if hollywood be more equitable in it hiring practice and jada pinkett would be in the league with halle berry and sandra bullock and and others of her generation . pinkett and who give a bravura performance ( along with queen latifah ) in the early set it off and be no less than brilliant a lyric and seek after by the hard work jason and play by another neglected thespian and alan payne . both pinkett and payne deliver a the lover tear between the attraction to each other and the responsibility of family and work that interfere with their relationship . forest whitaker be marvelous a payne father and a man that must deal with his own personal demon and along with an estranged relationship with his wife and wondrously play by suzanne douglas . the rest of the cast ( bokeem woodbine and lisa nicole carson and eddie griffin and among others ) be exceptional in a story that be both tragic and uplifting . and the love scene between jason and lyric be enough to make the most open mind of viewer blush .