzel Washington that put him in the "stratospheric acting" category. The most memorable one is during his period of isolation after he refuses to wear a prison uniform. Without taking anything away from the talent of Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey, Denzel's performance showed a range that was unmatched this year. However, because of the overly sweet, do-gooder nature of the Canadians (as in not considered a credible reality), some people did not think the film merited recognition by including the best actor. Hey, that should have disqualified American Beauty and given the best actor award to Russell Crowe for the Insider. As a postscript, Crowe was recognized a year later for his performance in Gladiator. In 2001, Denzel may finally get his just due in Training Day, a film where he goes from being a righteous person to a bad cop.

Denzel Washington is at his very best here, and while Malcolm X was a more meaningful story to me from a historical perspective, this movie provided a more emotional range for Denzel to portray. There are numerous outstanding scenes in this film that make watching it a true joy. It's a movie about racism, but more so about hope and one's ability to persevere.

Norman Jewison, the director of this film, was in a controversy with Spike Lee about who should direct "Malcolm X." Spike felt that only a black man could do it right and I would not disagree with that. Yet, I can't take a thing away from Jewison on this movie, other than the protective cloud that the Canadians were under. While Spike has a thing about using the word "N-----" in movies, I think there is a place for it. That was the case with Jackie Brown as it is here. Postscript….see Antwone Fisher.

If you were fortunate enough to see Denzel and the real Rubin Carter and the boy (now a man) who started it all on Oprah's show, you don't need to read this article or see the promotions on TV to be motivated to see the movie. This one lives up to the hype. If you only go to the movie once a year, then go now; you will not be disappointed.

Denzel Washington: The Bone Collector	Deborah Unger: Sunshine
Dan Hedaya: Swimfan	Debbie Morgan: Eve's Bayou
Rod Steiger: Crazy in Alabama	Vicellous Reon Shannon: Senseless
Badja Djola: Rosewood	Norman Jewison: Other People's Money