Kevin Duhaney
An aspiring medical student whose drug-addicted sister has recently died and who may be forced to relocate from her posh private school to the crime-infested neighborhood in which she was raised enters a step-dancing competition in hope of securing the funds needed to continue her education. Unable to afford the tuition needed to fund her private-school education, ambitious teen Raya returns to her family home in the city and is reluctantly forced to reevaluate her future. Upon learning that the top prize for an upcoming step-dancing competition is 50,000 dollars, Raya uses her impressive moves to earn a coveted slot in her good friend Bishop's predominately male JSJ crew. Isolated from the local females due to jealousy and separated from her fellow dancers by gender, the ambitious dancer is subsequently kicked off the team for showing off during a preliminary competition. Now, if Raya has any hope of realizing her medical-school dreams, she will have to either earn back Bishop's trust or organize her own dance crew and start over from scratch. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rutina Wesley, Tracey 'Tre' Armstrong, (more)
- 2003
- PG13
- AddHoneyto QueueAddHoneyto top of Queue
Dark Angel-lead Jessica Alba stars in the title role of this film, the feature debut from music-video director Bille Woodruff. Honey is a girl from the streets who works in a record store, teaches the occasional dance class at a community center, and treks downtown every weekend to hit the clubs and try out some new moves. There, she meets a music video producer (David Moscow) who offers her a chance to be a choreographer -- but at a price she eventually learns she's unwilling to pay. Determined to pick herself back up, Honey goes back to the inner-city of her youth with plans of starting a dance school. Lil' Romeo co-stars as Honey's protege; other real-life musicians (including Missy Elliott, Tweet, Jay-Z, and Ginuwine) appear as themselves. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Alba, Mekhi Phifer, (more)
Ad-exec Murray Roberts (David Hewlett) is in for a nasty shock during his walk from work -- he's mugged by a street gang. Afraid for his life, Roberts scales a tree and vows to stay there until the danger is gone. Unfortunately for him, the unsavory Shark (Cle Bennett) is equally determined to wait for Murray to come down and finish the robbing as he had intended, and an all-night standoff quickly ensues. Get Down premiered at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Hewlett, Clé Bennett, (more)
- 2001
Canadian filmmaker William Phillips makes his feature debut with this psychological thriller about an ad exec, a gang of juvenile thugs, and a really big tree. Murray Roberts (David Hewlett) is an up-and-coming salesman for an advertising company who, while strolling in a city park one day, encounters a 14-year-old mugger named Carter (Kevin Duhaney). Being a life-long alpha male, Roberts refuses to play the victim and a tussle ensues. The lad's comrades in crime emerge from the surrounding trees and soon Roberts is forced to flee. He eventually finds refuge in the higher branches of a rather large tree. The gang members, led by the charismatic Shark (Clé Bennett), lay siege. A battle of wills and wits ensues between the adman and the gangster. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Hewlett, Clé Bennett, (more)
