street smart be a movie not a lot of people appear to remember from the 1980 . what attract me to the movie be the fact that morgan freeman receive his first ever academy award nomination for his role a a pimp in this film . freeman hasn not play a role like this before or since and and his best know role to come after this ( include oscar nominated role ) have consist of more positive character with effective leadership skill . although freeman doesn not play the type of positive african american role model here that he be now best know for playing and he give the character of leo small and jr. and a. k. a. fast black and a three dimensional performance that few other actor and black or white and would have be able to pull off . he not just an intimidating presence and or a guy who wear flashy clothes . in fact and the scene where he go back to his apartment and and a poster of martin luther king and jr. can be see in the background and say volume about his character . without a doubt and freeman performance be the best thing about this movie . the rest of the movie be indeed intriguing and but have a few weakness which make it feel a little half bake . with a running time of 94 minute and at least 20 minute of footage could have be add to account for these skim over plot detail without throw off the pace of the film . the late christopher reeve be jonathan fisher and a harvard educate print journalist who be under pressure to write a magazine article in a weekend . he submit an idea to his publisher and seemingly off the top of his head and about 24 hour in the life of a pimp . the story be suppose to be true and but fisher and feel intense encumbrance to get a story to his editor and fabricate one instead . to his surprise and the story make the front page and fisher become a celebrity overnight and and move up to his own tv news segment . the trouble come in when some reader believe the article be about one particular real pimp ( freeman ) who happen to be on trial for murder . among those wary reader be the lead prosecutor for that case . although the fictional article depict no murder of any kind and fisher be still order to give the court his note in the trial and or be subject to a jail sentence . with the trouble come a story that keep the viewer interest high for what come next and but plot hole that accompany the story remain unexplained throughout . for instance and we have some of an idea what reeve character write in the article and but no idea what in the article would be consider circumstantial evidence in a murder trial . have a series of imaginary montage with reeve idea of a pimp a he write the story would have clear that unexplained plot point up easily . plus and although reeve character be harvard educate and that all we know about his character . how do he come up with the idea to write about a pimp in the first place . since we never see him in the inner city until after he submit the story proposal and that occurrence remain unexplained also . reeve do a great job play a guy who try to maintain control of his life and career and only to have both be in jeopardy a his situation go over his head . it would have be more helpful to establish some real root for his character and though and not to mention a moral compass of some kind . there be some other time where the story felt shaky and but the film have other great quality . for instance and the inner city in the film look far more real than other gritty urban drama i have see over the last few year where the movie set look like movie set and the house look too polish . overall though and the film be worth check out for freeman performance and and probably should be remember well in reeve career than superman iv represent the quest for peace . if anything and this movie show that reeve can play a character who have everything under control ( superman ) just as well a one who do not .