New Jersey Drive
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| New Jersey Drive | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Nick Gomez |
| Produced by | 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks |
| Written by | Nick Gomez Michel Marriott |
| Starring | Sharron Corley Gabriel Casseus Saul Stein |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1995 |
| Running time | 98 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5,000,000 |
| IMDb profile | |
New Jersey Drive is a 1995 film about African-American youths in Newark, New Jersey, the unofficial car theft capital of the world. Their favorite pastime is that of everybody in their neighborhood: stealing cars and joyriding. The trouble starts when they steal a police car and the cops launch a violent offensive that involves beating and even shooting suspects. The film stars Sharron Corley, Gabriel Casseus, and Saul Stein. At the time, the city of Newark had the highest automobile theft rate in the country, and Newark mayor Sharpe James refused to allow filming of New Jersey Drive within the city limits.
[edit] Plot
New Jersey Drive opens with Jason (Sharron Corley) heading off to juvenile detention then unfolds in flashback as, chronologically, the incidents leading to his arrest surface one by one. First the audience sees his violence- and poverty-ridden project; next his go-nowhere delinquent friends are introduced, as is their hobby: joy riding. Soon some of the teens, including Jason, begin to convert their hobby into a part-time job as they steal cars and sell them to a sleazy chop-shop owner for pennies on the dollar. Eventually, luck runs out when they are caught in a police sting; one boy is shot to death by the crooked Officer Roscoe (Saul Stein), who then warns Jason not to tell a soul; however, they continue stealing cars. Meanwhile, Jason beats up a neighborhood acquaintance on the playground for a slight to his sister and finds himself the target of the boy's murder attempts. The action draws to a head as both Roscoe and the vengeful boy close in.
[edit] Cast
- Sharron Corley ... Jason Petty
- Gabriel Casseus ... Midget
- Saul Stein ... Roscoe
- Donald Faison...Tiny
