Just Wright Synopsis: A physical therapist falls for the basketball player she is helping recover from a career-threatening injury.
Leslie Wright is a physical therapist who is great at her job but unlucky in love. Most men she’s tried to date decide she’s more of a “homegirl” than a girlfriend. It doesn’t help that her best friend Morgan is drop-dead gorgeous, the woman destined for a great love story. Morgan’s goal is to marry an athlete and be taken care of, while Leslie is mostly content with her job and working on her new fixer-upper with her father.
One night, she runs into Scott McKnight, a basketball player for the New Jersey Nets. The two hit it off, and he invites Leslie to his lavish birthday party. Thrilled, Leslie accepts. Thinking it’s the perfect place to meet a husband, Morgan accompanies Leslie to Scott’s house, where Leslie introduces the two. Scott is immediately attracted to Morgan, and the two begin a whirlwind romance.
When a knee injury threatens Scott’s career, Morgan leaves him, and Leslie steps in to rehabilitate Scotty’s knee in order to get back to doing what he loves the most, playing basketball.
Just Wright was one of those movies I remember watching in the theater when it was released, though I couldn’t recall much else about it. I’m glad I re-watched it for the blog because I found Just Wright delightful. Queen Latifah is such a pleasure to watch in everything she does, and she plays Leslie with so much strength and humor that it’s tough to take your eyes off her when she’s on-screen.
She has the right presence needed to be a leading lady, and honestly, I would love to see her in more romantic comedies like this one. I enjoyed her chemistry with Common as well. I have to say he’s become a decent actor for having started out as a rapper. I loved his scenes with Queen Latifah, especially Phylicia Rashad, who plays his mother.
It’s nice to have a rom-com where the plus-sized best friend becomes the leading lady. Leslie is confident and comfortable in her own skin, even as she’s accustomed to always fading into the background whenever Morgan (Paula Patton) enters the room. She has to deal with this not only with men like Scott but also with her own mother, who wishes Leslie were more like Morgan so she could “catch a husband.” Leslie never comes across as bitter because of this. If anything, she supports and encourages Morgan’s “snag me a rich man” life goal, at least until it ends up hurting Scott.
Director Sanaa Hamri does a really marvelous job creating an actual story here instead of rushing into Scott and Leslie’s blossoming relationship. There is actual character development, and we get to see Scott and Morgan grow as a couple, which I think creates some pretty legitimate conflict when Leslie and Scott fall for each other. Since this is a romantic comedy, we know where it will lead, but the nice thing is, it’s still a really entertaining, romantic journey. There are also some cameos from various NBA stars, including Dwight Howard, who may not become an athlete-turned-actor, but it’s clear he’s having a lot of fun, which is a bonus.
With just the Wright (ha!) amount of fluff and angst, I would definitely recommend Just Wright, especially if you’re a fan of sports-themed rom-coms.
Watched: 02/28/2021
Notable Song: Dreaming by Nikki and Rich
