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To put it simply, "Just Wright" is your basic Cinderella story set against a pro basketball backdrop.
The essential problem with this bland Queen Latifah romantic comedy is that it's content to keep it simple. There's nothing in the strictly by-the-numbers plotting, ho-hum pacing or stock characterizations that would allow it to ever truly come to life. That it squanders a terrific cast in the process -- one that also includes Common, Phylicia Rashad and Pam Grier -- makes it all the more disappointing.
Being released, curiously, one weekend after a logical Mother's Day target date, the Fox Searchlight film will have to count on drawing the Tyler Perry crowd, but it unlikely will generate Perry numbers.
Developed expressly for Latifah and her Flavor Unit Entertainment by screenwriter Michael Elliot ("Brown Sugar," "Like Mike"), "Just Wright" refers to Leslie Wright (Latifah), a physical therapist and die-hard hoops fan who just can't seem to find her Mr. Right.We know this because (a) she says so herself; (b) her judgmental mom (Grier) keeps mentioning the fact; (c) so does her shameless gold-digger of a god sister, Morgan (Paula Patton); and (d) we see it for ourselves as another promising date ends with Leslie again being viewed as "best friend" material.
Things look like they might be on the rebound when a chance meeting with NBA All-Star Scott McKnight (Common) scores Leslie an invite to his birthday party, only to see Morgan make the moves on someone else for the trophy-wife kill.
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