Twice As Nice (1989 Film)
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''Twice as Nice'' is a 1989
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
film directed by
Jessie Maple Jessie Maple (February 14, 1937 – May 30, 2023) was an American cinematographer and film director most noted as a pioneer for the civil rights of African Americans and women in the film industry. Her 1981 film ''Will'' was among the first fe ...
and starring
Pamela McGee Pamela Denise McGee (born December 1, 1962) is an American former professional women's basketball player, Olympic gold medalist, and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. She is the mother of NBA player JaVale McGee and WNBL player Imani ...
,
Paula McGee Paula McGee (born December 1, 1962) is an American preacher, writer, inspirational speaker and former basketball player. She played college basketball for the University of Southern California where she won the NCAA championship in 1983 and 198 ...
, and
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke Cynthia Lynne Cooper-Dyke (born April 14, 1963) is an American basketball coach and former player who has won championships in college, in the Basketball at the Summer Olympics, Olympics, and in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA ...
. It was Maple's second feature, making her the first African-American woman to direct two feature films.


Premise

The film follows twins Caren and Camilla Parker (played by real-life twins Pamela and Paula McGee), two young college basketball stars at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
, as they navigate talent, competition, and relationships while vying for the first female MBA pick.


Cast

*
Pamela McGee Pamela Denise McGee (born December 1, 1962) is an American former professional women's basketball player, Olympic gold medalist, and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. She is the mother of NBA player JaVale McGee and WNBL player Imani ...
and
Paula McGee Paula McGee (born December 1, 1962) is an American preacher, writer, inspirational speaker and former basketball player. She played college basketball for the University of Southern California where she won the NCAA championship in 1983 and 198 ...
as Caren and Camilla Parker *
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke Cynthia Lynne Cooper-Dyke (born April 14, 1963) is an American basketball coach and former player who has won championships in college, in the Basketball at the Summer Olympics, Olympics, and in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA ...
as Damita Jean Johnson * Stephanie Lynn Wilson as Loretta


Themes

This film shed light on women basketball players and was released years before the WNBA was created. The plot examines sisterhood, success, and competition, while the camera captures mundane moments and transform them into an intimate and humanist study on family.


Production

This was Maple's second feature film, released eight years after her debut ''Will''. Maple hired non-professional actors, such as WNBA player and coach
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke Cynthia Lynne Cooper-Dyke (born April 14, 1963) is an American basketball coach and former player who has won championships in college, in the Basketball at the Summer Olympics, Olympics, and in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA ...
. Poet and actress S. Pearl Sharp wrote the screenplay.


Restoration

In 2015, ''Twice as Nice'' was one of 57 films saved by a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation. The restoration was made possible when the
Academy Film Archive The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of mot ...
uncovered the original picture and track elements at the DuArt Film Lab. The final restoration will be "a 16mm preservation element, a 16mm release print, and a digital master of the film".


Screenings

* Tell It Like It Is: Black Independents in New York, 1968 – 1986, Film Society Lincoln Center, 2015 * One Way Or Another, Black Women's Cinema, 1970–1991,
Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a multi-arts center in Brooklyn, New York City. It hosts progressive and avant-garde performances, with theater, dance, music, opera, film programming across multiple nearby venues. BAM was chartered in 18 ...
, 2017


References

African-American drama films 1989 drama films 1989 films American independent films 1989 independent films Films shot in 16 mm film 1980s English-language films 1980s American films English-language independent films English-language drama films {{1980s-US-film-stub