Same Myth Different Story

           On page 21 of Sacred Matters, Gary Laderman points to the cultural production of mythology, asserting that the devotional investment and interpretation of stories are a representation of the sacred power some stories have. In Disney movies, the centrality of family, gender roles and vulnerability of the protagonist come to the foreground of many stories. However, these themes are common outside the realm of Disney films by simply appealing to the interests and sentiments of the viewers.

In the Spike Lee film He Got Game, Jake Shuttlesworth (played by Denzel Washington) is a prison inmate convicted for killing his wife. Jake is also the father of most sought-after basketball prospect in the country, Jesus, played by NBA star Ray Allen. Jakes is released from prison for a week by the state governor in order to persuade his son to play for the governor’s alma mater in exchange for a reduce prison sentence. Upon Jake’s return home, Jesus’ vulnerability is immediately revealed in light of Jake’s attempt to reconnect with his son, leading Jesus to grieve for his mother all over again. An added dimension to the story is Jesus’ responsibility of taking care of his younger sister Mary. Jesus is tempted with offers of cash and women on recruiting visits to national universities while heavily weighing the option of declaring for the NBA as a means to lift himself and his sister out of poverty.

Throughout the film Jesus’ encounters force him to blur the lines between right and wrong, a common thread within myths. Basketball is the reason his father accidentally killed his mother, but it is also Jesus’ means to a better life. Laderman calls this “mythically familiar territory” where good battles evil, revealed mysteries about the true order of the cosmos, innocence lost, self-discovery and transcendence of death and ultimate reconciliation occur. This story particularly appeals to my personal values and rituals, but does so by using recycled mythical themes that can be found in a multitude of stories, just they reshaped and repacked.